View source for Lakes of Covadonga

{{short description|Lake Enol and Lake Ercina in Spain}}
{{Infobox lake
| name = Lagos de Covadonga
| image = Lago Ercina 2015.jpg
| alt = 
| location = Picos de Europa, Asturias, Spain
| coords = {{coord|43|17|N|4|57|W|type:waterbody_region:ES-O}}
| type = Glacial lakes
| elevation = 1,134 meters (3,720 ft)
| area = 
}}
[[File:Covadonga - Lago Enol 09.jpg|thumb|300x300px|Lago Enol seen from ''La Picota'']]
[[Image:Lago Ercina.JPG|thumb|300px|Lago Ercina]]
[[File:ErcinaLakeHorse.jpg|thumbnail|300px| Ercina Lake]]
[[File:Lagoercina2.jpg|thumb|Lago Ercina in winter]]
The '''Lakes of Covadonga''' (el.&nbsp;1134&nbsp;m.) ({{langx|es|'''Lagos de Covadonga'''}}) are two [[Glacial lake|glacial lakes]] located on the region of [[Asturias]], [[Spain]]. These lakes, often also called '''Lakes of Enol''' or simply '''Los Lagos''', are Lake Enol and Lake Ercina located in the [[Picos de Europa]] range and they are the original center of the [[Picos de Europa National Park]], created in 1918. They are near the [[Santa Cueva de Covadonga|Covadonga Sanctuary]].

Lake Enol is situated approximately 10&nbsp;km from [[Covadonga]] and 25&nbsp;km from [[Cangas de Onís]]. A curving road is available from [[Arriondas]] to the lake.{{sfn|Yates|2010|p=272}} Measuring {{convert|0.1|km2}},{{sfn|Gutiérrez|Gutiérrez|2014|p=158}} it is one of the biggest lakes in the area. Lake Enol is situated {{convert|1070|m}} above sea level.

A submerged image of the Virgin Mary is elevated every year on 8 September and then taken out for a procession. Regional dancing occurs at Lake Enol during the [[Fiesta del Pastor]] on 25 July.{{sfn|Quintero|Gallagher|2013|p=110}}

Lake Ercina is situated at an altitude of {{convert|1108|m}} and its maximum depth is just over {{convert|2|m}}. The [[Eutrophication#Lakes and rivers|eutrophic]] lake covers approximately {{convert|8|ha}}.<ref name="llanes.as">{{cite web |title=Lago de La Ercina |url=http://www.llanes.as/guia/pnc/pnc10.htm |accessdate=13 July 2016 |website=www.llanes.as |language=Spanish}}</ref>

==Vuelta a España==
The road ascending from [[Covadonga]] to the lakes is a popular climb in professional [[road bicycle racing]], having been used by [[Vuelta a España]] many times in the last 25 years.

Together with [[Alto de l'Angliru]], Lagos de Covadonga is the most important climb in the modern history of the ''Vuelta''. The road that leads to the lakes starts at Covadonga and is 12.6 kilometres long at an average gradient of 7.3% (height gain: 1056 m).[https://web.archive.org/web/20071006083512/http://www.lavuelta.com/07/ingles/recorrido/etapa4.html?e=4] The most demanding section is ''La Huesera'', 7 kilometres from the top of the climb, with an average gradient of 15% during 800 meters. It was featured for the first time in 1983 with the victory of [[Marino Lejarreta]], who was in a fierce battle with [[Bernard Hinault]] for overall victory. This was the same Vuelta that saw Hinault, [[Greg LeMond]] and [[Laurent Fignon]] all riding on the same team.  Stage 7 of the [[2023 La Vuelta Femenina]] ended at Lagos de Covadonga, with Dutch cyclist [[Demi Vollering]] placing first.

