For a sensational summer hiking break destination, Picos de Europa is one of the best you can get. This underrated national park is found in the Cantabrian Mountains, nestled between the regions of Asturias, León and Cantabria. Its abundance of winding trails reveals dramatic massifs, overlooking idyllic emerald lakes and verdant forested valleys, home to a unique variety of wildlife. With temperatures just perfect for a day’s discovery, summers in Picos de Europa are simply glorious.
Read on to discover our top 5 highlights of a holiday here to inspire you for your summer break.
The Cares Gorge hike is regarded as one of the best trails in the whole Picos de Europa National Park, potentially even in Spain. On our Highlights of the Picos de Europa trip, you’ll have the opportunity to follow this incredible engineered path that leads you through the gorge, passing imposing limestone peaks, enchanting rivers and waterfalls, and charming mountain hamlets.
Don’t be surprised to be accompanied by the occasional mountain goat, that makes negotiating the sheer canyon drops look easy. Pause to look overhead, too, as Golden eagles, Egyptian vultures, and Peregrine falcons are just a few of the remarkable range of birdlife that frequent the Picos de Europa.
Originally created in the 1940s as part of a hydroelectric route, the extraordinary path of the Cares Gorge trail is carved directly from the rock. While the entire trail is around 12 km, the flat terrain makes it relatively easy to complete in a day. However, the route certainly doesn’t lack excitement; even a tiny dose of bravery may be needed as you cross bridges over breathtaking canyons and venture through the mysterious cave tunnels.
One of the most revered delicacies of this region is the Cabrales cheese. This strong blue cheese is made in Asturias and is well-known for packing a punch. Some even consider its intense flavour to have a spicy taste, yet the mellowness of its dense, creamy consistency balances it out perfectly. As an artisan cheese, it is produced on a small scale, using milk from the local herds grazing around the mountainous area.
On your free day, our Highlights of the Picos de Europa trip offers the chance to visit the fascinating Cabrales Cheese Exhibition Cave to discover how the cheese is made. The guided tour takes you into the authentic, natural Cabrales Cheese cave, where you’ll learn about life as a shepherd in the Picos de Europa and the cheese-making process. Hear about the environmental factors and skill that combine to give Cabrales cheese its unique taste and texture, the rich mountain pastures, the breed of cattle, the maturation process in the caves and the expertise of the producers. The tour will end with a tasting, where you’ll get to sample the exceptional flavour profiles of this delectable cheese.
Our Highlights of the Picos de Europa holiday is a single-centre trip, meaning you’ll have one place as a base throughout your time here. This provides several advantages. You can take walks at your own pace, picking and choosing what you want to do each day, whether that’s a new hiking adventure or taking a day off to relax. Another great benefit is that you’ll get to make the most of the charming place where you’ll be staying, Hotel Torrecerredo.
Hotel Torrecerredo is a family-run hotel owned by Jim and Pilar, who have welcomed guests for over thirty years. With their impeccable hospitality, from serving delicious, home-cooked dishes to providing helpful hints and tips on how to make the most of your stay, they’ll ensure you feel utterly relaxed, comfortable and content throughout your stay.
Full of character, this hotel has 19 individually decorated ensuite rooms, all with TV and Wi-Fi. Step outside onto the garden terrace, and you’ll see stunning views of the high Picos. It’s the perfect place to enjoy a drink at the end of an adventure-filled day. The restaurant upstairs has impressive views, too, looking out over the highest peak in the region, the Torre de Cerredo.
Hotel Torrecerredo is just a few minutes walk from the local town, Arenas de Cabrales. As the gateway to Picos de Europa National Park, it sees plenty of visitors seeking to explore this mountainous region. Therefore, you’ll find a variety of shops and restaurants, providing everything you need to make the most of your holiday.
The traditional drink of the Asturias region is cider or sidra. It’s a tipple that has been made here for centuries using the local apple produce. Sidra Asturiana is a light cider with a well-balanced, slightly sweet, yet sour flavour. As a refreshing drink with an alcohol content of 6%, it’s a great choice on a summer’s evening after a long day of hiking in Picos de Europa National Park.
In this region, you’ll find cider served in traditional establishments known as Sidrerías. There is quite a distinctive ritual in its pouring too. Adept bartenders will hold the cider bottle above their heads, allowing the golden drink to cascade into a wide-mouthed glass from a height, creating foam from the carbonation. It’s a traditional Spanish pouring technique called escanciar and is considered to ensure the best flavour from the cider.
Until recently, Bulnes was an isolated village stuck in time. It was reached only by foot or mules, using a winding path that, in winter, was often blocked by snow. Since the opening of a funicular in 2001, Bulnes has become more accessible, but still equally as enchanting.
This beautiful village, founded by shepherds seeking a permanent place to reside in the mountains, retains its rustic authenticity. When you arrive, you’ll find traditional Asturian houses, a church and a picturesque wooden bridge crossing the Tejo River, as well as a few cafes and restaurants where visitors can sit outside and absorb the remarkable surroundings.
Starting in Poncebos, the funicular is undoubtedly the fastest and most comfortable way to reach Bulnes, with the 2.2 km journey taking just 7 minutes. The service runs every 30 minutes from 10 am to 8 pm in the high season.
However, if you are seeking a more scenic journey, you can hike the historic mountain route known as the Ruta La Canal del Texu. This well-marked path is 4 km, with some steep ascents and narrow pathways. However, it offers gorgeous views of Picos de Europa and its dramatic rising peaks, including the Naranjo de Bulnes mastiff. On day 7 of our Highlights of the Picos de Europa holiday, you have the option to either take the funicular or walk to Bules and then follow the valley paths from Bulnes to discover the spectacular Texu Gorge and the highest village in Picos de Europa, Sotres.
Picos de Europa may not have the notoriety of more well-known mountainous holiday destinations, but that only adds to its charm. With its stunning landscapes, captivating wildlife and fascinating culture, it really is a walker’s paradise.
To learn more about our holidays in this region or to book, please visit our Highlights of the Picos de Europa page.
