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6 days
Up to 30 days
Unlimited
English
Overview
Hiking in Picos de Europa in 5 stages. From Fuente Dé to Llanes mixing walking and driving between refuges. Little unique villages, awesome and enormous mountains, beautiful trails and of course amazing views. Level 1 is painless and part of the stages pass by car so it’s possible to trek with kids in Picos de Europa.
Picos de Europa National Parkis the second most visited Park in Spain and fourteen of its peaks, formed of limestone rock, exceed 2.600 m in altitude, giving the best views of the landscape from the north of Spain.
Your walking holidays in Picos de Europa will start at Fuente Dé. It is a little village located in the foothills of high mountains and it is famous because of its glaciar circus. From here you can start several routes that will leave you speechless. You will drive to this little village to take a cable car to the Mirador del Cable. You ascend 800m from the village to this looking post, which is 1.850m high. Here you will have one of the best views in your hiking in Picos de Europa and from the landscape of the north of Spain. Do not forget your camera! You will need it here.
Then you walk downhill until reaching Altos de Áliva, located in the Macizo Central of Picos de Europa. It is an extremely beautiful path, surrounded by limestone mountains, in which you can sleep in a refuge or go back to Fuente Dé to sleep in a hotel.
You undo the path done yesterday until reaching Fuente Dé again. There you have to drive to Posada de Valdeón where you start your walking. From Posada de Valdeón to Caín, the route alternates paths with part of the road between areas of prairie and Atlantic forest. On the way to Caín you will pass several points of interest such as the Tombo viewpoint, the Chorco de los Lobos or the Corona hermitage. It is possible to save this stretch by car to Caín.
The complete Cares route is 12 km one way and you walk this route back. Easy to do, but you can also walk the first 6 or 7 km (about two hours) and return.
The Ruta del Cares is a fairly easy route to walk but unforgettably beautiful! You will love this part about your hiking in Picos de Europa. You walk between the gorges dug into the rock overlooking the Cares River, with several small waterfalls. You pass beautiful bridges. As the kilometers go by, the Cares gorge opens up, revealing the landscape of the Picos de Europa in all its splendor. You can take a break and eat the lunch you brought in your backpack. After you are back in Caín, a wonderful place to sleep awaits you.
You will drive to Caín, ready to enjoy another day in Picos de Europa. Today you will go to Soto de Sajambre. Barely 49 km and an hour’s drive from Cain. You will hike to your mountain hut in Soto de Sajambre, which you will reach via a marked and wide path.
You cross a wooden bridge and continue your way through a beech forest. From this point on, the trail narrows until you reach the Majada de Vegabaño where the scenery is spectacular. In the background you can see a shelter for the night. The mountain hut does not have much luxury, but you will find friendly owners who do everything to make their guests feel at home. If you’re still feeling fit, you can ask Julián, the owner, if you can take another walk through the wooded area or climb to Monte de la Cotorra and watch the sunset there.
The next morning you have to descend the road to Soto de Sajambre, take the car and drive around the western massif of Picos de Europa towards Poncebos and Bulnes, one of the most beautiful parts in your walking the Picos de Europa.
Firstly, you have to drive from Caín to Poncebos. Upon arrival in Poncebos, park your car at the Bulnes cable car. You take the Bulnes funicular, which is basically a train that goes up 400 meters in just 7 minutes. Bulnes cannot be reached by road. Until 2001, residents had to walk or use horses to trade. Today Bulnes is a unique attraction in the world, because you go back in time, as it were. You will also find the most delicious cheeses there! It is mandatory to try it during your walking holidays in Picos de Europa.
You leave your backpack at your accommodation for the night and walk towards the heart of the Picos de Europa, Bulnes de Arriba. Another small mountain village just a few hundred meters up. You will see stone houses and red roofs.
Today you can choose from two walking routes. One is barely 10 minutes to the Picu Urriellu or Naranjo de Bulnes viewpoint (it’s known as Naranjo because it turns orange at sunset). The second route is slightly more difficult, marked GR-202 and takes you to Pandébano at the foot of Picu Urriellu. Your hiking in Picos de Europa is almost done!
The beach of Torimbia is one of the most beautiful beaches in the north of Spain and the best way to say goodbye to your hiking in Picos de Europa.
From Bulnes you continue by car to the city of Niembro. From there you will drive up to the parking lot of Playa de Torimbia. In summer the parking lot fills up early but you can park your car on the side of the road. Bring your walking shoes, towel and sunscreen to prevent the sun from burning you. From the parking lot you can see the beach, a silhouette of a perfect shell and golden sand. The descent to the beach is about 40 minutes and on the way you will also pass a beach bar that is open from April to September.
You can rest, walk on the beach, take a good swim and enjoy a delicious paella at the beach bar. Do you need more? Yes, leave the view of the sea for a moment, turn around and behold the beautiful view of the Picos de Europa that you have been walking on for several days. Today it is time to rest on Playa de Torimbia.
After returning to the parking, take the car to the accommodation where you will spend the night in Llanes, a typical delicious Asturian dinner is waiting for you.
After breakfasting it is time to leave your walking holidays in Picos de Europa behind. Walking the Picos de Europa will leave an indelible mark on you and you will have a lot of incredible memories and breathtaking photos to impress your family and friends.
