Route of the Xana's

Well, here in Spain it's the end of school term so what better way to start our holidays than with a 10km hike! Yippee!

We looked at a few different routes and my daughter chose the Route of the Xana's. A Xana is a mythical water nymph based on Asturian legend. She is small and slender with light brown hair. They live by waterfalls and rivers in the forest. Their hair is tended to with golden combs made from the sun.  Xana is pronounced Shanna here in Asturias and for those of you who don't know, that's the name of my daughter. She is 8 years old and loves the water - any opportunity to have a dip, she'll be there! We hadn't heard of the Xana before coming here. It's a total coincidence and a really nice one at that. Just makes us feel a little more cemented in our surroundings.

A beautiful Xana

So, back to the route.
It was only about an hours drive from our home and we found the area really easily - no getting lost on the way is always a bonus. There is a generous car park with picnic tables at the start of the route. As always, there are boards with route maps and information on what you might see as you go.

The three of us (four including the dog) set off. The first part was following the road for half a kilometre until the next signpost. This led us up a gravel path and on towards the gorge. The paths are slightly tight - you have to step aside if someone is travelling in the opposite direction - but they are well maintained.

The sun was shining and it was very hot especially in those parts of the walk where there was no shade. The views were fantastic though - breathtaking scenery.

We passed through the gorge and although the path was narrow, it wasn't as scary as we thought it was going to be. Yes, its high but that adds to the drama of the scenery. There is also a rope handrail for those who are sufferers of vertigo!

We didn't rush. We took our time and enjoyed the views. The sound of a waterfall could be heard along part of the track and we finally found it. It was a series of mini waterfalls - the perfect place for a Xana to live! There were rickety bridges to tramp across too.

We then had a steep(ish) climb up some steps towards the village. The steps are uneven and quite high but they are doable. Slow and steady wins the race!

At last the church was in sight so we knew that our end point wasn't too far away.

Another couple more kilometres and we were back on the road leading to our car! Downhill all the way!

We survived. Only a couple of moans at the kilometre number 8 mark (Shanna, not me I hasten to add!). It was a really enjoyable route. We all enjoyed it. We are now planning our next hike!

Who doesn't love a heart shaped petal!