For the beginning of May we designed an attractive programme for young and old. A mixture of walking and prehistory. Inbetween loads of moments to rest. You're on holiday and this week should stay fun.
It's ten years now that we enjoy our life in green Asturias. We like to share the knowledge we acquired so far about this Princedom. We learned a lot about nature, culture, geology, history and much more about this beautiful part of Spain. We will go somewhere else every day and tell our guests what we know. Above all we hope to accomplish a knowledge exchange, so it's not us doing the talking all the time, but hopefully our guests also share their knowledge and experiences with the group.
Fontebona is situated in green Asturias, northwestern Spain. Follow Thomas and Astrid along for a week in and around our little paradise.
Asturias is unfamiliar to you? Why don't you have a look at our website www.fontebona.es or google for words like Costa Verde, Picos de Europa, Ponga.
7-day Prehistoric programme 29th of April - 5th of May 2018
Day 1, Sunday 29th of April, arrival, welcome drink and supper in Fontebona
Day 2, Monday 30th of April, donkey hike in surroundings of Fontebona (6km, 150m up hill and down hill)
Day 3, Tuesday 1st of May, mountain hike in the Sueve massif (8km, 200m up hill, 700m down hill), searching for fossils on the beach
Day 4, Wednesday 2nd of May, dinosaurmuseum in Colunga, Playa de Griega
Day 5, Thursday 3rd of May, mountain hike in the national park Picos de Europa (14km, 500m up hill and down hill)
Day 6, Friday 4th of May, searching for silex, neanderthaler cave El Sidrón, neanderthaler museum (if open)
Day 7, Saturday 5th of May, leaving Fontebona
Programme takes place with minimally 2 and maximally 12 persons, € 225.- per person.
Including breakfast, simple supper, stay in Fontebona in your own brought tent, accompaniment
Excluding lunch (which is the main meal in Spain, day menu usually is less than € 15.-), entrance fees, extra food and drink in Fontebona, alternative stay outside Fontebona, travel insurance
More about the Prehistoric programme on http://fontebona.es/prehistory2018/
Questions? Please contact Astrid and Thomas:
http://www.fontebona.es/en/contacto.php or mobile (+34)722217451
Explanation
# Journey #
The programme is based on the assumption that you have your own means of transport. Also the daily trips are in your own vehicle. You may share a car while consulting other guests. Don't hesitate to ask us about the possibilities of sharing a car with us.
# Stay #
Your stay in Fontebona is based on accomodation in your own tent. There are plenty of terraces on Fontebona to pitch your tent. The month of May is usually nice enough with maximum temperatures around 19 degrees Celcius. At night temperatures will be around 10 degrees Celsius. Be prepared for some rain though. If necessary, we will light the wood stove in the Reception area. We also have some places for making a campfire.
You prefer accomodation nearby? For a small fee we can search and book a suitable place for you nearby. You are expected in the morning in Fontebona to join the others.
# Eat and drink #
Breakfast will be around 9:00hrs at the Reception area of Fontebona. After breakfast we will prepare to leave. Lunch will usually be in some restaurant on the route. Do keep in mind that we do as the Spaniards do: we eat the big warm meal at lunchtime which is around two o'clock in the afternoon. Lunch prices are not included in the programme. Experience shows that some prefer to eat a simple bread roll and explore the surroundings, while others enjoy an extensive meal. At night there will be a simple supper, a soup of the day with bread and a salad, in Fontebona around 20:00hrs. Apart from the usual meals in Fontebona any extra eat and drink will be at your own expense.
# Insurance #
We have a legal liability insurance. You still need to have your own travel insurance for additional coverage.
# Checklist #
We think it would be wise to pack the following:
- Hiking clothes and walking shoes, also suitable for rain
- Tent, sleeping gear, flashlight
- Warm clothes
- Hiking backpack, water bottle
- Personal care articles, towel
# Fit? #
The programme is designed for people with an average physical health who can keep up with a moderate pace. The hikes on day 3 and 5 for example can be demanding, so it's better to have a rather good hiking condition. On the other hand there will be a lot of talking, explanation and standing still while on route. We do not have the intention to do the hikes in a new record time. Young children who are not too experienced hikers could better do an alternative route with their parents on some of the days. Please consult us about this, if in doubt.
