Mountain Road or Ballota Route

From Soto de Luiña the camino splits into two well-marked routes. The fork is obvious — a marker with two shells indicates each direction.

The Mountain Route (19.9 km) turns left and climbs to the ridge. It's entirely mountain walking and the most scenic option on this stretch of the Norte. Pack food and water — there are no services along the way.

The Road/Ballota Route (19.5 km) keeps to the road and runs a series of switchback shortcuts that parallel it. More services are available, but the constant joining and leaving of the road requires attention to arrows. If you miss a turnoff and stay on the road, you'll arrive at the same destination but walk considerably farther with more elevation change.