When you have children, your life changes. And often that means giving up or reducing your bike rides. But as they grow up, you can swap the routine of going out on rides with friends and group mates for doing it with your kids.
👉 Cycling and parenthood: how your life changes when you are a cyclist and have a baby
If you have children, want to instill your same passion for cycling in them, and live in Asturias, here are 3 MTB routes you can do as a family with your mountain bike. These are ideal routes to get your kids hooked on cycling while enjoying nature and a family day out in magical places. These mountain bike routes run along green trails or paths, with no technical difficulty or major slopes, so you can do them with child seats or trailers.
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The Senda del Oso
This is a beautiful route in the heart of the Trubia river valley that runs through forests, rivers, bridges, and gorges. It is probably the most well-known family route in Asturias, in the heart of one of the few places where the brown bear still survives in the wild. This trail is built on an old railway line that was used to transport coal from Teverga and Quirós to Trubia, which means that if a train passed through there, there won't be any major slopes or steep inclines. The route starts in Tuñón and runs parallel to the Trubia river. After 5 kilometers, you'll find the bear enclosure where you can see the two famous bears Paca and Molina (or Molinera). If you continue on the trail for another 4 km, you will reach Caranga de Abajo, where the trail splits and you will have to choose which way to go:
Heading to Valdemurio Reservoir
If you take the left path, you'll find a slightly steeper road that will take you to the Valdemurio reservoir. It's a really cool place with a recreational area and a bar overlooking the reservoir. This recreational area can be a good spot to have lunch and then return the same way to the starting point of the route.
Heading to Entrago
If you take the right path, you will go through some impressive gorges until you reach Entrago, where there is a recreational area ideal for eating if you have brought sandwiches. If you haven't packed food in your backpack, you'll find several restaurants where you can have a set menu to recharge before heading back.
Things to keep in mind
The route, if you start from Tuñón, always goes slightly uphill. It’s not a lot of elevation, but it’s always ascending. This is appreciated on the way back, allowing us to return faster. If putting the bike in the car trunk to get to the starting point of the route is a problem for you, the path is full of businesses with bikes, carts, and child seats for rent. [irp posts="2324" name="How to properly transport your bikes in the car"] Be careful with the fences. The entire route is fenced, but there are areas where these are old and somewhat neglected; in recent years, there have already been several accidents.
The Alba Route
The Redes Natural Park is one of the five natural parks in Asturias. Perhaps it is also the least known of all, but without a doubt it is one of the most beautiful and has the added benefit of not being crowded. The Alba Route starts in the village of Soto de Agues, in the municipality of Sobrescobio. It is a linear route of about 14 kilometers: 7 kilometers upriver out and 7 kilometers downriver back, running along the banks of the Alba River, a tributary of the Nalón River, the longest in the Principality of Asturias. The route runs along a concrete track except for the last kilometer, which becomes a trail. On this route, we will enter a forest with gorges, numerous waterfalls, and plenty of wildlife. It is very common to see mountain goats on the rocky slopes on the other side of the river.
Where to eat
At the end of the route, you’ll have to look for a place to eat. An option that the kids won’t easily forget is the Merendero Molino del Alba. It’s a restaurant where you have to catch the trout yourself, which you’ll then eat. It’s recommended to book in advance, because depending on the time of year, you might find it closed or only open on weekends. And if what you want is to eat a menu of authentic homemade Asturian food or the typical local spit-roasted lamb (by order), the best thing is to take the car and in 10 minutes you’ll be at Restaurante Bar Linares (1 kilometer after passing Tanes towards Campo de Caso). There are few places in Asturias with a better quality-price ratio, and their tripe… oh mama!
Fuso de la Reina Path
The Fuso de la Reina Path is a 14-kilometer route (7 out and 7 back), flat and easy, in the municipality of Oviedo. It begins in Oviedo’s Winter Park, where we have a fully paved 7-kilometer path that runs along the old railway tracks towards Las Caldas. Along the way, we will come across the old stations of La Manjoya and Fuso de la Reina. Among the most outstanding scenic attractions, we’ll find beech and chestnut forests, tunnels in the rock, bridges (such as the spectacular hundred-year-old iron bridge or the suspension bridge over the Nalón River), the Las Caldas spa, and Priorio Castle. And if we’re up for more, you can also take a guided tour of the Lluera Cave in Priorio.
Where to eat
To eat, without straying too far from the route, halfway in Las Caldas we have the restaurant El Recreo de Las Caldas, perfect for having a daily menu with fabadina. And if we want to treat ourselves to a good fartura (feast), the Restaurant at the Las Caldas Golf Club offers a tasting menu with more than 15 dishes so you can roll back to Oviedo. (Images: turismoasturias.es)