It is the question people ask most before heading to Covadonga: can you drive up to the Lakes? It depends on the day. For much of the year the road is closed to private cars and you go up by bus, but the calendar follows a pattern that repeats from one year to the next, and it is worth knowing before you book.
When you have to take the bus
The Lakes transport plan — the system that replaces private cars with buses from the valley — closes the road between Covadonga and the lakes to private traffic, except for authorised vehicles. In 2025 and 2026 it ran during these periods:
- Easter week and spring weekends and bank holidays, especially in May.
- Every day from 1 June to mid-October: until 19 October in 2025 and until 18 October in 2026.
- Some weekends at the end of October and the All Saints' long weekend.
- 1 to 8 December, the Constitution and Immaculate Conception holidays.
Within the summer there are odd days when you can drive up. The one that repeats is 8 September, Asturias Day in Covadonga; some years another has been added, such as 25 July in 2025.
When you can drive up
Outside those periods the road is open. In practice, there are two good windows:
- November, apart from the All Saints' weekend: it is the freest month of the year. Some years the last weekend has been regulated too, as in 2025.
- From 9 December until spring, except Easter week, weather permitting: in winter the road can have ice or snow.
If your trip falls on weekdays in November, you will normally be able to drive up on your own and take your time.
If it is a bus day
Buses leave from Cangas de Onís and from the car parks along the valley up to Covadonga, and the ticket is valid all day. In 2025 and 2026 it cost €9 for adults and €3.50 for children; the youngest travel free. Timetables are shorter outside summer, so in autumn check when the last bus down leaves, as it may already be dark.
Driving up has its small print too
Being allowed to drive up does not always make it the best idea. Parking at the top is limited — which is precisely why the transport plan exists — so on a sunny Sunday you may end up driving round in circles instead of walking.
The road is also narrow, with tight bends and a considerable climb. From November onwards, expect ice first thing and the possibility of snow, and fog can close in at the top even when the valley is clear. Checking the forecast and the state of the road before setting off is the difference between a perfect morning and turning back halfway up.
Why autumn is worth it
If you have only seen the lakes in August, you have not quite seen them. Without the summer bustle, Enol and Ercina get back something that is lost in high season: silence. The low autumn light is kind to photos, the woods on the way up change colour, and the circular walk between the two lakes is much quieter.
In exchange there are fewer hours of daylight and a greater chance of a cloudy start. That is why, in autumn, an early start pays off even more than in summer.
From Cabrales
From El Ardinal the trip takes up a long morning, leaving the rest of the day for the valley: lakes in the morning, then an unhurried lunch or a short walk close to home in the afternoon.
If you come in early October you may coincide with the Subida a Cabrales, a hill-climb car race in the valley itself; on those days the Lakes transport plan is usually still running. And in this guide to the Lakes of Covadonga you will find what to see once you are up there, from the Buferrera mines to the Mirador de la Reina and the climb to the Vega de Ario.
Before you go, check this year's calendar
The pattern repeats, but the exact dates are approved each season by the Asturias Transport Consortium. The specific days, timetables and advance ticket sales are on the official website of the service. A minute spent checking before you get in the car saves the disappointment of finding the barrier down.
