Senda del Oso

The Senda del Oso follows the trackbed of a railway built to carry coal and iron out of the Trubia valleys, closed in the 1960s and converted from the 1990s into a surfaced path of about thirty-six kilometres in two branches, running through tunnels, over bridges and along gorges with very little gradient, which makes it usable by families and by cyclists of any level. It takes its name from the bears: the Cantabrian brown bear population, reduced to around fifty animals by the 1990s and now recovering past three hundred, is native to these mountains, and an enclosure at Proaza holds rescued animals that cannot be released, visible from the path. Bike hire operates at several points and a shuttle returns riders.

What you actually see

• The bear enclosure - rescued Cantabrian brown bears visible from the path.
• The rail trail - a surfaced route through tunnels and over bridges.
• The Teverga gorges - limestone valleys the railway was cut through.
• The recovering population - the wild bear story explained along the route.

When to go

April to June and September to November for the best cycling weather; summer weekends bring heavy use and bike hire sells out. Autumn colour in the valleys is good. Asturian rain is frequent.

Honest expectations

The enclosed bears are captive animals that cannot be released, not a wild sighting. The path is popular and busy on summer weekends. Bike hire and the return shuttle need booking in season.

Nearby

Teverga and its prehistoric park are at one end; Oviedo lies thirty kilometres northeast.