Perlunes is a Vaqueiro village at the foot of the Sierra de Perlunes. The Arroyo Aguino, a tributary of the Somiedo River, flows through the village. Two areas are particularly useful for getting your bearings: the Ruta Etnográfica del Agua begins in the lower part of the village centre, while the upper part offers panoramic views of the forests and slopes south of the village centre. This places a specific starting point in the village alongside a broader view of the landscape.

Hiking Trails and Getting Your Bearings

The local S.L. 2 hiking trail, “Ruta Etnográfica del agua,” runs through Perlunes and begins in the lower part of the village centre. A group of Olleras is also located there. The Olleras de Perlunes are designated as a Site of Cultural Interest and listed in the Asturian Cultural Heritage Inventory under code IPCA-EI-68-28. The lower village centre is therefore a shared reference point for the start of the hiking trail and the designated Olleras.

A hiking trail leads from Pola de Somiedo to Perlunes via the road connecting the two villages. The hiking trail between Pola de Somiedo, Aguino and Perlunes offers views of the Somiedo valley and the peaks around Aguino from Collada de Aguino. The viewpoint brings together two landscape features: the valley and the peaks near Aguino. The road used by the hike is described as having little traffic; check local traffic conditions, as they may change.

Another trail approaches Perlunes from the settlement of Cores via Collado Carbainéu. For orientation, the trail descriptions differ in their place references: the lower village centre, Pola de Somiedo and Cores are the stated starting points, while Collada de Aguino and Collado Carbainéu are different reference points in the descriptions. This makes it possible to choose based on the desired place reference first, without treating the trails as a single route.

Vaqueiro Culture and Olleras

Perlunes is characterised as a Vaqueiro village. Local folklore includes the traditional Vaqueiro dance “careao,” which is performed in Perlunes to celebrate the arrival of dawn. Alongside the Olleras, a designated Site of Cultural Interest, the dance adds a local connection to a tradition associated with daybreak. The two cultural features have different emphases: the Olleras are a named site, while careao is a dance tradition. Visitors who want to consider Vaqueiro culture as well as hiking trails when choosing a destination will find both a specific cultural site and a folkloric tradition here.

Perlunes in the Regional Context of Somiedo Natural Park

Somiedo Natural Park was declared a Biosphere Reserve in 2000 and extends across five valleys: Saliencia, Valle del Lago, Puerto and Pola de Somiedo, Perlunes, and Pigüeña. In this context, Perlunes is one of the valleys listed and therefore part of a landscape described across several valleys. This is the regional perspective; the hiking descriptions, by contrast, are anchored to specific reference points such as the village centre, Collada de Aguino and Collado Carbainéu. Both perspectives help place Perlunes in context, both as a village with its own cultural and hiking connections and within the wider landscape.

Discover more destinations: Rano, Arrojo, Valle De Lago, La Villa de Sub, Veigas, Villar De Vildas, Carrea, Camín Real de la Mesa

Return to the main travel guide: Camín Real De La Mesa.