アストゥリアスの絶景の山頂・トップ20

The ascent of Pico Pienzu can be one of the most rewarding routes you'll find in the Asturian mountains. The contrast between sea and mountains at its summit will leave you speechless, and any route you choose for the climb will offer a fantastic day in the mountains.

Upon reaching the summit, you don't arrive at a village or a tourist center, but rather at a kind of natural balcony overlooking the Lena mountain passes, which gives a strange feeling, as if you've stepped onto an empty stage. And on clear days, the wind is louder among the mountain passes than any car, because traffic is minimal.

For decades, La Cubilla was practically a ghost town: a road built to connect mining valleys, used more by livestock farmers and scattered trucks than by travelers. This lack of traffic left a remarkably clean route, free of curves, absurd straights, and modern widenings: pure mountain design from another era. That's why many cyclists say it "looks more like an Alpine pass than a Cantabrian one," with those giant limestone walls silently accompanying you.

The La Cubilla mountain pass is located at an altitude of 1,683 meters, on the border between Asturias and León. Its rugged terrain and the beauty of its surroundings have earned it the title of stage finisher of the Vuelta a España, making it one of the most iconic climbs among cyclists.

Among the theories surrounding the unusual name of this mountain pass, one is the popular legend that some shepherdesses were caught in a blizzard and died in a nearby shelter. In any case, the pass is located in a stunning setting.

The Les Praeres pass, meaning "meadows" in Spanish, is a beautiful crossing point for the surrounding peaks. There's also a bar and restaurant with a mountain atmosphere. As if that weren't enough, there's a deer, rescued as a puppy by the bar's owner, who freely roams the area like a pet.

One of the great Asturian mountain passes, without a doubt. Generally unknown to the general public, it's rarely used in professional races. It has two clearly distinct slopes. The southern slope, which begins in Pola de Allande, is gentle and steady, along a road in good condition. It shares much of its climb with Puerto del Palo, which it turns off from just 3 km from the summit of Puerto de la Marta. The northern slope, which comes from Villayon, is uneven, with very tough sections and several rest stops and descents. It reminds me a lot of the Croix-de-Fer from Sant Jean de Maurienne, not because of the landscape, but because of the type of pass.

Highly recommended, it can be done together with the Palo departing from Pola, the Marta is shorter but with a steeper slope