What you can see on the San Isidro webcam
The camera stands above the base of Cebolledo. In the foreground is the station of a chairlift with the resort's blue sign; to the left, a building and a car park; and up the middle of the bowl run the pistes, a covered conveyor for beginners and lines of lift pylons, rising to a row of jagged limestone peaks. Early in the day the bowl is often in shade while the peaks are already lit. It is a still image, not video: the refresh button brings the latest one, and Windy also shows the view as a time-lapse of the day.
San Isidro webcam up the Cebolledo bowl
This camera looks straight up Cebolledo, one of the four sectors of San Isidro. In front stands the station of a chairlift with the blue sign of Nieve León; on the left are a building and a few parked cars, and in the middle of the bowl a covered conveyor carries beginners up the gentlest slope. Beyond, the pistes and lines of lift pylons climb a broad valley, closed at the top by a ridge of jagged limestone crags.
It is a good measure of the snow on the whole resort: when the conveyor and the lower slopes are white, there is usually skiing all the way down. In the morning the bowl lies in shadow while the crags catch the light. It is a still image, not video: the refresh button brings the latest one.
Four valleys on the pass
San Isidro opened in 1974 and belongs to the Diputación de León, the provincial council, which also runs Leitariegos. Its slopes lie in the municipalities of Puebla de Lillo and Valdelugueros, in four connected sectors: Requejines, Riopinos, Cebolledo and Salencias-La Raya. Between them they have about 27 km (17 miles) of alpine runs, from about 1,500 m (4,920 ft) to about 2,050 m (6,730 ft), and a cross-country circuit. Fuentes de Invierno, on the Asturian side, is so close that the two are often visited together.
When to watch San Isidro
Spain is one hour ahead of the UK and Ireland. The season usually runs from December to April, depending on the snow. Storms from the Bay of Biscay can bring heavy snow overnight, and fog often fills the pass; the camera shows both before you set off. Snow on the crags at the top, even when the bowl is green, is often the first sign of winter.
Around San Isidro
Puebla de Lillo, down the valley, has a medieval tower and is the gateway to the high pastures of the Porma valley. The Riaño reservoir and the eastern edge of the Picos de Europa are within an hour's drive, and León, with its Gothic cathedral and stained glass, is a little further south.
Getting to San Isidro
The pass is crossed by the road between the Aller valley in Asturias and Puebla de Lillo in León. The nearest airport is Asturias, about 74 miles (119 km) by road; Santander and Bilbao have more flights from the UK. Carry chains in winter.