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Wise Pilgrim APPAt the entrance to Puente de los Fierros, the camino splits into two routes. To the right, signed "La Frecha," is the more common, less scenic option — entirely along the roadway. Over the bridge, you turn left and follow the N-630.
The better choice, in my opinion, is to turn uphill to your left toward Fresnedo. This upper route takes you through two hamlets, past the Ermita de San Miguel, and past a fountain. Both routes rejoin in Campomanes. Take the upper route via Fresnedo — the work you put into it will be worth avoiding the unforgiving asphalt.
The village itself has limited services. Its name — "Bridge of the Irons" — speaks to the mining and metalworking heritage of the valley.
The name Puente de los Fierros (Bridge of the Irons) reflects the long history of iron mining and metalworking in these Asturian valleys. Iron ore has been extracted from the Cantabrian Mountains since pre-Roman times, and the rivers that flow through these valleys powered the forges that worked it. The bridge that gives the village its name spans the Río Pajares at the point where the mountain routes converge into the main valley.
