Fuente Dé cable car
Fuente De is the most famous tourist attraction in the Picos de Europa. It is a closed gondola that allows you to go 800 meters higher in a few minutes, then you are at an altitude of 1823 meters with a magnificent view over the Picos de Europa mountains. Of course, you can enjoy all this beauty and go down, which many people do, but it is also a starting point for beautiful high altitude mountain hikes, trekking, snowshoeing in winter, etc.
You can drive there by car from the finca in about 20 minutes. It is indicated on the signs for Potes, a long way from Potes in the direction of Camaleño. Don’t forget to stop at the Quesos Rio Deva cheese factory along the way. You can buy their delicious artisanal cheeses at Bisi (sheep cheese or combination of cow, goat, sheep = 3 leches)!
Reserve your spot
Always check the website before you go: http://telefericofuentede.com In case of strong winds, the gondola is closed and some days a year it is always closed: December 24/25, January 1 and 6. And on January 13th. Until February 6th. The cable car costs €17 per person round trip. You can also walk back via a beautiful route of approximately four hours. If you plan to use the gondola frequently, a subscription may be cheaper.
Get your tickets online instead of standing in line at the kiosk. Be aware that on the day itself it is not possible to reserve your spot online anymore. During high season the gondola can be very crowded, so be sure to arrive well before your time slot.
At the top
You could just enjoy the ride up, visit the platform to look at the magnificant mountain views, learn a bit about the history, use the bathroom, the gift shop and have a coffee at the cafetaria and go back down. For others it just starts once they get to the top where they start their mountain activities (or hikeing up, of course, but the cable car saves you 800 meters of climbing on foot, 3 hours for most of us). Lots of options for hiking, climbing etc. Do you need information, material or a guide? Organize it all through the finca’s app.
Do you want to do a hike that is not too demanding at the top of the gondola? Follow the signs for about 1.5 hours to the Áliva Hotel for lunch of drinks at their terrace and then walk back (uphill) or take the route to the parking lot below (about 4.5 hours).
The cable car is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. (15 minutes before closing, the last trip goes up) and around Easter and in summer a little more (high season opens from 8:00 a.m.).
With your finca reservation, you will receive access to the finca’s app. In this app you will not only find all the information about your accommodation, but also about places of interest and activities in the town and the region. This way you can prepare your trip on time, plan activities and possibly book guides or study maps. This app also contains advice on the contents of your backpack, which hiking boots are suitable and, for example, exercises to prepare for your trip.
