The Desfiladero de los Beyos is the gorge the Sella river cut through the limestone heart of the Picos de Europa, and the road that follows it is one of the great short rides in northern Spain. The walls rise sheer on both sides, grey and cream and streaked with orange, so close in places that the sky narrows to a slit, while the river runs green and fast far below. Oseja de Sajambre, a mountain village of a few hundred people, lies near the upper end, and Posada de Valdeon, another small settlement, is farther south in a neighbouring valley. Fuel is in Cangas de Onis, to the north, or Riano to the south.
The riding is exhilarating. The road follows the gorge for several kilometres, cut into the rock face and passing through short tunnels, with tight curves, a surface that is generally good and the occasional patch of fallen stones. There is little room for error, with a drop on one side and a wall on the other, and it is best taken at an unhurried pace, especially in wet weather, when the rock sweats and the road can be slick. Traffic is light for most of the year, though weekends and August bring more cars and campervans. Early morning is atmospheric, with mist rising from the river, and autumn colours in the beech woods are beautiful.
The Picos de Europa carry a lot of history for a small range. At Covadonga, a short ride from Cangas de Onis, a Christian force led by Pelayo is said to have defeated a Muslim army in the early eighth century, an event traditionally taken as the beginning of the Reconquista, and the sanctuary in the mountains is still a place of pilgrimage. The surrounding villages made their living from herding and cheese, and Cabrales, a strong blue cheese ripened in mountain caves, is the region's pride. A slice with a glass of cider is the best lunch you can find.
Nature is dramatic. The limestone massifs rise to well over two thousand metres within a short distance of the coast, and they are a haven for chamois, wolves, brown bears and griffon vultures, which circle on thermals above the gorge. Beech and oak forest clothes the lower slopes, and the air smells of wet stone and moss. The river holds trout and salmon, and anglers stand in the shallows in season.
Carry a rain jacket and a warm layer, since the weather in the Picos changes fast, and fill the tank before you start.