Cabrillanes – Trails, Lagoons and Culture

Cabrillanes is characterised by broad valleys covered with extensive pastures and stone-built villages where houses, hórreos, mills, fountains, towers and manor houses have preserved their own identity. Babia de Arriba, also known as Babia de Suso, lies in a rugged mountain landscape.

Landscape and Nature

The pine forest in Cabrillanes is a landmark of a largely forest-poor region and is considered the forest with the greatest diversity of tree species in the Parque Natural de Babia y Luna. The nearby glacial lagoons of La Mata, El Miro, El Sierro and El Troiquín are included in the wetlands catalogue of Castilla y León. One of the Parque Estelar observation points in the area around Laguna Grande is located in Lago de Babia.

Trails and Natural Areas

The route to Laguna de Las Verdes begins in Torre de Babia, passes the ruins of the medieval tower that gave the village its name, and continues to Laguna de Las Verdes. The route runs entirely through a protected natural area; collecting plants and mushrooms and driving motorised vehicles outside authorised uses and designated locations is prohibited.

The Fuentes del Sil route leads from La Cueta past the Molino de Cobrana mill building and follows the Sil upstream to the higher pastures. The Camino Real de Pregame connects Quintanilla, Mena and Huergas de Babia along a quiet route through the valley floor with hardly any significant changes in elevation. The different routes can be compared when planning your day individually.

Which of these details is important to you depends on your travel period and the type of accommodation you prefer.

Culture and History

The church in Cabrillanes dates from the late 18th century. The Ethnographic Museum in Torre de Babia is housed in a restored traditional house from the Babia region and displays around 3,200 objects reflecting local life in the 20th century.

The Marian chapel, altar, side aisles, dome and part of the nave of the Santuario de la Virgen de Carrasconte are located within the municipality of Cabrillanes. The earliest written records of the Santuario de la Virgen de Carrasconte date from 1602 and 1634. The Santuario de la Virgen de Carrasconte was expanded in the 18th century because of the large influx of worshippers.

The festival at the Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Carrasconte takes place every year on 15 August and is recognised as a festival of provincial tourist interest. The main day of the Romería de Carrasconte is 15 August; it is preceded on 14 August by a night-time vigil and torchlight processions from Babia and Laciana.

The nearby Ermita de Quejo in La Cueta dates from the 17th century and is in an advanced state of disrepair.

Further destinations: Carucedo, San Cipriano Del Condado, Magaz de Cepeda, Valverde De La Virgen, Prado de la Guzpeña, Boñar, Hospital De Órbigo

To the higher-level travel overview: León.