Fuente De Cable Car

The Fuente De cable car opened in 1966 and climbs from 1,070 metres at the head of the Liebana valley to 1,823 metres at El Cable, a rise of 753 metres in a single span of about eight hundred metres with no intermediate tower, taking under four minutes. It puts walkers directly into the high Picos: from the top station, routes lead across the Aliva pastures, to the Cabana Veronica refuge, along the Horcados Rojos and down the Canal del Embudo, opening a range of terrain that would otherwise take a long day to reach. A hotel and parador stand at the base. Chamois are common on the slopes around the upper station and often seen from the terrace.

History

The idea of linking Fuente Dé with the high mountains at the heart of the Picos de Europa came from José Antonio Odriozola, former president of the Spanish Mountaineering Federation, whose family came from Liébana. The line was designed by the engineer José Calavera Ruiz and the architect Ángel Hernández Morales; building began in November 1962, and it opened on 21 August 1966 (Wikipedia, Fuente Dé cable car).

What's there

• The single-span ascent - 753 metres climbed in under four minutes.
• The Aliva pastures - high grazing land reached from the top station.
• The chamois - common on the rocks around the upper terminal.
• The Picos cirque - limestone walls enclosing the valley head.

When to go

June to September for walking and the fullest service; the cable car runs most of the year but closes in high wind and for maintenance in winter. Queues in August can exceed two hours, managed by numbered tickets.

Things to know

Summer queues are long and the car does not run in wind, which is frequent. The upper station is at 1,823 metres and considerably colder than the valley. Routes from the top are serious mountain walks, not strolls.

Nearby

Potes and the Liebana valley lie east; Santo Toribio monastery is above Potes.

Key facts