Safe Return Doubtful

These days, due to its position, life in the village of Parada de Sil is based around tourism. As well as several restaurants, a couple of bars and hotels, there is a permanent population of only 260. Thirty years ago it was double that. It’s a case, as in many such villages, of the properties being worth more if they are well renovated and rented out on sites like AirBnB.

For the tourist, it has some good walking mountain biking routes, but chiefly, the view into and across the canyon. Farming is otherwise how local people would be employed. 

A kilometre out of the village, closer to the lip of the canyon there is a football pitch and recreation area. Motorhomes cannot pass the narrow road, by law, but campervans can. At this time of year though, mine was the only van parked there. A few cars arrived during the day for the short, two hundred metre, walk to two viewpoints, but despite fine weather, it was very quiet. 

On Tuesday morning Roja and I took on the hiking circuit, about 12 kilometres. It’s a pleasant enough place to visit at this time of year, but I wouldn’t be keen to share it with the many visitors that it seems like it attracts in season. 

On Wednesday morning after an hour’s exercise around a mini-circuit, I drove on and northwards initially to the town Sarria where I picked up some flea and tick medication for Roja from the vets. I use Bravecto, and here in Spain it’s almost half the price that it is in the UK, so I stocked up for the season. I wouldn’t usually start this treatment until May in Cumbria, but with the recent warm weather, spring is certainly here. 

From Sarria the driving became a lot more interesting, on narrow and rarely used roads that meandered up and down hillsides with magnificent vistas, averaging less than 20 miles per hour. My destination was the village of San Antolín de Ibias in the valley of the river Ibias.

There’s a great place for vans, again not motorhomes as the approach track is too narrow, next to a swimming pool a kilometre or so out, and, from what I have read, there is a hiking trail worth exploring.