Sotres is the highest inhabited village in Asturias, sitting at 1,045 metres at the end of a narrow road in the Central Massif. It is one of the most useful bases in the park for serious hikers — positioned close to the main routes into the high mountains, with a small collection of rural guesthouses and bars, and quiet enough that it doesn't feel like a tourist destination even in August.
From Sotres, key walking routes go south toward Naranjo de Bulnes (4–5 hours to Vega Urriellu), north toward Poncebos and the top of the Cares Gorge (2 hours), and east over the Pandébano pass into the valley beyond. The village also produces Cabrales cheese in the traditional manner — a raw milk blue that is among Spain's most distinctive food products. Several farms in and around Sotres will sell directly to visitors who ask.