Cares Gorge, walked from Poncebos so the climb comes first

Poncebos, Cain de Valdeon, Arenas de Cabrales

1. 6:50 am1

   First car down the AS-264 to PoncebosPoncebos

   The road in is single-track with passing places; after 08:30 you meet the tour minibuses head-on and reverse a lot. Park at the lower riverside lot, not the upper one, which belongs to the Bulnes funicular.

2. 7:20 am2

   Cafe con leche at Hotel Garganta del CaresPoncebos

   Last real coffee for 12 km. Fill both bottles here: there is one spring on the whole trail and it is eight kilometres in, on the Cain side.

3. 7:50 am3

   Poncebos to Cain along the canal path, 12 kmPoncebos

   This is the whole trick: walk north to south. From Poncebos you get the brutal 300 m of Camarmena zig-zags done in cool shade in the first hour and everything after is flat. Start from Cain and you finish with that climb at four in the afternoon in full sun. The morning light is behind you this way too.

4. 11:15 am4

   Cabrito asado at Casa Cuevas in CainCain de Valdeon

   Fourth place on the left walking up from the river into the village. Order the cabrito asado, and have the Cabrales with cider rather than wine - the cheese is made in the valley you just walked out of.

5. 12:45 pm5

   Cold dip at the Cain footbridgeCain de Valdeon

   Snowmelt, so about eight degrees in May and worth exactly ninety seconds. Nobody regrets it on the walk back.

6. 1:15 pm6

   Back to Poncebos before the wind gets upCain de Valdeon

   The return is roughly 45 minutes quicker and finishes downhill. Afternoon wind funnels up the gorge from about three; the tunnels are the only shelter and there is no phone signal between them.

7. 4:45 pm7

   Cabrales cheese cave at ArenasArenas de Cabrales

   A 25-minute guided walk into the limestone cave where the cheese matures. Last entry is five, and it is the only thing open between finishing the walk and dinner.