Picos de Europa to the Coast
- Easy mountain walks in the Picos de Europa
- Two days of walking along the rugged coast of "Green Spain" in Asturias
- Take the famous Fuente Dé cable car to a height of 1835m for amazing views
- The famous "Ruta del Cares", one of the finest walks in the Picos
- Dine on tasty region cuisine such as Cabrales cheese and Asturias cider
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive TamaFlying into either Santander or Bilbao Airport, travel by bus to Unquera (2hrs or 3hrs respectively), from where an included transfer (45min) brings you to the charming village of Tama close to the foot of the Picos de Europa.
Check in and enjoy wonderful views of the Picos mountains from your room. The medieval town of Potes, gateway to the Picos, is just 2km away and worth a visit today if time allows.
The El Corcal de Liebana located in the valley of Liebana, just 2km from Potes and the foot of the Picos is a traditional Cantabrian mountain hotel with modern facilities including a spa area with sauna and jacuzzi. Enjoy wonderful views of the Picos de Europa from the balconies and windows of the rooms.
This charming, rural hotel is situated in the heart of Potes and features wide balconies overlooking the river. There are 17 comfortable en-suite rooms, all with television and heating.
A short transfer (10min) this morning to Allende where you join a pilgrims path the “Camino Lebaniego” which leads to the Monastery Santo Toribia de Liebana. Walk steeply uphill to the small hamlet of Cabañes with wonderful views over the lush Liebana valley. Continue through an old chestnut wood back to Tama. Your afternoon is free to walk to the nearby National Park Visitor Centre or to visit Potes. Potes is a lively town with cobbled streets and a lovely place to spend the afternoon having a stroll around.
Ascent/Descent: 564m/496m
The El Corcal de Liebana located in the valley of Liebana, just 2km from Potes and the foot of the Picos is a traditional Cantabrian mountain hotel with modern facilities including a spa area with sauna and jacuzzi. Enjoy wonderful views of the Picos de Europa from the balconies and windows of the rooms.
This charming, rural hotel is situated in the heart of Potes and features wide balconies overlooking the river. There are 17 comfortable en-suite rooms, all with television and heating.
Start the day with a 30min transfer to Fuente Dé located high in the mountains at 1100m. Take the famous cable car right up to a height of 1835m and the edge of the Central Massif of the Picos de Europa mountain range. The limestone landscape up here is almost lunar-like and home to some amazing wildlife such as chamois, vultures and alpine birds like the Snowfinch and Rock Thrush. Walk through pastures filled with mountain chalets, cross a glacier valley and finally the wonderfully scenic Aliva Pass to arrive in Sotres, the highest village in the Asturian side of the Picos. Today's walk includes an optional de-tour to the summit of Horcados Rojos which does make this a strenous day should you choose to take this option
Ascent/Descent: 250m/-1050m
A family run hotel and guesthouse nestled in the Pico’s de Europa offering outstanding views of the region. Enjoy your evening meal in the hotel’s restaurant which serves traditional, authentic Spanish cuisine.
Surrounded by the mountains the Hotel Rural Pena Castil is a charming small hotel offering a very warm welcome and traditional restaurant.
You have a choice of circular walks today, all starting and/or ending near Sotres. Take an easy but incredibly scenic walk to the authentic village of Tielve via Valfriu, home to the tasty local blue cheese, Queso de Cabrales. Another option is an easy loop walk around the village of Sotres via quiet woodland tracks and footpaths. If you prefer a day off walking, another option is a 2hr visit to a local cheese factory and natural maturing cave with tasting session (on request, arranged locally).
Circular walk via Tielve: 13.7km, 652m ascent/descent
Circular walk around Sotres : 5.4km, 322m ascent/descent
A family run hotel and guesthouse nestled in the Pico’s de Europa offering outstanding views of the region. Enjoy your evening meal in the hotel’s restaurant which serves traditional, authentic Spanish cuisine.
Surrounded by the mountains the Hotel Rural Pena Castil is a charming small hotel offering a very warm welcome and traditional restaurant.
One of the finest walks in the Picos—and possibly in Spain— awaits you today, following the “Ruta del Cares” through the Cares gorge. Transfer to the start (15min) and then head along this spectacular route on pathways sculpted into the rock passing caves and tunnels, walking as far as Cain before returning. Whilst you follow good wide paths throughout on this walk, there is a steep drop to one side most of the way so for anybody with vertigo issues it is possible to take a lift with your luggage to Arenas de Cabrales and do a short circular walk there.
