 |
|
Camino de
Santiago, 5-35 Days, 113-780km. |
|
The Camino de
Santiago or Way of St James is a
journey of the soul along an
ancient pilgrimage route from
the Pyrenees to Santiago de
Compostela. Walk the whole way
or just a week or two, you will
never forget it! |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
| |
 |
| |
|
|
| ... |
| ... |
|
|
| ... |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
Walking
in the
Picos
de Europa
National Park |
| |
The
Path of the Bear
(Senda del Oso) |
| |
Distance
Approx. |
| |
Decent
Approx. |
|
San Gloria Pass to Cosgaya liner walk |
18
km (10 miles)
each way
approximately |
1050
m |
|
....................................... |
................................. |
............................. |
....................................... |
| |
|
Well you may
get lucky but best not to hold your breath. There are still a
few Cantabrian Brown Bears in and around the park, but they live
in much more remote areas. The path is named after the Monument
to the Bear which is situated along the path. Like so many in
the park, this is a liner path. If you are fit enough to walk
there and back I suggest starting and finishing at the Cosgaya
end. This way you get the hard up hill section done while you are
still fresh. If you are two or more people with two cars,
there is no problem. Just leave one car at Cosgaya and drive up
to the San Gloria Pass in the other one. It is a long drive, going
via the town of Potes. |
|
.
|
|
|
|
Click
on the map to see it full size. |
|
The
second possibility is to use public
transport. I have seen many bus stops but as yet, have seen no
busses. When I asked I was told there are three each day. However
that may change by the time you get here so best check at
the bus station in Potes when you arrive.
A third possibility would be to do Cosgaya to roughly
half way, and back again on one day, and then the San
Gloria Pass to where you left off, and back again, on
the following day.
My map is a little bit misleading, due to its small
scale. This path is long and winding, often almost
doubling back on itself. Its longer than it look on the
map. |
|
|
. |
|
|
Latitude (degrees N) |
Longitude (degrees W) |
Elevation |
|
|
|
|
|
|
San Gloria Pass picnic area |
43.06690 |
-4.76590 |
1595 m |
|
Mirador and Bear Monument |
43.07695 |
-4.74780 |
1700 m |
|
Waypoint 01 |
43.09195 |
-4.74370 |
1000 m |
|
Waypoint 02 |
43.10840 |
-4.72490 |
775 m |
|
Cosgaya church |
43.10952 |
-4.72817 |
725 m |
|
Cosgaya car park |
43.11050 |
-4.72960 |
650 m |
|
........................................... |
........................................... |
.......................................... |
........................................... |
|
|
.
|
| So, assuming
we are setting off from the picnic area car park at the
Puerto de San Glorio (1609m) (San Glorio
Pass), on the N-621 highway, cross the road and head up towards the
Mirador del Collado de Llesba and the
bear. |
|
|
|
Click on the photo to
order prints.
|
|
|
|
|
|
This is a lovely section of the walk, especially in the
early morning. On the day I did it, the valley below was
full of cloud. This often happens here in the summer, during high-pressure
conditions. Its due to a pressure inversion. The clouds
hang in the valleys first thing in the morning. |
|
|
|
|
| Visitors who
are staying in the valleys often fear it
means bad weather, but after just a short
climb its like being in an aeroplane,
looking down on the clouds, bright sunshine, with the added advantage of mountain
peaks jutting up above. Glorious indeed. |
|
|
|
Click on the photo to
order prints.
|
|
. |
|
Click
on the photo to order prints. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| It is just a two
kilometer clime up to the mirador and the bear. |
|
|
|
Click on the photo to
order prints.
|
|
|
|
|
If you
are short of time (or puff) it is possible to knock 4 kilometers
of the return trip by parking on the side of the road at
the mirador. You will need to get there early
though as there is not much room. Park
facing to go out as it may be difficult to
turn round later in the day due to the number
of cars and motorbikes. |
|
|
Click on the photo to
order prints.
|
|
|
At
the mirador, some people like to climb the
rocks. Afterwards, return to the path,
heading in the direction of Cosgaya. |
|
|
|
Click on the photo to order prints.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Click on the photos
to order prints.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| We are pretty
much above the tree line up here which makes
for wide open views. Cattle graze peaceably
along the path as we approach. |
|
|
. |
|
|
 |
|
Click on the photos
to order prints. |
|
|
|
|
|
Broom and
gorse carpet the slopes. Butterflies and
wild flowers abound. This
may be the Path of the Bear but it is also the
Path of the Rio Cubo. You will see dozens of
springs and water pouring across the
path. All of these eventually join up to form
the Rio Cubo. We are witnessing the birth of a
river, right before our eyes. At the end of the
walk we will witness the end of the river as
it flows into the Rio Deva. Although we don't
have much hope of seeing bears, there is a
much better chance of spotting a Pyrenean
Desman moving around under the water of the
Rio Cubo. We will need to stay quiet
though. |
|
|
|
. |
|
| As
we descend down we start to see more
trees. Birch to start with, then
beech, oak, rowan, hazel, whitebeam and other species. Walk on and we soon
come to the Guarda Gap. From here we can see
Cosgaya in the distance before we enter a thick
beech wood. From here we can see the peaks of Peņa
Remoņa (2,227 m), Peņa Olvidada (2,406 m) Peņa
Vieja (2,627 m) and just visible behind there is
Mount Naranjo (2,519 m). |
|
|
. |
| Just stay on the
downhill path until you come to Waypoint
01. Here you have a choice. The first option
is to ignore the small path on your left and
continue on the Path of the Bear into the
old part of Cosgaya village. Alternatively you
can turn left here, onto the smaller, lower
track. This second track is slightly shorter
and has the added advantage that it is a
very cool, shady path, following the final
course of the Rio Cubo as it seeks its
destiny of merging with the Rio Deva by the
Cosgaya car park. |
|
|
|
. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
If you choose to ignore this turn off and stay on the
higher path to what I call Old Cosgaya, you will now
loose visual contact with the river. Turn left at Waypoint
02 and enter th is charming oldie would village. Spend some time
here, if you like, just looking around. There is a quaint
old church here too. Then return down the hill to the car park. The
village is a maze of small streets but if
you keep going down you can't go wrong. Soon
the concrete road gives way to asphalt and as you
carry on down you come to the T-junction with the
CA-185. On the opposite side of the road you will
see the car park. To the left of the car park you
can see the Rio Cubo merging with the Rio Deva.
