Cantur, Cantabria, Spain

4Turista-Inglesa 5:00 PM Nov 12, 2013

Don't go by bike . . .
If you’re in the Picos, you’ll want to take the cable car up to the top – 1,800+ metres – either just to enjoy the views or to do a bit of walking, serious or otherwise. But don’t think that you’ll be up there enjoying the views and bracing air in isolation – the cable car is disgorging twenty-odd passengers every ten minutes or so at busy times, so it’s rather like Trafalgar Square at the top. It’s €16 for adults for a two-way trip. The walk down is 4 hours if you buy a one-way ticket. 5-12 year olds pay €6.50, under 5s go free. Just check that no-one in the party suffers from vertigo or is of a nervous disposition. Although it’s a less than 5 minutes trip, someone screaming in terror with their mouth clamped against your ear in a crowded cable car is not good :-) TIP 1: If you come here by car, go into the first carpark on the right immediately after the Parador entrance. The other one, a bit further on, on the left by an old cable car, is very small and often choked with camping vans who have (illegally) parked there all night. TIP 2: if you can, look on the internet at the webcam before setting out, as the weather up there can be misty when you’ve got clear weather elsewhere. Your hotel reception might help out here. TIP 3: Think warm. 22 degrees down in Potes, 7 degrees up at the top, and with a bitter wind. Scarves, gloves and anoraks, but suncream too. TIP 4: Think footwear. It is extremely rough underfoot at the top – jagged chunks of rock sticking out of the path, even the short walk path. Hiking boots or, at the very least, solid trainers. Nothing else will do. TIP 5: The opening hours depend on the season, check those. And then decide what to do about the queues. The point is that if you arrive early, to avoid the queues, you are in a queue waiting to join the queue! My advice is to arrive about 20 minutes after opening time, as then the early birds will have gone up. The other problem with arriving early is TIP 6: TIP 6: Bikes (sturdy mountain bikes) are carried free, but only allowed on the first two ascents each morning, or at any other time only if there are no foot passengers. In summer the first two cars are just full of bikes. TIP 7: Only madmen should take their bikes up. See TIP 4 about the rough terrain. Many bikers were pushing their bikes even on flat parts. The paths can be narrow and have a sheer drop of several hundred feet in parts – if your bike shudders on a very rocky bit you could be over the side. TIP 8: No rucksacks may be worn in the cable car – you must take them off before entering and hold them by your feet. If you don’t, as you enter the driver will say “La mochila!”. This is so that they can squeeze more people in, and so that you don’t bash other passengers in the face with your rucksack as you turn around. Wish Transport for London would have that rule in the Tube! TIP 9: The cafe at the base of the cable car does quite nice snacks and light lunches, and you have a lovely view sitting at the outside tables especially. TIP 10: But even better is to go to Potes for lunch!

5720303jeffreys 5:00 PM Jul 29, 2014

A few tips for high season
1. 240 people per hour can go up the mountain. 2. they don't sell tickets in advance, just day of (and this includes tour buses who must also wait their turn). 3. On a busy day, there will be a queue by about 9:30 (they open at 9:00). 4. Lots of parking that will fill up by about 10:30. After that, you park on the road and walk. 5. If you hate queues, then buy your ticket in the AM (all tickets are numbered sequentially), and come back in the afternoon. Risks with this approach: a) parking could still be limited, b) there will still be a wait of about 5-15 minutes. 6. You can calculate, with a high degree of accuracy, when your turn will be (they advance the ticket number by 40 every 10 minutes). 7. Per other reviewer's recommendations, relax, have a coffee, bring snacks to make the wait tolerable. 8. Enjoy the top, it's super and WELL WORTH IT. We spent (with kids, age 10) 2-3 hours on top, with leisurely hiking and several snack stops. Overall a great half-day activity.