Read more about the best way to spend 1 week in Asturias here. (A 7-day Asturias Itinerary)
Ecos del Sella (~€75 - €150)
Cerro la Nina (€100 - €300)
El Repelao (€60 - €150)
Prices are depending on the season. Generally, hotel prices in Asturias increase strongly in July and August.
A visit to the Covadonga Lakes can easily be combined with a visit to the beautiful Covadonga Basilica and Cangas de Onis. We started our day by walking around Cangas de Onis and enjoyed a great Spanish tapas lunch in town (at La Sifoneria). Also, you can’t miss out on the main tourist attraction of Cangas de Onis, which is a beautiful bridge. If you have visited Mostar before, the shape might look familiar to you.
After lunch, we continued our drive to the Covadonga Basilica for a quick visit to the beautiful basilica and the holy cave. When visiting, you can best opt for a rental car and drive to the nearest parking lot. Even though many parking lots were full of cars, the closest parking lot (driving up) had quite some space! Although you have to take the car back down to a different parking spot where you can take a bus to the Covadonga Lakes, it saves you a lot of walking uphill!
The most familiar way to get to the Covadonga Lakes is by bus. There are multiple shuttle busses (coaches) running towards the Covadonga Lakes from several parking lots nearby. A ticket costs €9 (return trip) and busses leave every 15 to 30 minutes. Before, there was the option to take your own vehicle to drive to the lakes when arriving before 8 am, however, it seems that from 2024 on, the road has been officially closed. In my opinion, the bus is the best way to head to the lakes anyways, as the drive is challenging due to the small roads and elevation. Be prepared for a ride with many turns!
The exact bus timetable and additional information can best be found on the official Asturias website. The first bus in high-season runs at 08:00 in the morning and the last bus up to the lake goes around 16:00.
As for parking, there are multiple parking lots (1 to 4) where you can park your car. Busses to the lake leave from all parking lots and tickets can generally be bought at stalls at the parking lot. Parking number 4, called Repelao car park, is in operation all year.
From the ‘bus station’ at the Covadonga Lakes, you can immediately walk back to admire beautiful views over the first of the 2 lakes. There is a clear hiking trail covering the 2 main lakes that is easily accessible. Bear in mind, that the path can become a bit slippery when it is raining.
There are 2 main hikes around the lake, of which the shorter one is around 3 kilometers and the longer route is 6 kilometers. Due to the bad weather, we chose the shorter loop around the lake. When you arrive at the bus station, you’ll receive a short briefing and maps with the route are available. We started our hike from the Lago Enol car park and after around 45 minutes, we arrived at the car park near the 2nd lake: Lago Enerica. Next to the car park, there is a small bar/ restaurant called Maria Rosa where you can grab a snack or a drink before continuing the remainder of the route.
Alternatively, if you are not keen on hiking, smaller busses are running between the main bus stop near Lago Enol and Lago Enerica, so you’ll still have the chance to view both lakes.
During the hike, you can also take a short detour up to Mirador de Entrelagos, located in between the two lakes.
If you have the chance, I would highly advise you to do the hike in good weather, as the views of the lake will be more beautiful. Nevertheless, despite the rain, it was a great experience!
Looking for more hikes in Asturias? Read more about the Lagos de Saliencia here.