===Winners of the Lakes of Covadonga stage - Men ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Name
!Country
|-
| [[1983 Vuelta a España|1983]] || [[Marino Lejarreta]] || {{ESP}}
|-
| [[1984 Vuelta a España|1984]] || [[Raimund Dietzen]] || {{GER}}
|-
| [[1985 Vuelta a España|1985]] || [[Pedro Delgado]] || {{ESP}}
|-
| [[1986 Vuelta a España|1986]] || [[Robert Millar]] || {{GBR}}
|-
| [[1987 Vuelta a España|1987]] || [[Lucho Herrera]] || {{COL}}
|-
| [[1988 Vuelta a España|1989]] || [[Álvaro Pino]] || {{ESP}}
|-
| [[1991 Vuelta a España|1991]] || [[Lucho Herrera]] || {{COL}}
|-
| [[1992 Vuelta a España|1992]] || [[Pedro Delgado]] || {{ESP}}
|-
| [[1993 Vuelta a España|1993]] || [[Oliverio Rincón]] || {{COL}}
|-
| [[1994 Vuelta a España|1994]] || [[Laurent Jalabert]] || {{FRA}}
|-
| [[1996 Vuelta a España|1996]] || [[Laurent Jalabert]] || {{FRA}}
|-
| [[1997 Vuelta a España|1997]] || [[Pavel Tonkov]] || {{RUS}}
|-
| [[2000 Vuelta a España|2000]] || [[Andrei Zintchenko]] || {{RUS}}
|-
| [[2001 Vuelta a España|2001]] || [[Juan Miguel Mercado]] || {{ESP}}
|-
| [[2005 Vuelta a España|2005]] || [[Eladio Jiménez]] || {{ESP}}
|-
| [[2007 Vuelta a España|2007]] || [[Vladimir Efimkin]] || {{RUS}}
|-
| [[2010 Vuelta a España|2010]] || [[Carlos Barredo]] || {{ESP}}
|-
| [[2012 Vuelta a España|2012]] || [[Antonio Piedra]] || {{ESP}}
|-
| [[2014 Vuelta a España|2014]] || [[Przemysław Niemiec]] || {{POL}}
|-
| [[2016 Vuelta a España|2016]] || [[Nairo Quintana]] || {{COL}}
|-
| [[2018 Vuelta a España|2018]] || [[Thibaut Pinot]] || {{FRA}}
|-
| [[2021 Vuelta a España|2021]] || [[Primož Roglič]] || {{SLO}}
|-
| [[2024 Vuelta a España|2024]] || [[Marc Soler]] || {{ESP}}
|}

===Winners of the Lakes of Covadonga stage - Women ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Name
!Country
|-
| [[2023 La Vuelta Femenina|2023]] || [[Demi Vollering]] || {{NLD}}
|}

== References ==
<references />

* {{cite book |last1=Gutiérrez |first1=Francisco |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1pHFBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA158 |title=Landscapes and Landforms of Spain |last2=Gutiérrez |first2=Mateo |date=18 April 2014 |publisher=Springer Science & Business |isbn=978-94-017-8628-7}}

* {{cite book |last1=Quintero |first1=Josephine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0A5QrtJvmdEC&pg=PA110 |title=DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Spain |last2=Gallagher |first2=Mary-Ann |date=2 April 2013 |publisher=DK Publishing |isbn=978-1-4654-1113-6}}
* {{cite book |last=Yates |first=Dorian |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pZOc_z7xdyYC&pg=PT272 |title=Green Earth Guide: Traveling Naturally in Spain |date=1 June 2010 |publisher=North Atlantic Books |isbn=978-1-55643-984-1}}

==External links==
* [http://www.altimetrias.net/aspbk/verPuerto.asp?id=335 Lagos de Covadonga climb details {{in lang|es}}]
* [http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?Col=Lagos%20de%20Covadonga%20&qryMountainID=4590 Information and profile of the Covadonga by Climbbybike.com]
* [http://cyclingup.eu/english/northwest_Spain/Lagos_de_Covadonga.php Cycling up to Lagos de Covadonga: data, profile, map, photos and description]

{{coord|43|16|31|N|4|59|07|W|source:eswiki_region:ES|display=title}}

[[Category:Climbs in cycle racing in Spain]]
[[Category:Picos de Europa]]
[[Category:Lakes of Asturias|Covadonga]]