Complete Guide to the Amazing Lago del Valle + how to get there

Where is El Lago del Valle?

El Lago de Valle is located in the north of Spain, in the region of Asturias. It’s one of the most beautiful alpine lakes in the region, together with the Lagos de Covadonga.

The lake is part of the Somiedo Natural Park, at the very south of Asturias, next to the border with the Castile and León region.

Hiking the Ruta Valle del Lago

There is no direct road access to the Lago del Valle, which means you won’t be able to simply drive to the lake. You’ll actually have to hike to get there, but the reward is absolutely worth it!

There are 2 main ways you can reach the Lago del Valle:

• hike from Valle del Lago
• hike from Alto de la Farrapona

Which hike you will do depends a lot on where you’ll spend the night the day before. If you’re staying in Valle de Lago, you’ll hike the Ruta Valle del Lago. If you’re staying in Saliencia, you’ll hike from the Alto de la Farrapona.

Why?

Here’s why:

There is no direct road between the two, which means you’ll have to drive all the way around. It takes 50 minutes to drive from Valle de Lago to the Alto de la Farrapona; all on narrow mountain roads, which are often blocked by traffic, resulting in a 2 hours drive time.

You’re way better off hiking straight from where you are spending the night, rather than losing time on the road.

Now let’s check the 2 hikes, among the best in Asturias!

Hike from Valle del Lago

The first hike is the hike from Valle del Lago, the one you’ll do if you staying in Valle del Lago (this is the one I did).

Here’s the profil of the hike:

Hike Ruta Valle del Lago

It takes around 3h to do the full loop from Valle de Lago to the lake & back to the village. You should plan extra time to spend at the lake, it’s so nice there that you’ll probably end up staying for a while.

You’ll find below the map of the hike:

You can download the GPX file by clicking on the image above if you want to use in your GPS app/smartwatch.

Hike from Alto de la Farrapona

The second option is the hike from Alto de la Farrapona, which is close to Saliencia.

Here’s the profil of the hike:

Hike from la Farrapona

Hiking to the Lago del Valle from la Farrapona takes longer than from Valle de Lago, and you should plan the full-day for this hike. However you will also see the Saliencia Lakes on this hike, 3 mountain lakes that are absolutely amazing.

You’ll find below the map of the hike:

You can download the GPX file by clicking on the image above if you want to use in your GPS app/smartwatch.

Where Should You Start the Hike?

Still not sure from where you should start the hike to the Lago del Valle? Don’t worry I’ve got you covered:

Start in Valle de Lago if:

• you want to spend a lot of time at the lake
• you don’t want to hike too much
• your hotel is in Valle de Lago

Start in la Farrapona if: 

• you want to hike all day
• you want to see Lago del Valle & the Saliencia lakes
• your hotel is in Saliencia

I hope this helps you make up your mind about where to start the hike!

Exploring the Valle de Lago Asturias

Prior to exploring the Somiedo Natural Park, I had already spent a week hiking in Asturias. I had walked on the legendary Ruta del Cares, and hiked from the mountain villages of Bulnes to Sotres.

I had already seen quite a lot of amazing natural beauty, but I was truly looking forward to exploring the Valle del Lago, Somiedo.

Why?

Because I had no idea what to expect there!

Ready to start the hike!

My friend Laurent & I parked our car right next to the start of the hike around 9:00am, made sure our bags were correctly packed, put a bit of sunscreen on, and we begun our hike.

Right after the start of the hike, we found a crossroad. There, you have 2 choices:

• go left (like we did) and climb to see the lake from above
• go right and go straight to the lake (the easy way)

To be honest, we were winging it, and not 100% sure which one was the best way.

If I went back today, I would probably go right to go to the lake first, then climb afterwards.

Anyways, we went to the left, and begun the climb to go to the other side of the mountain, towards the Saliencia Lakes. All along the first part of the hike, which was pretty gentle, we had amazing views over the mountains.

The trail was pretty nice at first, a wide dirt & gravel path, with enough rooms for 2. That is, unless you come across one of the locals.

As we climbed, we reached a first stop, a big rock overlooking the valley. Of course we stayed there for a while, put down our bags and took out our cameras to snap a few pictures. It was also a good opportunity to stop for a little while, and drink after that first climb.

At that point, we still haven’t seen the lake. I know it’s somewhere in the distance, right at the end of the trail that I can see down below, but I can’t quite see it.

We keep walking, and going up on the trail that is now becoming narrower and narrower.

And then…

We see it!

The Lago del Valle.

Our first view of the lake in the distance

Because the lake is slightly elevated from the trail, you don’t see it until you get very close to it. Or, in our case, until you’ve climbed enough to see it appear in the distance.

Here are a few more shots of the lake as we were getting closer:

Laurent walking on the trail above the lake

Pretty good view, right?

But I wanted to get even closer!

So we kept walking on the trail, trying to go higher and closer to the lake, to get the best view we could of the Lago del Valle.

That’s me doing an Instagram Live and telling people where I will go to get a better view of the lake

I spotted a huuuuge rock in the distance, and I thought: “Damn I’m sure the view up there is the bestttt”.

Too late to turn back, I had to climb it.

And I did.

Yes, climbing rocks makes me happy.

As you can see on the photo above, the view from up there was indeed pretty amazing! I had a direct view on the lake, with it’s turquoise water shining in the midday light.

I stayed on that rock for a while, taking photos of the lake, and battling the strong winds that were trying to knock me down (I put on my hoodie right after the photos because that wind was chilly!)

