GREAT TOUR AROUND THE PICOS DE EUROPA

EXPLORE THE UNTAMED BEAUTY OF PICOS DE EUROPA NATIONAL PARK

This trekking adventure takes you deep into the breathtaking landscapes of the Picos de Europa National Park. Discover its rugged beauty by walking through the wild terrains of its western, central, and eastern massifs.

Located along Spain’s northern coast near Santander, the Picos de Europa is a limestone mountain range that spans the provinces of Asturias, Cantabria, and northern Castile y León—Spain's largest province. As one of Europe's earliest National Parks, this eco-destination offers unspoiled nature, free from mass tourism and the infrastructure that often accompanies it. Here, humans and nature coexist harmoniously.

Towering peaks reaching up to 2,600 meters, deep valleys, and green pastures where livestock graze at heights of up to 2,000 meters provide a stunning backdrop. This region is home to a wealth of wildlife, including bears, wolves, eagles, vultures, chamois, and deer, as well as alpine plants. The Picos de Europa is also steeped in history, with traces of ancient civilisations such as the Celts, Romans, and early humans evident throughout the park.

Only 40 minutes from the Cantabrian Sea, the mountains offer spectacular views of the ocean and their distinctively sculpted peaks. Dotted with charming villages nestled in valleys and scattered across the massifs, this region offers an authentic taste of rural life, where local culture and gastronomy thrive.

This tour promises to immerse you in everything the Picos de Europa has to offer, combining scenic walks with cultural and environmental experiences.

Arrival at Bilbao airport. Transfer to Arenas de Cabrales. Briefing and dinner. Accommodation at Hotel Villa de Cabrales.

Breakfast. This is a classic walk in the Western massif of the Picos de Europa. We start at Lake Enol and walk to Lake Ercina, the most famous lakes in the National Park. The route continues through a wonderful beech forest to Pandecarmen, where we start up to Vegarredonda Refuge; it is about one and a quarter hours from Pandecarmen, and just before you reach the refuge, many of the higher peaks of the western massif become visible. From the refuge onwards, the walk becomes slightly rockier, though the path remains well defined. From here onwards, we often see chamois, and at times they can be quite close to you. We soon come to the Ordiales refuge, and beyond this point the path is slightly less obvious. Then, almost without realising it, we’re at the Mirador de Ordiales where Pedro Pidal (the founder of the National Park Picos de Europa in 1918) was buried. Look over the top & marvel at the breathless views and 1,000m sheer drop down to the Angon Valley below. Dinner and accommodation in Hotel Villa de Cabrales.

Breakfast. This gorge, with its narrow passes and gullies, is right in the heart of the Picos de Europa Mountains. The area’s stunning landscape affords unique views of the National Park.

Getting to know this route is a unique experience. The trail is narrow, surrounded by wild vegetation, with water ever-present. The river flows along the valley floor; its sound is a constant companion en route. Now and again the path takes you through small tunnels carved out of the rock and across bridges that hang over the abyss. All the while, rocky mountainsides tower up on either side of the trail. The itinerary runs between Poncebos, in Asturias province and Cain, in Leon province, and it runs parallel to the Cares, the area’s wildest river. The route covers 12 kilometres over easy terrain. Transfer to Posada de Valdeón. Dinner and accommodation in Hotel Cumbres de Valdeón.

Breakfast. This route runs along what was known as the market trail, a path residents of Valdeón used to attend fairs and livestock markets in the neighbouring region of Liébana. The journey has immense scenic value, gradually gaining altitude until it offers superb views of the Valdeón and Camaleño valleys. It also provides access to areas inhabited by some of the National Park's most representative species (bear, wolf, chamois). Dinner and accommodation in Hostal Remoña in Espinama.

Breakfast. Today we walk the route from the Cable car to Horcados Rojos in the glacier Circus Fuente Dé. The summit of Horcados Rojos (2,506 m) is a magnificent balcony within the Central Massif, accessible only from its northern side. Along the way, we enjoy the essence of high mountains in the Picos de Europa: vegetation adapted to the harsh climatic conditions, a rocky landscape of sharp peaks, alpine birds, etc. On the way back, we will go to the unique Cabaña Veronica hut and return to the cable car. Transfer to Arenas de Cabrales, crossing La Hermida Gorge. Dinner and accommodation in Hostal Remoña.

Breakfast. This route offers a good chance to enjoy the gorgeous Aliva Glacier Valley, which is also part of the GR-202 “Route of the Reconquest”. From the Cable, we walk up to Horcadina de Covarrobres, with magnificent views of the Aliva Glacier Valley. From here, we descend continuously, first to the Aliva Hut, then along the moraine of the great Aliva Glacier, crossing the border between Asturias and Cantabria, arriving at “Vegas del Toro”. This area is surrounded by grassland, and we will see cows, goats and herds of sheep. Finally, we reach Sotres. We have lunch in Sotres, and then our taxi will take us to Arenas de Cabrales. Farewell dinner in Arenas de Cabrales. Accommodation at Hotel Villa de Cabrales.

Breakfast and transfer to Bilbao.