# Flexible programming #
The programme is provisionally, meaning that if for example a pooring rain is forecasted for day 5, we will consult our guests about changing the programme and not go to th Picos de Europa, but instead do a small donkey hike for instance. And on a very hot day it may be nicer to go to the beach than to the mountains. There may be other unforeseen reasons to change the programming. But it will always be a trade-off of days. We will not invent a new activity that was not in already in the original programme.
# Day 1, Sunday 29th of April, arrival, welcome drink and supper in Fontebona #
You're expected in Fontebona in the Sunday afternoon or Sunday night. After a welcome drink and some explanations you can pitch your tent and explore the area if wanted. During supper (20:00hrs) there will be plenty of time to get to know eachother.
# Day 2, Monday 30th of April, donkey hike in surroundings of Fontebona (6km, 150m up hill and down hill) #
Today you will get to know our donkeys Pili and Lulu. They love to walk along with a group of people. We will fill you in about the environment and what we see nearby while we do the hike. Around two o'clock we will drive to town for a lunch with those who want to. After lunch you have the opportunity to give your own interpretation to the afternoon.
# Day 3, Tuesday 1st of May, mountain hike in the Sueve massif (8km, 200m up hill, 700m down hill), searching for fossils on the beach #
The day starts with a hike in the erratic karst massif called Sueve after which we will go to the beach. On our way there we will go to a restaurant. Todays hike is relatively easy, unless you hate descents. At the beginning and the end there will be some cars driving to and fro to get people and cars in the right place. After that we will start the hike at the lookout Mirador del Fiton. From here the route goes gradually up hill, but the vistas at the Cordillera Cantábrica left and the Atlantic Ocean right will compensate possible tired legs very well. About halfway through we go down hill following the north slope of the mountain massif. After a first dry and stony bit we now enter a mysterious and very green landscape. The Viescona wood is our favourite fairytale forest. We love to show this place to our guests. At the end of the hike we return to the beginning of the route to pick up the remaining car(s). After lunch we will search for fossils, stones and shells on the beach.
# Day 4, Wednesday 2nd of May, dinosaurmuseum in Colunga, Playa de Griega #
After yesterdays exercise today will be a quieter day. We will visit the MUJA, the Museo Jurásico in Colunga. The exhibition gives a good impression of what fossils have been found in and around Asturias during the Trias, Jura and Cretacious period. After a meal in a restaurant we will go to the Playa de Griega to search for dinosaur prints.
# Day 5, Thursday 3rd of May, mountain hike in the national park Picos de Europa (14km, 500m up hill and down hill) #
We consider today to be the highlight of the programme. If only it were for the starting hight at 700m above sealevel. We will go up to above 1.200m. This round trip in the Picos de Europa is doable in about five hours. We always recommend this route in the Picos de Europa to our guests as an alternative for the very busy route through the Cares Gorge. The vistas are just as spectacular, but it's much quieter on this route. We should not linger too long today. In order to get to Tielve where the round trip begins, it's more than one and a half hours by car already. Halfway the hike there is the opportunity for a lunch in Sotres. After that, over three kilometres remain for the descend to the starting point.
# Day 6, Friday 4th of May, searching for silex, neanderthaler cave El Sidrón, neanderthaler museum (if open) #
We happen to know this very nice site with silex, not too far from Fontebona. There, a lot of raw and knapped flint nodules can be found, even an occasional abandoned artefact. There is no way of telling who worked the silex, but it could just as well have been Neanderthalers. The El Sidrón Cave, where recently the remains of thirteen neanderthalers were discovered, is only a few kilometres away. Flint from the municipality of Piloña was of good quality and was traded as far 150km from the place where it was excavated. We will try our hand at knapping ourselves, maybe a hand-axe or an arrowhead. After that we will look at where the Neanderthalers lived. The El Sidrón Cave is not open to the public so unfortunately we cannot enter. But we willl have a look around there. After lunch we will visit the exhibition in Infiesto about the 13 Neanderthalers. If the exhibition is open, that is, because it's not known when the opening hours will be while writing this (March).
# Day 7, Saturday 5th of May, leaving Fontebona #
After breakfast the programme ends and we will say goodbye to you. But it's no problem if you want to stay longer!
