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Lakes of Covadonga

Cangas de Onís, Oriente, Asturias

1 Villages · 5 Monuments · 3 Nature

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Lakes of Covadonga

Nature · Cangas de Onís, Oriente, Asturias

El Enol, at 1,070 metres, and La Ercina, at 1,108, are two lakes of glacial origin in the western massif of the Picos de Europa, in the concejo of Cangas de Onís; there is a third lake, El Bricial, which only carries water during the thaw. They are reached by a road of about fourteen and a half kilometres that starts at the Real Sitio de Covadonga and reaches El Enol first. Its use since 1983 as the finish of a stage of the Vuelta ciclista a España popularised the spot internationally, which has forced access by private car to be restricted for six months of the year, with buses running from Cangas de Onís. Near La Ercina, at Buferrera, iron, manganese and mercury mines were worked until 1979, and today there is a car park, a visitor centre and a refuge there.

Photo: Pacodonderis (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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