Trails & Traditions of the Picos de Europa

In this tour, you’ll enjoy hiking in Northern Spain through the stunning Picos de Europa mountains.



The limestone peaks of the Picos de Europa mountains form a jagged skyline whilst the deep valleys and green pastures support abundant wildlife including bears, wolves, chamois, golden eagle, lammergeier vultures, the alpine newt and yellow-flashing salamanders.



This intermediate-level hiking adventure takes place from spring to autumn, taking you on foot to explore the wild and exciting landscapes of the central and eastern massifs, where local culture and gastronomy are delightfully preserved within its charming mountain villages. You also will enjoy the stunning coastline, staying in the beautiful medieval coastal town of Llanes, with its superb range of restaurants and delightful beaches



Whilst hiking through the Picos de Europa, you’ll appreciate how the area is also steeped in history; ancient man lived here as did the Romans, Celts and others, and it is here at the Royal site of Covadonga deep in the mountains in 722 when the Christian Spanish began to fight back against the Moorish invaders to establish the Kingdom of Asturias, the first Christian realm founded after the Muslim conquest. We fully believe in, and practice, Responsible Tourism, using hotels run by locals. The accommodation on this adventurs is primarily comfortable and welcoming hotel accommodation offering rooms with ensuite facilities. For one exciting night, you head high into the mountains to the stunningly situated refuge of Collado Jermoso where you experience escapism and a total immersion into the ambiance of the Picos.

We put time and effort into building our relationship with accommodation suppliers to ensure you have a great trip;

We choose accommodation based on cleanliness, comfort, safety, proximity to our route (to avoid unnecessary extra travel) and a warm client welcome, as well as reliability in their service to us. Wherever we can we will choose smaller, more characterful, individual hotels, but in areas where tourism is still developing, or in remote areas (like the mountains), we may not have a wide range of options. An aspect of our adventures is to escape the ‘trappings’ of modern Western lifestyles and to experience new things with are exciting and memorable and reflects the countries we are visiting. The list below gives information on our first choice of accommodation for this adventure. Where hotels and refuges are fully booked or unavailable, we will use an alternative of a similar standard, and equally well situated. We will provide you with an accurate list of accommodation, with contact information to leave with relatives, prior to departure on your adventure.

Arenas de Cabrales: (Day 1 - 3): Hotel Picos de Europa, Arenas de Cabrales, Espana (+34 985846491). Ensuite rooms, garden, outdoor pool & Wifi.

Hotel Tierra de la Reina (Day 4): Carretera Leon Santander, 101, 24911, Boca de Huergano, Leon, Espana (+34 987740100). Ensuite rooms, cafe with Wifi.

Collada Jermoso Refuge (Day 5): Diego Mella Refuge, Collado Jermoso, Valdeon Valley (+34 636998727). Mountain refuge at 2064m, refugio@colladojermoso.com. Dormitory accommodation (7 or 8 beds) with shared bathrooms and restaurant facilities.

Casa Cayo, Potes (Day 6): Characterful mountain Hotel Restaurant in Potes (+34 942730150). Ensuite rooms.

Gran Hotel Paraiso, Llanes (Day 7): Calle Pidal, 33500 Llanes, Asturias (+34 985402325).