The Fuente Dé cable car covers a difference in altitude of 753 metres, taking visitors to an elevation of 1,823 metres in four minutes. It is located in the heart of Picos de Europa National Park. The PR-PNPE 23 Horcados Rojos route starts at the upper station. When planning your stay, it is worth distinguishing between options by type of excursion and landscape. Check the cable car timetable and mountain conditions before making plans.
Views and geological features
Next to the El Cable café at the upper station is a south-facing viewing balcony overlooking the Cantabrian Mountains. From a viewpoint at the upper cable car station, you can see across the upper basin of the Deva River. The formation of the landscape is also part of the area's character: the Circo de Fuente Dé is the source of the Deva. The Fuente Dé-Pido glacial complex lies in Picos de Europa National Park and is of particular geomorphological and scenic interest. The landforms in the area were shaped mainly by Quaternary glaciations. As well as viewpoints, Fuente Dé therefore offers a distinctive geological perspective on the mountain landscape.
Hiking routes with different trail types
The PR-PNPE 23 Horcados Rojos is 11.4 kilometres long and follows an out-and-back route. It starts at the cable car's upper station and passes high-alpine limestone formations. The combination of an out-and-back route and high-alpine limestone formations defines the character of the hike. The PR-PNPE 24 Puertos de Áliva follows a different course: it is a 14.5-kilometre descent from El Cable to Fuente Dé. The route passes through extensive mountain meadows between the Central and Eastern Massifs of Picos de Europa. Its final section runs through beech and oak forests. By comparison, Puertos de Áliva is longer and follows a descent, while Horcados Rojos is an out-and-back hike.
The Vega de Liordes circular route starts on the road south of Fuente Dé towards Pandetrave. It passes through an ecologically valuable area of the national park. Cantabrian brown bears, wolves, deer, wild boar and chamois are among the animals found there; however, this does not mean that you will be able to spot them on a hike. There are also six short PR trails in the vicinity of Fuente Dé, integrated into the Liébana hiking network.
More options to help visitors find their way
The Fuente Dé recreation area is in the La Dehesa car park, next to the national park information point. It has tables, a spring and information boards; individual facilities may occasionally be unavailable. The national park also offers guided and interpretive routes led by its own park guides. Check whether these routes are available during the season of your visit before travelling.
Discover more destinations: Turieno, Espinama, Lon, Pido, Cosgaya, Pembes
Go to the main travel overview: Camaleño.
