The N621 and N625 roads from Leon to Cangas de Onis are quite simply spectacular! Do not miss an opportunity to travel on these roads rather than the motorway if you possibly can.
Leon to Cistierno
We left early in the morning through a quiet town and took the road to Cistierno. It was flat countryside where the leaves were turning colour quite dramatically. It was also overcast but not raining.
Cistierno to Riano
From Cistierno the road started climbing into the mountains. We had stopped at this stretch of Roman Road, El Pajar del Diablo, in 2019, and here we were again.
New Riano
From Cistierno the road climbed up to our next stop, New Riano. Seven villages were flooded in this valley in order to create a new reservoir.
The setting of the town is spectacular! On a hillside above a reservoir and surrounded by high mountains in the Picos de Europa.
The original town of Riano lies submerged in the reservoir below New Riano which was built in 1987. The reservoir is a way of controlling floods and generating hydroelectricity from the water of the Esla River. It was not a popular project.1 People farmed here originally; now only a third of the population remain and they are making a new life with tourism as an industry instead. We were there on a Sunday and there was a small market in the town.
The Church of San Martin was moved from the village of Pedrosa del Rey and now stands in the square of New Riano.
We stopped for coffee in a crowded cafe and then we were on our way again.
N625
We chose this route in order to drive the N625 – 65 kms from Riano to Cangas de Onis. There are several short films on YouTube and I had checked them before setting out just to make sure we could manage the drive.
Water levels seemed rather low and when we left I noticed this completely empty arm of the reservoir. You could see an old road, and a bridge, and cattle were grazing there. It must have angered local people even more. Apparently reservoirs in Spain are only at 37% capacity.
At the top of the pass of El Ponton, 1280 metres, the views were amazing.
Below the pass is the Valley of Osejo de Sajambre which is at the head of the Sella River. We would meet this river again in Cangas de Onis.
Desfiladero de los Beyos is the narrow canyon of the Sella River, 12 kms long and spectacular.
And then, all too soon we had left the mountains and were driving into the town.
Parador of Cangas de Onis
The Parador of Cangas de Onis is in the converted Benedictine Monastery of San Pedro de Villanueva. It is situated outside the town, next to the River Sella, and it was a very welcome sight at the end of a long day.
A spectacular day!
- Reservoir and submerged villages: https://fascinatingspain.com/place-to-visit/what-to-see-in-castile-and-leon/what-to-see-in-leon/riano-huge-beauty-reborn-ashes/ ↩︎