|
|
|
|
|
More
great Picos de Europa walks >>>
|
|
.......................................................................................................................................................................................
|
|
|
| . |
|
|
|
|
Great Books and Maps ! |
| Walking
in Spain (general) |
 |
 |
Navigating
with a GPS
by
Pete Hawkins |
 |
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
Navigation
Techniques and Skills for Walkers
by
Pete Hawkins |
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
Outdoor Guide to Using Your GPS
by
Steve Featherstone |
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
Hiking
in Spain
by
Stuart Butler |
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
Walking
in Spain
by
Miles Roddis |
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
On
Foot in Spain. A Walk From the Bay of Biscay to
the Mediterranean ... Illustrated by Original
Sketches
by
John S. Campion |
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
Cycle
Touring in Spain: 8 Detailed Cycle Tours
Harry Dowdell |
|
| |
| Walking
in the Picos de Europa |
 |
|
Walks
and Climbs in the Picos De Europa
by
Robin Walker |
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
Northern
Spain:
10 Circular Walks Around the Picos De Europa
by
Peter Ward, Trish Myers, and Terence Keogh |
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
Picos
De Europa: Car Tours and Walks (Landscapes)
by
Teresa Farino |
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
Trekking
and Climbing in Northern Spain
by
Jim Thomson, Ilja Schroder, Jim Thompson,
and Victor Saunders |
|
| |
|
Wildlife books
and field guides |
 |
|
Flowers
of South-west Europe: A Field Guide
by
Oleg Polunin and B.E. Smythies |
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
Birds
of Iberia
by
Clive Finlayson and David Tomlinson |
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
Wild
Spain:
The Animals, Plants and Landscapes
by
Teresa Farino |
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
The
Birds of the Western Palearctic
by
David Snow and Christopher Perrins |
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
Birds
of the Western Palearctic:
A Photographic Guide
by
Hadoram Shirihai and Lars Svensson |
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
The
Advanced Bird Guide:
ID of Every Plumage of Every Western Palearctic
Species
by
Nils Van Duivendijk |
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
Handbook
of the Birds of Europe, Middle East & North
Africa, The Birds of the Western Palearctic:
A Nine Volume Set by the late
Stanley Cramp |
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
DVD-rom:
Birds of Western Palearctic (PC/Mac)
Mac OS X, Windows 2000 / XP / Vista |
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
Where
to Watch Birds in Northern and Eastern Spain
by
Ernest Garcia and Michael Rebane |
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
Where
to Watch Birds in Southern and Western Spain:
Andalucia, Extremadura and Gibraltar
by
Ernest Garcia and Andrew Paterson |
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
Birdwatching
on Spain's Southern Coast:
Costa Del Sol, Costa De La Luz, Almeria, Donana
and Some Inland Sites
by
John R. Butler |
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
A
Birdwatching Guide to Southern Spain
by
Malcolm Palmer and John Busby |
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
Wildlife
Travel Map of Spain |
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
The
Golden Eagle
by
Jeff Watson and Keith Brockie |
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
Golden
Eagle: Sovereign of the Skies
by
Charles Preston and Gary Leppart |
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
The
Golden Eagle (Shire natural history)
by Jeff Watson and John Love |
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
The
Sparrowhawk
(Shire Natural History)
by
Ian Newton |
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
Other
Shire Natural History guides |
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
Barn
Owls:
Predator-Prey Relationships and Conservation
by
Iain R. Taylor |
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
Collins
Birds of Prey
by
Benny Gensbol and Walter Thiede |
|
| |
 |
|
The
Pocket Guide to the Birds of Prey of Britain and
Europe
by
Peter Hayman and Rob Hume |
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
Understanding
the Bird of Prey
by
Nick Fox |
|
| |
|
...................................................................................................... |
|
| |
|
|
| |
| |
|
| |
|
|
Other Useful Links |
|
|
| . |
| . |
| |
| . |
| Travel
Pics Pro - - www.travelpicspro.com
|
|
. |
| Add Your Link to This Page
|
| . |
| |
| . |
| MORE articles about Spain
>> |
|
. |
|
. |
|
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
| |
