Valdeón is a valley full of unique corners.
The southern slope of Picos, in the north of the province of León, is not only the mother of the Sella but also the cradle of one of the best preserved natural areas. It smells like a village, tastes like nature in its purest state and is a real experience for mountain lovers. We are talking about the Valdeón Valley.
The fact that the Valdeón Valley preserves the essence of unspoiled nature is not only because it is protected by the Picos de Europa National Park. It is also because of its secluded location that only the most intrepid dreamers seek unique experiences.
There are so many stimuli that these places offer us, that we will feel totally intoxicated when we contemplate their magical corners. In fact, many are those who come to relax and contemplate. The intricate geography of the area provides lookout points with spectacular views.
The Valdeón Valley, eight villages and hundreds of mountains
Eight are the villages that are drawn between the hundreds of mountains that surround them. Despite the harshness associated with this environment, for centuries, the life of these small settlements developed.
The small houses, made of stone and wood, with beautiful corridors, remind us of an enduring architectural style. That together with the hórreos, the mills and bridges, manage to endow these villages with a fairytale atmosphere.
It is a high mountain valley, surrounded by the high peaks of the Urrieles (Central) and Cornión (Western). The beech forests embrace these eight villages, and the waters of the Cares River irrigate their meadows. The enclave is in the heart of the Picos de Europa, so it is not only attractive for the views that leave us, but it becomes a strategic point for hiking or mountaineering.
Tradition, culture, village flavor…
Worthy of mention are Soto de Valdeón, with the church of San Pedro of the s. XVI for its ribbed vault and Renaissance altarpiece, and the hermitage dedicated to the Virgen Blanca, and also Posada de Valdeón, with a church from the s. XVI and XVII, dedicated to Santa Eulalia.
In Cordiñanes, a few meters from the Cares riverbed on its right bank, the archaeological site of El Barrejo is preserved, a full-medieval necropolis with tombs made of slabs and limestone blocks, discovered in 1995. A little further down is the hermitage of the Virgen de Corona, patron saint of the Valdeón valley, where legend has it that Don Pelayo was crowned king.
The rest of the villages of Valdeón, Prada, Caldevilla, Los Llanos and Cain, the village that guards the emblematic route of the Cares, are not to be missed.
Santa Marina de Valdeónes where our hidden campsite is located. A charming mountain village, whose historical antecedents seem to lie in the foundation of a monastery. King Alfonso VI granted privileges to its abbot in 1081, which is why the town boasts of being the oldest inhabited nucleus in the valley.
A system of collective agriculture helped their neighbors to survive in very harsh conditions. Its people, sincere and practical, seem to have complied with the laws of natural selection. Today, circumstances have changed and they enjoy certain privileges compared to their ancestors. Even so, the price of living in this unique environment sometimes becomes very high.
Listening to their stories and experiences, savoring their culture and traditions, transports us to times gone by. Times when there was no room for the trivialities of today.
Having, for example, a skewer of Valdeón cheese with a glass of Bierzo wine and contemplating the surrounding crags and forests, is undoubtedly one of the worldly pleasures that makes you vibrate with emotion.
We leave you this link to the instagram account of @elcaresbar, a real pleasure for the senses….
Drinking from popular wisdom, in a legendary and natural setting such as this remote place, is an unforgettable experience.
Hunting wolves, a matter of survival
In the past, when wolf families were more abundant in Valdeón, they were hunted with sticks and stones. It must have been a face-to-face confrontation not without fear and adrenaline. These somewhat archaic actions were intended to control wolf populations and thus reduce the risk of attacks on livestock.
There was even a municipal regulation, according to which men of a certain age were obliged to participate in this enclosure. And aided by an ingenious system of palisades that ended in a well, the wolves’ chorco. The villagers hid in a kind of tepee, from which they scared the wolf, until it fell into the well. He was then killed by these rudimentary methods.
Corona Hermitage, what the legend says
The Cares route, a well-kept treasure
What started out as an access road for the maintenance of the hydroelectric power plant’s feeder canal
The Cares River has not only shaped this unique Valdeón Valley throughout the ages. It is also the setting for one of the most accessible hiking trails in Picos de Europa. It is in Cain where this particular path begins, carved into the limestone rock. Tunnels, overhangs and bridges open the way for you, zigzagging between the giant massifs, until you reach Poncebos.
Although it is quite long, twelve kilometers one way, it is mostly flat. Only when reaching the Collados, is when the slopes begin to get steep. So when we explain the range of activities from the camping the Cares we will make special recommendations, to make the route more bearable without missing the most interesting.
