Lakes of Covadonga

Lakes of Covadonga: A High-Altitude Wonder in the Picos de Europa

High in the emerald folds of the Picos de Europa National Park, the Lakes of Covadonga Spain experience feels like stepping into a Celtic fairy tale. Two glacial lakes — Lago Enol and Lago Ercina — sit at roughly 1,100 meters above sea level, ringed by limestone peaks, wildflower meadows, and the slow-moving silhouettes of grazing cows wearing brass bells that clang softly through the mist. Locally known as Los Lagos Covadonga, this is one of Asturias' most beloved natural landmarks, and one of the few places in Spain where mountain drama, spiritual heritage, and pastoral tradition converge so completely.

You'll notice the light first. Even on overcast days — and there are many in this corner of green Spain — the water shifts between jade, slate, and silver. On clear mornings, the Picos reflect on the surface like a mirror. This is walking country, cheese country, and pilgrim country all at once.

What Makes the Lakes Special

The two lakes were carved by Quaternary glaciers and later shaped by karst erosion, giving them their distinctive shallow, irregular shapes. Lago Enol is the larger and deeper of the two, popular with fly fishers and often the first stop for visitors arriving by car or shuttle. Lago Ercina, slightly higher and more marshy around its edges, is where you'll see the classic postcard view of cattle wading at the shoreline with limestone peaks behind.

Beyond their beauty, the lakes carry cultural weight. They sit within the Picos de Europa National Park, Spain's first national park, established in 1918 to commemorate the Battle of Covadonga — the 8th-century skirmish credited with launching the Christian Reconquista. Just down the mountain, the Sanctuary of Covadonga and the pink limestone Basílica de Santa María la Real anchor the region's spiritual identity, and most visitors combine both in a single day.

Getting Up to the Lakes

Here's the most important practical detail: for most of the year, you cannot drive your own car to the lakes. To protect the fragile alpine environment and prevent the notorious traffic jams of past decades, a mandatory Plan de Transporte shuttle-bus system operates during Easter week, weekends and public holidays in spring and autumn, and daily from mid-July through mid-September.

• The shuttle runs from car parks at El Repelao and Cangas de Onís, with a stop at the Sanctuary of Covadonga.
• A combined ticket (bus + parking) costs around €10 per adult and roughly €4 for children, valid all day with unlimited hop-on, hop-off.
• Buses run frequently (every 15–20 minutes at peak times) from about 8:30 a.m. until early evening.
• Outside restricted periods (typically weekdays in low season), you can drive up the narrow AS-262 road — a spectacular but nerve-testing climb of switchbacks with parking at both lakes.

Buy tickets in advance online during summer; the ticket office queues can eat an hour of your day.

What to See and Do

Walk the Ruta de los Lagos (PR-PNPE 2)

The signature hike is a well-marked 5.7 km loop connecting both lakes and passing through pastureland, the old Buferrera mines, and several miradors. Allow 2 to 2.5 hours at an easy pace. It's suitable for families, though sturdy shoes are essential — the ground is often wet and cow-trampled.

Climb to Mirador de Ordiales

For a longer, more rewarding hike, follow the trail from Lago Ercina up to the Mirador de Ordiales (about 14 km round trip, 4–5 hours). The viewpoint drops off dramatically into the Angón valley, and on a clear day the panorama across the Western Massif is unforgettable. This is where the naturalist Pedro Pidal — founder of Spain's national park system — is buried.

Visit the Buferrera Mines

Just above Lago Ercina, the abandoned open-air Buferrera iron and manganese mines now host an interpretation center with free exhibits on the park's geology, wildlife, and pastoral cheese-making culture. It's a good rainy-day fallback.

Taste Cabrales Cheese

The meadows around the lakes produce milk for the famously pungent Cabrales, a blue cheese aged in nearby limestone caves. Small stalls near the parking areas sell wedges wrapped in sycamore leaves, along with hot fabada asturiana (bean stew) and cider poured from height in the Asturian style.

Visit the Sanctuary of Covadonga

On your way up or down, stop at the Santa Cueva — the holy cave shrine tucked into a cliff, with a waterfall tumbling beneath it — and the neo-Romanesque basilica across the plaza. Entry is free; a small donation is customary at the cave.

Best Time to Visit

The lakes are open year-round, but each season offers something different:

• May to June: Wildflowers explode across the meadows and waterfalls run full. Fewer crowds.
• July to August: Peak season. Warmest weather but shuttles are mandatory and hikes get busy.
• September to October: Arguably the best time — golden light, thinning crowds, and the cattle trundling back down the mountain in the traditional desmontada.
• Winter: Snow can close the road entirely. Check conditions before attempting a visit between December and March.

Bring layers whatever the season. The lakes create their own microclimate, and a sunny Cangas de Onís morning can turn into a swirling cloud-bank at the top within an hour.

Practical Tips from Experience

• Arrive early. The first shuttles (8:30–9:00 a.m.) give you the lakes to yourself before tour groups arrive around 11.
• Bring cash. Some stalls and mountain refuges don't take cards.
• Pack a picnic or plan to eat at one of the two lakeside chigres (mountain taverns) — the menu is short but hearty.
• Respect the cows. They're free-roaming, unbothered by humans, and have absolute right of way.
• Toilets are located at both lakes and at the Buferrera mines area — that's it.
• Dogs are allowed on leash but not permitted to swim in the lakes.
• Swimming is not allowed in either lake; the water is drinking-quality and protected.

Where to Base Yourself

Most visitors day-trip from Cangas de Onís (25 minutes down the mountain), a charming riverside town with a Roman bridge and plenty of sidrerías. Arenas de Cabrales to the east puts you closer to hiking in the central Picos, while Ribadesella on the coast lets you combine mountains and beach in one trip. All three offer accommodations from rural casonas to modest guesthouses at moderate prices.

The Lakes of Covadonga reward slow travel. Give them a full day, walk both shores, eat cheese with your fingers, and let the mist do what it will.