fly-drive, self-drivebrittany ferriesGetting to Potes is easy, thanks to three keypoints of access within just 2½hrs of us. Wedo not offer airport transfers and havingyour own car is more or less essential. Fly-driving and self-driving are the main options.Santander (90 mins. away) offers self-drivingoptions with its regular Brittany Ferries'services between Portsmouth and Plymouth.Fly-drivers can fly from Stansted and severalother European cities including Madrid andAlicante. Asturias Oviedo (2½hrs away) is really only afly-drive option. It is served by Easyjet fromStansted and Geneva and by Iberia fromMadrid & Barcelona. Bilbao (2½hrs away) provides another ferryand fly-drive option. Ferries go to and fromPortsmouth with Brittany Ferries, whilst itsairport is served by Easyjet (Stansted), Aer Lingus (Dublin) and Vueling (Heathrow).Collett's can offer you a safe, comprehensiveand no-hidden-extras car hire package from£245 per week. We take care of all the arrangements,sending your voucher 14 days before yourholiday and step by step directions toPosada El Corcal. Contact us for details.10% discount with brittany ferriesMany guests come to the Pyrenees and Picosde Europa using Brittany Ferries betweenPortsmouth and Bilbao or Portsmouth/Plymouth and Santander. Collett's is an affiliate of Brittany Ferries, soif you book any crossing through us we canoffer you a 10% discount along with thebenefit of no cancellation or amendmentfees up to 30 days prior to travel. Justcontact us and we will be happy to make thenecessary arrangements on your behalf.You might find it helpful to look at the mapon Page 53 in the Pyrenees pages, as it alsocovers the Picos de Europa. It is mostfeasible to combine the Picos and thePyrenees in one holiday - allow 5 to 6 hoursto drive between the two.40

posada el corcalOur base in the Picos de Europa is thebeautifully appointed Posada El Corcal. Run courteously and impeccably by theSoberón Bedoya family, El Corcal is 2kmsfrom Potes, which itself is a delight. El Corcal is in a charming rural setting in thehamlet of Tama alongside the road betweenPotes and Panes near the Picos de EuropaNational Park. It is less than 5 minutes in thecar to Potes, but you can also walk there in35 minutes along a riverside track.You will be more than comfortable at ElCorcal. It is immaculately presentedthroughout. Whilst modern inside, there aresome delightfully rustic touches. All of its ensuite bedrooms, most with balconies, havebeen individually decorated with exquisitetaste. Bright colours and stylish furnishingscharacterise every room.After a day in the mountains, relax in thelounge over a book and a drink, or wanderthrough French windows into an attractivegarden with furnished terraces. Or you cantake time out in the hotel's health spa,where there is a jacuzzi, sauna and smallgym.A good breakfast is served everyday in ElCorcal's attractive breakfast room. At theentrance of El Corcal's driveway just 50 yardsfrom the posada itself, there is a traditionalSpanish taverna restaurant, Casa Fofi, whichis also run by the Soberón Bedoya family.Each evening (except Wednesday) we meethere to enjoy an excellent three coursedinner (with wine included). self cateringNear to our base at the Posada El Corcal, wehave some delightful self catering options,standard and superior. In beautiful locations,they offer a good level of comfort and insome cases, a shared swimming pool. Pleasecontact us for more details.places of interest There are numerous places of interestdotted around the Picos. Potes itself isdelightful and there is much to captivate youamongst its nooks and crannies. Just outsidePotes is the Monastery Santo Toribio, which,according to tradition is the home of thelargest surviving piece of Christ's cross. A key attraction has to be the spectacularCosta Verde. From here, it is under an hourto one of Europe's most unspoilt andstunning coastlines interspersed bybreathtaking beaches and picturesquefishing villages. The fascinating villages ofComillas and Santillana del Mar are easydrives from Potes and both make for anexcellent and culturally interesting day onone of Europe's most spectacular coastlines. The Stunning Valle de Liébana Our Accommodation in Potes, Places of Interest & TravelPosada El CorcalpotesPotes is the vibrant principal town of theLiébana valley region. It provides wellfor the holidaymaker, whilst being acharming step back in time. There is ahustle and bustle that somehow adds tothe rustic splendour of this remarkablelittle town. On market day especially, itis a hive of activity. Historically rich, Potes boasts impressivemediaeval buildings and a labyrinth offascinating cobbled streets withinteresting shops, markets andatmospheric cafés. These streets radiate from a beautifultown square, itself perched dramaticallyabove the river, which flows through thetown. In every direction, Potes enjoysmajestic mountain backdrops andclearly this adds to its appeal forwalkers.Collett's chose Potes partly for itsweather. It has a temperate climate and generallyenjoys the sun and warmth of León andCastille, whilst leaving the wetterwesterly weather fronts to the northernand western mountains of the Picos deEuropa.41