Balouta: Pallozas and Trails to Miravalles

Culture and Villagescape

Among the settlements in the Valle de Ancares, Balouta preserves the largest number of pallozas. The village centre lies in the middle of a large meadow crossed by a stream. Balouta is also home to a church dedicated to Saint James.

Balouta has an architectural ensemble of pallozas with thatched roofs, known as teitos, and hórreos, all preserved in good condition. The pallozas have rounded lines, an elliptical floor plan and adapt to the slope of the terrain. The hórreos, covered with rye straw, stand on four supports; their roofs are made of rye straw and have a woven finish.

Balouta's architectural villagescape is better preserved than that of other places in the Valle de Ancares. In most of the pallozas, old household items and furniture have been preserved inside. An old house in Balouta bears a coat of arms belonging to the nobility.

In the Ancares Leoneses, Balouta is one of the places designated as a Bien de Interés Cultural. In 1192, a royal charter transferred Balouta and Suárbol to the Monastery of San Andrés de Espinareda.

In the vicinity of Balouta there is a recently discovered Roman camp, which represents an important archaeological record.

Trails and Landscape

The Balouta–Pico Miravalles route begins in Balouta and leads to Pico Miravalles at an elevation of 1,969 metres. The linear Puerto de Ancares–Pico Miravalles route also runs near Balouta: it leads from Puerto de Ancares at 1,648 metres to Pico Miravalles at 1,969 metres, gaining 321 metres in elevation.

At Puerto de Ancares, the Puerto de Ancares–Miravalles route near Balouta includes a recreational area and a viewpoint. From there, you can see the mountains of the Valle de Ancares, as well as Balouta and Suárbol.

Near Balouta, a forest trail leads from Puerto de Ancares to the Mirador de Balouta. The different starting points, elevations and routes provide several objective points of comparison for planning your own hikes.

The information on starting points and elevations makes the two routes to Miravalles directly comparable: one route starts in Balouta, while the linear route begins at Puerto de Ancares, already at an elevation of 1,648 metres. The forest trail adds another route to the Mirador de Balouta to these named connections.

Visiting in Person

Balouta is home to the Hotel Rural Miravalles, a rural accommodation. To visit the interior of some of the pallozas in Balouta, contact the Hotel Rural Miravalles.

When looking for a holiday apartment in Balouta, you can compare travel dates, room categories and cancellation policies on the respective listing pages. This information helps structure your planning around your desired travel period and chosen conditions.

Other Places

Other places: Villaseca De Laciana, Bembibre, Prado de la Guzpeña, Murias De Rechivaldo, Villafeliz De La Sobarriba, La Bañeza, Villablino, Filiel

For the higher-level travel overview: León.