Your walking holidays in Picos de Europa will start at Fuente Dé. It is a little village located in the foothills of high mountains and it is famous because of its glaciar circus. From here you can start several routes that will leave you speechless. You will drive to this little village to take a cable car to the Mirador del Cable. You ascend 800m from the village to this looking post, which is 1.850m high. Here you will have one of the best views in your hiking Picos de Europa and from the landscape of the North of Spain. Do not forget your camera! You will need it here. Then you walk downhill until reaching Altos de Áliva, located in the Macizo Central of Picos de Europa. It is an extremely beautiful path, surrounded by limestone mountains, in which you can sleep in a refuge or go back to Fuente Dé to sleep in a hotel.
You undo the path done yesterday until reaching Fuente Dé again. There you have to drive to Posada de Valdeón where you start your walking. From Posada de Valdeón to Caín, the route alternates paths with part of the road between areas of prairie and Atlantic forest. On the way to Caín you will pass several points of interest such as the Tombo viewpoint, the Chorco de los Lobos or the Corona hermitage. It is possible to save this stretch by car to Caín. The complete Cares route is 12 km one way and you walk this route back. Easy to do, but you can also walk the first 6 or 7 km (about two hours) and return. The Ruta del Cares is a fairly easy route to walk but unforgettably beautiful! You will love this part about your hiking in Picos de Europa. You walk between the gorges dug into the rock overlooking the Cares River, with several small waterfalls. You pass beautiful bridges. As the kilometers go by, the Cares gorge opens up, revealing the landscape of the Picos de Europa in all its splendor. You can take a break and eat the lunch you brought in your backpack. After you are back in Caín, a wonderful place to sleep awaits you.
You will drive to Caín, ready to enjoy another day in Picos de Europa. Today you will go to Soto de Sajambre. Barely 49 km and an hour's drive from Cain. You will hike to your mountain hut in Soto de Sajambre, which you will reach via a marked and wide path. You cross a wooden bridge and continue your way through a beech forest. From this point on, the trail narrows until you reach the Majada de Vegabaño where the scenery is spectacular. In the background you can see a shelter for the night. The mountain hut does not have much luxury, but you will find friendly owners who do everything to make their guests feel at home. If you're still feeling fit, you can ask Julián, the owner, if you can take another walk through the wooded area or climb to Monte de la Cotorra and watch the sunset there. The next morning you have to descend the road to Soto de Sajambre, take the car and drive around the western massif of Picos de Europa towards Poncebos and Bulnes, one of the most beautiful parts in your walking in Picos de Europa.
Firstly, you have to drive from Caín to Poncebos. Upon arrival in Poncebos, park your car at the Bulnes cable car. You take the Bulnes funicular, which is basically a train that goes up 400 meters in just 7 minutes. Bulnes cannot be reached by road. Until 2001, residents had to walk or use horses to trade. Today Bulnes is a unique attraction in the world, because you go back in time, as it were. You will also find the most delicious cheeses there! It is mandatory to try it during your walking holidays in Picos de Europa. You leave your backpack at your accommodation for the night and walk towards the heart of the Picos de Europa, Bulnes de Arriba. Another small mountain village just a few hundred meters up. You will see stone houses and red roofs. Today you can choose from two walking routes. One is barely 10 minutes to the Picu Urriellu or Naranjo de Bulnes viewpoint (it's known as Naranjo because it turns orange at sunset). The second route is slightly more difficult, marked GR-202 and takes you to Pandébano at the foot of Picu Urriellu. Your hiking in Picos de Europa is almost done!
The beach of Torimbia is one of the most beautiful beaches in the north of Spain and the best way to say goodbye to your hiking in Picos de Europa. From Bulnes you continue by car to the city of Niembro. From there you will drive up to the parking lot of Playa de Torimbia. In summer the parking lot fills up early but you can park your car on the side of the road. Bring your walking shoes, towel and sunscreen to prevent the sun from burning you. From the parking lot you can see the beach, a silhouette of a perfect shell and golden sand. The descent to the beach is about 40 minutes and on the way you will also pass a beach bar that is open from April to September. You can rest, walk on the beach, take a good swim and enjoy a delicious paella at the beach bar. Do you need more? Yes, leave the view of the sea for a moment, turn around and behold the beautiful view of the Picos de Europa that you have been walking on for several days. Today it is time to rest on Playa de Torimbia. After returning to the parking, take the car to the accommodation where you will spend the night in Llanes, a typical delicious Asturian dinner is waiting for you.
After breakfasting it is time to leave your hiking holidays in Picos de Europa behind. Walking the Picos de Europa will leave an indelible mark on you and you will have a lot of incredible memories and breathtaking photos to impress your family and friends.
Picos de Europa has three different levels of experience. Level 1 is the easiest because you take the shortest route in uncomplicated trails. This doesn’t mean that it will be a path of roses but for the first time there, we recommend this experience. Despite being less complicated than the rest of the levels, it is still a unique experience that you will not be able to forget.
- By car: it is the most direct way but also the longest. It depends on where you come from but the most common path runs through the roads of northern Spain. - By plane plus bus: You can take a plane to three different locations: León, Oviedo or Santander. There you can take a bus directly to the Picos de Europa or rent a car in the airport. - By plane plus train: You can take a plane to Madrid and there you have two options: rent a car in the airport or take a train to León. In León there is a bus that goes directly to the Picos de Europa.
You will sleep in small rural hotels with at least breakfast included.
Of course you can. There are lots of refuges in Picos de Europa where you can sleep, we only need to know what your preference is in advance.
You walk with your backpack. You will need good walking shoes and warm clothing to avoid the cold. But don’t forget some lightweight clothing and your flip flops to rest! During the day you need enough water, something to eat, sunscreen and a raincoat. Additionally you can take a walking stick but it’s not necessary.
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