Walk: Up to 25.3km, 600m ascent/descent, 7 hours
Alternative walk around Arenas: 10km, 3.5 hours
A cosy welcoming hotel, close to the Cares gorge in the picturesque village of Arenas de Cabrales, the Hotel Rivera is the perfect place to stay after the “Ruta del Cares” walk.
Built in 1907 Hotel Pico De Europa is located in the centre of the village. Guests can enjoy the stunning scenery from the swimming pool and garden.
Hotel Villa de Cabrales is situated in the heart of the pretty village of Las Arenas, and enjoys views over the surrounding countryside. The hotel retains much of the tradition and charm of an Asturian country house, yet features comfortable and well-appointed rooms.
Leave the mountains behind and head to the rugged Asturian coast or as it is otherwise known the “Green Coast”. A short transfer (30min) drops you off at the small rural hamlet of Vibaño and you continue towards the coast through typical Asturian countryside. Reach the banks of the Rio Purron which lead to the beautiful surfers beach of San Antolin. Continue on fishermen’s trails backed by rolling green hills, and on clifftop paths to Nueva de Llanes, your home for the next couple of days.
Ascent/Descent: 205m/195m
Hotel Don Tomas is a quaint little hotel which was originally built as an Indiano house. It offers a warm welcome and has a lovely garden out the back in which to relax.
Hotel San Jorge is a small, family-run hotel in Neuva de Llanes. It offers comfortable rooms, a quiet location and views of the beautiful, green surrounding countryside.
Enjoy a superb day of coastal walking along the cliffs and the Camino del Norte pilgrim route, going from one colourful village to the next, passing rugged beaches, coves and fantastic “bufones” (natural geisers produced by the tides).
Stop for a refreshing Asturias cider at the little beach bar of Cuevos del mar before returning to Nueva de Llanes.
Ascent/Descent: 185m
Hotel Don Tomas is a quaint little hotel which was originally built as an Indiano house. It offers a warm welcome and has a lovely garden out the back in which to relax.
Hotel San Jorge is a small, family-run hotel in Neuva de Llanes. It offers comfortable rooms, a quiet location and views of the beautiful, green surrounding countryside.
Check out after breakfast and make your way by one of the regular buses back to Llanes where there are good connections to Santander, Bilbao or Oviedo Airports. Santander and Bilbao are also great places to extend your stay—ask us for prices of additional nights at either of these cities if required.
This trip has a carbon score of 20kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our best trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 20kg is equivalent to 182 bananas. Here at Macs, we pride ourselves on being a responsible travel company and continue to adopt, develop and innovate ways to positively impact the environment. Find out more information about how we've carbon counted our trips.
Other Information
Is it for me?Perfect if you are looking for a trip combining easier mountain walking with some time spent on the coast, this tour offers the perfect contrast of coast and mountains. With daily walks of between 8 and 23km (possible to shorten the longest day) and ascents of up to 600m, this will be suited to anybody with a relatively good fitness level who wants to do some mountain walking without a huge effort. Stay overnight in comfortable hotels with great locations, offering warm hospitality and great food.
Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way in Scotland, the world renown Tour Du Mont Blanc and Germany's Moselle Cycle Path, to name but a few!
Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&Bs, inns, and guesthouses.
Families with Teens
The minimum age for this tour is: 12 Years
This walking tour is graded Easy-Moderate. Walks are between 4-7 hours and there is an ascent/descent of between 250m to 600m each day. We have chosen some of the easier walks in the Picos so that anybody with a relatively good level of fitness should be able to enjoy this tour. However, as you are in a mountainous area you should expect some rocky terrain which can become slippy when wet and there will be some steep drop-offs. There are two more difficult walks. One is the Cares gorge walk which is 25km long in total and involves a fair bit of ascent (600m). However, it is possible to return from part way and not do the full walk and all of the ascent is near the start of the walk. As this walk also involves walking alongside a steep drop for most of the way, we provide an option for anybody with vertigo issues to travel with their luggage to Arenas de Cabrales and do an optional loop walk from there instead. And on Day 3, you have the option to take a de-tour to the summit of Horcados Rojos. If you choose to take this de-tour, this day would be graded more as strenous rather than Moderate.
We specifically select your accommodation to ensure that you enjoy every minute of your stay. They all offer a warm welcome to walkers, traditional hospitality and delicious local food.
The hotels we normally use are detailed below. We may sometimes have to use alternative hotels subject to availability but if this is the case we will always let you know when confirming your booking.
Solo Walkers
This holiday is available for solo walkers but we would recommend that you are experienced in walking and navigating alone. If you are travelling solo the holiday is slightly more expensive as some costs are not shared.
Single Rooms
If you require single rooms within your party we would be happy to accommodate you although there is a single room supplement payable.