To see even more of the lake, we needed to be higher. So we kept climbing, trying to reach the top of the mountain next to the lake.

We were mainly trying to cross over to the other side of the mountain, to reach the Saliencia lakes, the second part of our hike. But going up also made for a better view, which was great!

So there you have it, our adventure in Valle del Lago Asturias! The rest of the adventure was exploring the Lagos de Saliencia, you can click here if you want to read the rest of the adventure.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to climb to see the lake! We took this route because we wanted to cross over to the other side of the mountain to reach the Saliencia Lakes, and to see the Lago del Valle from above.

However you can walk straight to the lake, without climbing! It will take you way less time, and you’ll get to the lake where you can chill next to the water or stroll around the lake.

This is the hike that goes from Valle del Lago to the lake – no climbing needed!

Aaaand that was it, my adventures at the Lago del Valle! If you want more information such as how to get to this location and tips for your travels there, keep reading below.

How to Get to the Lago de Valle

If you’re planning to go to Somiedo, I highly recommend renting a car (or using your own). There is a way to get there by bus, but it involves a lot of walking as the bus system is not very developed in this part of Asturias.

Get to Lago del Valle by Car

As we saw above, you can get to the lake from 2 different sides. Let’s see how to get to each one by car:

Drive to Valle de Lago Somiedo

After entering the Somiedo Natural Park, you’ll drive on mountain roads until you reach the town of Valle de Lago. Here is the estimated driving time from nearby cities:

• From Gijón: 1h50
• From León: 2h
• From Poncebos in Picos de Europa: 3h

Once you get to Valle de Lago, keep driving straight through the city, heading south east. You will drive past the Hotel Somiedo, then reach the first parking lot: Aparcamiento Valle del Lago.

Don’t stop there, keep driving to the next part of the village; right after the houses you will reach another space where you can park your car. Here is the location: parking Valle del Lago. This is the closest you can get to the lakes, and the perfect place to start your hike!

If the second one is full, simply drive back to the first one. It’s only a 10 minutes walk between both parkings, so don’t sweat it.

Drive to Alto de la Farrapona

If you want to tackle the hike from the Alto de la Farrapona (or simply if you booked your hotel in Saliencia), you’ll reach the start of the hike in less time:

• From Saliencia: 15mn
• From Gijón: 1h35
• From León: 1h30
• From Poncebos in Picos de Europa: 3h

Once you reach the Aparcamiento Alto la Farrapona (parking lot), just park your car & you’re ready to start the hike to the lake from there!

Get to Lago del Valle by Bus

If you don’t have a car, you can still reach the Lago de Valle, but it will be a tad more difficult.

You can take the bus to Urria, which is the farthest you will be able to go with the bus.

Go to Moovit Asturias, enter “Parking Valle del Lago” as your destination, & choose your starting point.

Once you’re in Urria, you’ll need to walk 1h before reaching the start of the hike in Valle de Lago.

Tips for Planning Your Trip to Valle del Lago, Asturias

If you’ve gotten this far, chances are pretty high that you are seriously considering hiking the Ruta del Valle del Lago, Asturias.

You’ll find below a few tips to help you plan your hike, and to make sure you have the best experience you can while you’re out there:

• if you’re going in winter, there will probably be a lot of snow in the area
• if there is snow, I strongly suggest you go & return to the lake on the round trip path “camino del sol“; the one way track “camino de la sombra” is pretty tough to hike on with the snow. You’ll see the signs along the way.
• you’ll find a drinking water source right above the cabin in front of the lake, to the left
• the cows, sheeps and goats are friendly but they remain wild animals; don’t bother them
• pack warmer clothes in your bag as the weather quickly changes in this area

Can you spot the cows?

Where to Stay in Valle del Lago Somiedo

Ready to explore Somiedo? Here are my top choices of hotels for you:

Best Hotel in Valle de Lago – Hotel Rural Somiedo

 

The Hotel Somiedo is where I stayed when exploring Somiedo

I stayed in this hotel when I was in Asturias; the location is perfect, right next to the start of the hike.

What I loved the most was how kind the hosts were; a really helpful couple, who helped me plan my hike, gave me tips and even put together a lunch for me to take away in the morning.

Check for Best Price

 

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Best Budget Hostel – Albergue de Saliencia

 

The Albergue de Saliencia is the best choice for budget travelers

The Albergue de Saliencia is the perfect place to stay if you’re planning to hike to Lago del Valle and to the Saliencia Lakes.

It’s also the best budget hostel, perfect for backpackers. For 18€ you’ll get a room for the night and a nice breakfast in the morning.

Check for Best Price

 

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Best Hotel for Couples – Pension Rural Casa Cesareo

 

Best option for a cheap & comfy stay

If you have a car and if you’re travelling with someone else, the Pensio Rural Casa Cesareo is the best choice for you.

Located a bit further from the lake in Pola de Somiedo, you’ll get a family room with 2 twin beds for very cheap!

Check for Best Price

 

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Visit Spain

Planning a trip to Asturias and Spain? You can find below several other articles about this wonderful part of the world to help you plan your trip:

Asturias Guides:

Looking for even more epic hikes? Here are my 10 Favorite Hikes in Picos de Europa

Want to take a break from the mountains & tan on the beach? Check out the Best Beaches in Asturias

Or explore the jaw-dropping coastline of Cabo Vidio

Spain Guides:

The 36 Best Castles in Spain

Best Daytrips from Madrid

Discover Toledo, the City of 3 Cultures

I hope you enjoy your trip to Asturias and to Spain!

If you have any questions, let me know in the comments below, I always reply.