FULL Guide to the Teleferico Fuente De (photos, tips, prices and more!)

Where is the Teleferico Fuente De?

The Teleferico Fuente De is located in the north of Spain, in the Picos de Europa National Park. The National Park is actually in 3 different regions of Spain (Asturias, Cantabria and Castille and León), and Fuente Dé is in the southern part of the park, in Cantabria.

How to Get to Fuente Dé

By Car

To get to Fuente De, Cantabria, if you are in the northern part of the park, you’ll have to go around the park which takes a bit of time.

Here is the average driving time from nearby cities:

From Las Arenas: 1h30

From Covadonga: 2h

From Santander: 2h

There is a large parking lot right in front of the cable car, which is free. Even in August there was a lot of spots available to park, so you shouldn’t have any problem to park your car there.

By Bus

If you’re visiting in summer, you will be able to reach the Teleférico de Fuente Dé by bus. Sadly, the buses are seasonal and only run from early July to September 15th.

Buses run from different places on the northern coast, and go all the way to Fuente Dé. You can catch the bus to Fuente Dé in the following cities:

• Santoña
• Isla
• Somo
• Santander
• Torrelavega
• San Vicente de La Barquera
• Unquera
• Panes
• Potes

There are buses to Potes (last stop before Fuente De) all year-round, so if you’re visiting outside of summer you could try taking the bus to Potes then hitchhiking to Fuente De (30mn drive).

Teleférico de Fuente Dé – Picos de Europa

After hiking for 2 days in Picos de Europa, I wanted to take a small break from hiking to rest my body before taking on the famous day-hike Ruta del Cares. And what better way to rest than going up a mountain without hiking?

I drove from Poncebos up north in the Picos de Europa to Fuente Dé, down north, by going around the National Park.

After 1h30 of driving on small mountain roads, I finally made it to Fuente De. As I arrived, I didn’t see the cable car right away, but was blown away by the beauty of the surrounding mountains.

And then, I saw it; the white and red cabin with blue windows, climbing steeply from the base of the mountain all the way to the top.

When I arrived, I loved the view of the cable car going up so much that I just stood there, next to the parking lot, camera in hand, taking photos each time a cabin would appear.  It was way different than the other cable car in the area, the Bulnes Funicular, which goes inside a tunnel.

After I had satisfied my urge to take photos, I went inside the main building to buy my tickets. The lady at the counter told me that I would have to wait 3 hours before I could go up, and that once at the top there would be a 2 hours wait before being able to take the cable car down.

Fortunately the Fuente De Teleferico is well-managed; once you buy your ticket, you get a number. You don’t actually have to wait 3 hours in a queue, you just wait until your number is called out then you can go up. The numbers are called in Spanish and English on a speakerphone every 20 minutes, and they are also displayed on monitors inside the cafeteria and in front of the entrance.

I knew I had 3 hours in front of me, so I went to the nearby restaurant Restaurante Parador de Fuente Dé to have lunch. Then, after eating and chilling at the restaurant (and using the wifi to post some stories on the gram), it was almost time to go up. I went back near the entrance of the Teleferico de Fuente De, and heard my number being called: time to go!

I climbed the stairs to get to the main platform, where we would all board the cable car. There, out on the platform, I could see our cabin coming back down, getting closer and closer. However, I could also see the weather changing, and fog gathering over the mountains.

When I first arrived at the Funicular Fuente De, it was the perfect weather to go up: blue sky and perfect visibility. But in the 3 hours I had to wait for my number to be called out, the weather had changed drastically, with fog coming from the sea and covering everything in grey.

I got in the cable car, and as I was going up along the cable towards the top of the mountain, I quickly realize I wasn’t going to be able to see anything up there.

Can you see the arrival up the top covered in fog?

And guess what? I was absolutely right. The top of the mountain was covered in fog, and we couldn’t see anything. From up the Mirador del Cable, where you’re supposed to have epic views, all I could see was white and grey in front of me.

Here’s what I expected:

And here’s what I got instead:

I went back inside the cable car station to get my return ticket. While I waited for my number to be called out, I mostly laid down on a rock & chilled, looking at flowers and small rodents going in & out of the rocks.

I waited for around 2 hours before my number was finally called out, and boarded the last cable car of the day to return back down to my car. I got lucky as I was going down, and the fog lifted just enough at the bottom to offer a great view over the valley.

