Seeing the rest of the country - 1) Cantabria : Potes : Picos de Europa
Monday, July 11, 2016 @ 3:46 PM
A short diversion - around 45mins off the north coast motorway A8 whilst on my way from Galicia back to Santander to return our hire van to the UK - and I have ticked off an initial visit I wanted to do to the Picos de Europa. I had a wonderful (harrowing!) drive to Potes, had lunch there by the river, then drove back to wait for the ferry in the burning heat and tarmac!
But it was / is lovely. A wonderful place right up my mountain path/street. I am a mountain person/climber and have spent a lot of time in the UK mountains and hills, then spent a few seasons in the french and swiss alps and a few trips skiiing/boarding in the pyrnees and italian alps. I've also been to the mountains in the middle of Vancouver Island.
So having driven past the Picos many years, i've been itchy to try them and to plan some proper climbing/walking trips. This was just a flying visit to have some lunch and just be near rock and peaks. But it was wonderful.
(sorry - don't seem to be able to rotate the images once they are in EyeOnSpain). The roads are like the alps with great drops down to the river, and some great zoomy parts and others where you wince as you pass the overhanging rocks with a bus coming the other way..... Good fun though. And wonderful glimpses with occasional laybys to pull over in to ogle.
Then the twn of Potes was as gorgeous as a google search suggested it would be. I chose one of the many restaurants offering outdoor seating and a three course menu al dia for 12 euros inc wine or cider, and water. bargain.
I had mountain stew (beans, black pudding, chorizo, cabbage) and then a lamb which was local and muy rico.
I only scratched the surface of this wonderful set of mountains and all the villages and towns and people within. But I hope to be back. I'm gonna buy a walking and climbing guidebook and see what short and longer trips I can plan. I think Fuente De is the main peak and main town, further south. Or the quicker to visit from the north is Cavadonga I believe.
I'll be back.