Meals
A delicious breakfast is included each morning and 4 dinners whilst at the Tama and Sotres Hotels. The accommodations are happy to provide a packed lunch - this should be requested on arrival. Or you can pick up lunch in the village or stop along the trail. Your route notes have details for each day.
The routes on this trip are generally way-marked but can be unclear at times so you will need to follow the route notes and maps provided. You will also have access to the Macs Adventure Smartphone App enabling you to follow the route using your phone’s GPS so using this combined with the provided route notes and maps means you should have no problems finding your way.
- 5 Nights in 2* mountain hotels
- 2 Nights in a small rural hotel
- 7 Breakfasts
- 4 Dinners
- Luggage transfers on days 3, 5 and 6
- Transfers as mentioned in itinerary
- Detailed route notes, maps and pre-departure information pack
- GPX tracks
- 24/7 emergency telephone support
- Travel insurance (required)
- Travel to Unquera and from Nueva de Llanes
- Dinners on days 5-7
- Lunches, drinks and snacks
- Additional nights before, during or after the walk
- Cheese factory visit and tasting session (arranged and payable locally)
This holiday is available to start any day of the week between the beginning of May and end of October, subject to availability.
The weather in this part of Spain is most comfortable for mountain walking at this time of year, and whilst sudden mists are common they usually burn off by mid-day. As with all mountainous areas and particularly because of the proximity of the mountains to the coast in this area, the weather can also change suddenly and there can be sudden rain-showers, or even snow at any time of year so you should be prepared for all weather conditions with waterproof gear and plenty of sunscreen! We also recommend checking daily weather forecasts whilst you are out there and taking care when crossing streams which may fill up during the spring and autumn.
From Bilbao Airport - Take a bus or taxi (Approx 25€) to the centre of Bilbao. From Bilbao bus station take a bus to Unquera (2.5 to 3hrs). From Unquera an included transfer will take you to Tama.
From Santander Airport - Take a bus or taxi to the centre of Santander (15mins). From Santander bus station take the bus to Unquera (1hr 20mins). From Unquera an included transfer will take you to Tama.
Airlines flying to Bilbao include Easyjet and Vueling from the UK, and you can fly via European hubs with airlines such as KLM, Lufthansa, and Air France.
For Santander, fly from the UK with low-cost airlines such as Ryanair and Vueling. Or you can also fly with Iberia or British Airways
Take one of the regular buses to nearby Llanes (20 min). From here there are regular buses to Santander (2hrs), Asturias (3hrs) or Bilbao Airports (4h15).
Your bags will be transferred between your accommodation as per your itinerary. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg per person.
The distances and ascent/descents are approximations of the recommended routes.
Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and pants), sun hat, sunscreen. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a day pack.
It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity and emergency evacuation and hospital care.
We suggest you book as soon as your plans are finalised as the Picos are very popular. You will find up to date availability on our website and we will always try and accommodate your plans.
This walking tour is graded Easy-Moderate. Walks are between 4-7 hours and there is an ascent/descent of between 250m to 600m each day. We have chosen some of the easier walks in the Picos so that anybody with a relatively good level of fitness should be able to enjoy this tour. The only more difficult walk is the Cares gorge walk which is 23km long in total and involves a fair bit of ascent (600m). However, it is possible to return from part way and not do the full walk and all of the ascent is near the start of the walk. As this walk also involves walking alongside a steep drop for most of the way, we provide an option for anybody with vertigo issues to travel with their luggage to Arenas de Cabrales and do an optional loop walk from there instead.
Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved onto your next overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg per person.
You will need good walking shoes/boots, comfortable walking clothes, waterproof jacket and trousers, a daypack, warmer clothing for the evening and hats etc during the summer. We supply a detailed packing list with your information pack.
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Save %8 Days 7 Nights
Walking in the Picos de Europa
Walk through one of the most impressive mountain ranges in Spain, the Picos de EuropaHighlights- The limestone peaks of the Picos de Europa
- Taste the famous 'Queso de Cabrales'
- Walk through vast glaciated valleys
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Save %16 Days 15 Nights
Camino Primitivo
Enjoy tranquility and a more challenging Camino route, crossing the rugged landscapes of AsturiasHighlights- The original pilgrims trail to Santiago
- Follow paths through the Cantabrian mountains
- The unspoilt regions of Asturias and Galicia
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Save %8 Days 7 Nights
Camino del Norte Stage 4 - Gijón to Ribadeo
Walk from Gijon to Ribadeo along the coast of Asturias in area brimming with historyHighlights- Prehistoric remains and roman ruins
- Selgas with its medieval towers
- Arrive in Santiago de Compostela