Hike to Horcados Rojos Summit

Once you get to the top of the mountain with the funicular Picos de Europa, you can start the ascension to the Horcados Rojos summit (Red Horcados). The hike is a loop that will take you up to 2,500 meters (8,200 feet).

Here’s the profil of the hike:

Hike Loop to Horcados Rojos

The hike goes all the way to the collado de Horcados Rojos (Red Horcados pass); most people go up to that point, then turn back to go down to the cable car.

If you feel like it, you can go finish the ascent and summit the Horcados Rojos; there is a very steep trail going up the summit, climbing 150 meters (500 feet), full of loose stones. Be careful if you decide to go up there, but the reward of summiting Horcados Rojos is absolutely worth it!

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 Down From the Top

Another option when you get to the top with the cable car is to hike down, via the Ruta Puertos de Aliva. The hike goes to the mountain refuge of Aliva, before going all the way down to Fuente De.

Here’s the profil of the hike:

Hike Ruta Puertos de Aliva

As most of the places in Picos de Europa, you’ll most likely have some company on your hike, from the local animals (check here for hiking with the cows in Sotres).

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.

Tips

To be honest, I didn’t have the best experience at the Teleférico de Fuente Dé, mainly because I didn’t have many info about the funicular and couldn’t prepare for it.

But with that first experience, I can now give you a few tips for you to make the most out of your experience at Fuente Dé.

• Go straight to buy your tickets; you’ll have plenty of time before your number comes up to explore the area around and eat while you wait
• Bring a jacket with you; it was warm at the bottom but way colder at the top under the fog
• Go early morning if you can, as the fog usually comes in the afternoon
• When buying your tickets, you can check the weather at the top on the webcam behind the counter
• As soon as you get to the top, go to the ticket booth to see how long is the wait to go down; if it’s a long wait (it was 2 hours for us), take your number right away.

Fuente De Cable Car Prices

The cable car is a bit pricey, and it can definitely be a turn-off for many people. However as you saw above, it’s absolutely worth it to get such amazing views, without the hassle of climbing the damn mountain.

There is also an option for a 1-way ticket, if you want to hike up then take the cable car down, or take the cable car up and hike back down.

Fuente de Cable Car Prices

Please note that animals are not accepted in the cable car, so if you have a dog you’ll have to take the hard way and climb by yourself 😉

Fuente De Teleferico Opening Hours

The Picos de Europa cable car works on a numbered-ticket basis; you purchase your ticket, and you will be given a number. When your number is displayed on the screen, it’s your time to take the cable car.

I love how they manage it, because this means that you won’t have to line up in a queue for hours while you wait for everyone to go up before you. You can buy your ticket, check how many minutes/hours you have before it’s your turn, and go do something else. Then come back when your number is up and you’re ready to go. You’ll find below the Fuente De cable car timetable:

⏱ Fuente De Cable Car Opening Hours

The last cable car goes up at 6:45pm, 15 minutes before closing time.

Don’t worry, the cable car from the top doesn’t stop working at 7pm. It keeps running until there isn’t anyone left with a return ticket at the top.

We went down with the last cable car which departed from the top at 7:45pm.

Where to Stay near the Funicular Fuente De, Cantabria

If you plan to stay in Fuente Dé Picos de Europa, you have several options for where to stay:

• I slept in Arenas de Cabrales, which is the main village right above Poncebos, in the Hotel Picos de Europa.

The room is pretty cozy, everything is super clean, and you’ll even have a pool to relax after a long day of hiking!

• If you start the hike from Poncebos, check out the Hostal Poncebos.

It’s the highest rated hotel in the area, and the best home base for the hikes in Picos de Europa. The prices are so low it’s hard to beat, and breakfast is included too! It gets booked out pretty quick, so make sure to secure your spot fast.

• The best option is to sleep right below the cable car, in the Parador de Fuente Dé.

It’s the best place to stay if you plan to explore Fuente Dé for a couple of days!

Visit Spain

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

Asturias Guides:

Tired of Hiking? Here Are the Best Beaches in Asturias

Done Exploring Picos de Europa? Discover the Parque Natural de Somiedo

Explore the Beach Town of Ribadesella

Spain Guides:

The 36 Best Castles in Spain

Day Trip from Madrid to Segovia

The 27 Best Day Trips from Madrid

I hope you enjoy your trip to Fuente Dé and to Spain!

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

Photo credits: 26 | 27 | 38 | 39 | 40