The main town of the park — Pola de Somiedo — sits in the valley below the high terrain and serves as the practical hub for the area. It is small enough to walk in ten minutes and has a park interpretation center that gives useful context on the bear population, the park ecosystems, and the vaqueiro culture of the interior.

Worth a stop before or after the lake walk. The interpretation center has the best available information on current bear sighting areas — not to chase them, but to understand the geography of where they move and why.

The town also has the only reliable food options in the park. If the day started early and the lake walk has taken the morning, eat here before the drive out.