Trek across northern Spain's most dramatic peaks on this 8-day hiking adventure across the Picos de Europa. With an expert guide, we’ll tackle five days of classic trails through limestone giants, including Europe's deepest gorge, and cap our mountain week in Bilbao. All the details are sorted: comfortable en-suite rooms in family hotels, daily luggage transfers between stops, all trail transport, and key meals featuring regional cuisine. Our experienced guide knows these peaks inside out, from the best photo spots to the richest local stories. Ready to explore Spain's wildest peaks?
After meeting at Bilbao or Santander airport, an airport transfer will take you to Espinama. In the evening, we gather for a welcome dinner with the guide and get an overview of our hiking adventure ahead. We’ll get to know each other in this quiet mountain setting.
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Posada Sobrevilla III
Our first hike begins with a transfer to Fuente De, where El Cable (a cable car) will lift us into the high mountains. Our circular route to Refugio Veronica will show us our first glance at Picos de Europa, with sweeping views of rugged peaks and limestone formations. We’ll return to Espinama for dinner at a local restaurant and trade stories of our first day on the trails.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking time: 5-6 hours
Hiking distance: 12 km / 7.5 miles
Elevation: +600 m / +1,969 ft, -600 m / -1,969 ft
Accommodation: Hotel Posada Sobrevilla III
We’ll begin our second hike with a transfer to Fuente De. From there, we’ll either walk up to the plateau or catch El Cable. Today we’ll traverse the Central Massif from Fuente De to the mountain village of Sotres. Our path will weave through stark limestone landscapes and bring us to the foot of the legendary Naranjo de Bulnes peak. We pause for lunch at the mountain refuge under its imposing face before a beautiful long descent into the valley to reach Sotres, our home for the next two nights.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking time: 5-7 hours
Hiking distance: 13 km / 8.1 miles
Elevation: +500 m / +1,640 ft, -500 m / -1,640 ft
Accommodation: Hotel Casa Cipriano or Hotel Pena Castil
Today we’ll explore the pastoral landscapes around Sotres. Our route will cross grazing lands with stunning views down the Rio Duje Valley. We’ll pass abandoned farmsteads, then descend to Tielve and follow an ancient mule trail back to Sotres.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking time: 4-6 hours
Hiking distance: 14 km / 8.7 miles
Elevation: +700 m / +2,297 ft, -700 m / -2,297 ft
Accommodation: Hotel Casa Cipriano or Hotel Pena Castil
We’ll walk out of Sotres and over Collado Pondebano to reach Bulnes, an isolated village that remained accessible only by foot until 2001. After lunch in Bulnes, we’ll either take the funicular or walk through a stunning gorge down to Poncebos, before a short transfer to Arenas de Cabrales for the evening.
Alternatively, we can walk to the iconic Naranjo de Bulnes on our return for a longer, but beautiful walk.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking distance: 13 km / 8.1 miles (Naranjo de Bulnes hike: 17 km / 10.6 miles)
Elevation: +1,200 m / +3,937 ft, -700 m / -2,297 ft
Accommodation: Hotel Picos De Europa
Our final mountain day will takes through the legendary Garganta del Gorge, where a 12 km / 7.5 miles long historic pathway carved into the cliff walls weaves through tunnels and along dramatic ledges, all the way up to the village of Cain. We can walk the full route to Cain and back or turn around whenever we wish. The gorge’s walls rise 1,500 m / 4,921 ft above us, creating one of Europe’s most spectacular walking routes.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking: up to 24 km / 15 miles
Elevation: +1,000 m / +3,281 ft, -1,000 m / -3,281 ft
Accommodation: Hotel Picos De Europa
We leave the mountains behind and head to vibrant Bilbao. The day is yours to explore the city’s renowned architecture, visit the Guggenheim Museum, try some excellent tapas, or something else entirely!
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel Sercotel Coliseo
After breakfast, we transfer to the airports in Bilbao or Santander, carrying memories of a week in Spain’s most dramatic mountains.
Meals: Breakfast
What you get on this adventure:
What’s not included:
This hiking tour of Picos de Europa in Spain requires good fitness levels and some hiking experience. The trek involves 4-7 hours of daily hiking over mountain terrain, covering distances of 12-24 km (7.5-15 miles) with elevation changes between 500-1,200 m (1,640-3,937ft).
While the cable car and funicular options provide some flexibility on tougher days, you’ll need stamina for five consecutive days of hiking, including exposed paths in the Cares Gorge. If you regularly exercise and have some experience with day hikes and uneven terrain, you will enjoy this adventure!
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Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:
Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.
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Group sizes and pricing
A hiking tour of Picos de Europa in Spain can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements
If your group has hikers under the age of 16, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
The starting point of your hiking tour of Picos de Europa in Spain is Espinama. To get there, most people fly into Bilbao Airport (BIO) or Seve Ballesteros-Santander Airport (SDR). A transfer will be arranged to take you from either airport to your hotel in Espinama on Day 1 of the tour.
Medical and travel protection is mandatory to join this hiking tour of Picos de Europa in Spain. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, simply choose Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner!
Redpoint tailors their protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations. Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.
Once your booking is confirmed and your trip is paid in full, you will be offered to purchase Redpoint’s protection. If you need any help or require more information, let us know and we will be happy to help!
Liability waivers are a standard part of all guided outdoor adventures. Recently, the requirements have become a bit more rigorous for ACMG guides—meaning that you’ll need to agree to the signing of the waiver at the time of booking.
Prior to booking, we ask you to review the waiver. During the checkout process, you’ll have to acknowledge the risks and agree to the signing of the waiver. You are required to bring a printed copy on the trip.
Please note that signing and agreeing to the terms of the waiver is required in order to join this adventure. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to us prior to booking.