Los Picos de Europa: 5-Day ROAD TRIP and 10 Places to visit
By Roberto – (Updated Sep 2023)
⏱ 9 min
Los Picos de Europa
Basic Info
Picos de Europa, or Peaks of Europe, is one of the most famous Spanish National Parks, and the second biggest Natural Park in Spain. It is also the second most visited (around 2M visitors per year!), after the Teide’s Natural Park in the Canary Islands. The origin of the name appeared centuries ago because mountains in this area were the first European peaks that ships were able to see coming from America to the north of Spain.
However, the most important fact is that it was the first Spanish Natural Park, established in 1918. Spain wanted to commemorate the 1200 birthday of the Battle of Covadonga, which marked the beginning of the Spanish ‘Reconquista’ (reconquest).
| When to go | Unfortunately, rain can appear during all the seasons in Los Picos de Europa (yes guys, Spain also has rain). July and August are the best months for the weather, but it is peak season. From May to October is also a good moment. Try to avoid visiting in the winter as it is really cold in the mountains and tends to be rainy. |
| How to get there | From Asturias or Santander’s airport + 1h 20 min by car. For this road trip, we flew to Santander and then rented a car. |
| Don’t forget | Hiking boots, sunscreen, jacket, raincoat, camera, check schedules and maps |
| Cost |   |
Where are they located
The Park is located in the Cantabrian Mountains, in the north of Spain, between the provinces of Asturias, León, and Cantabria. It is a vast green region with prairies, rivers, and medium-high mountains. It offers good hikes, mountain climbing, picturesque views, cider and cheese 🧀 tasting, and much more.
How to get to Picos de Europa
To get there, the best option is to fly to Asturias or Santander’s Airport and then drive to Cangas de Onís or Potes respectively. The drive is around 1h 20min in both cases. Cangas de Onís and Potes are the biggest towns around Los Picos de Europa and are usually known as the entrances to the park. They offer a variety of restaurants and accommodation, and both are worth a visit. Another alternative (that we did) is to stay in smaller and nearby towns.
5-Day road trip and 10 unique places to visit
One can spend one entire month in Los Picos de Europa. There are small towns, churches with history, many hikes, and unique places to visit. But here we share our proposal of 10 essential things to do on a 5-day road trip. We consider that 5-7 days is good enough to discover this territory, and if you have less time, we suggest to stake out another trip which can be done in less time. You can always find other good options on our blog.
1 – Bulnes (Day 1)
From Santander’s Airport, drive straight for 1h 30 min until you reach Poncebos. This is a really small town, but it is necessary to visit to get to Bulnes and also to start Ruta del Cares, which is described in another section of this post.
It is necessary to visit Poncebos because Bulnes doesn’t have a road connection. It is isolated from the rest of the world, and the only two ways to visit it are by doing a hike or using a recently built funicular (cable car). Parking in Poncebos is difficult during peak season.
If you have time, we recommend doing the round trip hike. It’s around 2h 30 min and the views of the valley are truly pleasant. It is easy to do with kids, but be careful with rain. If time is constrained, you can opt for the funicular (cable car). See the schedule here.
Usually, the funicular runs at a 30 min frequency and it takes less than 10 min to go one way. It is quite expensive, +22€ for the round trip or +17€ one way, per person.
2 – Potes (Day 1)
This small village in Cantabria won the title of Rural Capital of Tourism in 2020. It is a beautiful and well-conserved town that offers lots of gastronomic experiences and dining on terraces. Some traditional specialties include cocido Lebaniego (meat stew with chickpeas), cabrito (goat meat), or local cheese. Another must-try is the cider (sidra in Spanish – remember the name). The town also has hiking stores, in case you forgot something for the following days.
3 – Fuente Dé (Day 2)
Fuente Dé is a town between mountains that offers the longest single-span cable car in Europe. This cable car joins Fuente Dé with El Cable Viewpoint and will take you from an altitude of 1,070 to 1,823 metres. Not bad! It costs 17-18 € round trip and operates Monday to Sunday, from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Check the official website here. In addition, you will find a cafeteria on the top.
The views from the top are breathtaking, and some people come here just for them, but it is also a magnificent starting point for good hikes.
The most famous routes here are The Horcados Rojos Route and the Ports of Ávila Route. Both take around 4-4.5h (round trip). We tried to finish the first one, but something unexpected happened…
4 – Hike – Horcados Rojos (Day 2)
Even if you don’t plan to do a complete hike, we recommend walking for 30 min from the Cable Viewpoint, until you reach the lakes. You will need hiking boots, water, and sunscreen if you want to complete the rest of the hike. The hike has good instructions you can follow, and it follows a path between rocky mountains.
Once you have started the hike, you can see the Torre of Horcados Rojos in the distance, and you will never lose sight of it. In the middle of the hike, there is a hill that takes 1h to climb, which is why we would classify the hike as Medium Level. Before reaching the Torre of Horcados Rojos, you will also pass by the Cabaña Verónica Refuge on the left, where you can stop in case you need medical assistance or rest.
What happened to us? Well, we went to Los Picos de Europa in the first week of December, and while the weather was pretty good, the mountains had snow on the top. Much more snow than we expected. Near the refuge, it started to snow on us, coming down heavier at a fast rate. We saw people with crampons, snow rackets, and fully prepared for a snow hike. We were not 🥲
We decided then to turn around, stopping atop a boulder to eat our sandwiches while the wet snow and wind were blowing around us. At that moment we turned to each other and agreed “glad we turned around when we did!” We eagerly returned to our hotel to have a warm shower, relax, and fill our bellies full of warm soup.
5 – Hike – Ruta del Cares (Day 3)
Talking about Los Picos de Europa is associated with this route. The Cares Gorge Trail (Ruta del Cares) is one of the most beautiful hikes in Spain and one of the most visited (if not the most). It joins the towns of Poncebos and Cain, with a lineal journey of 11 km (22 km round trip). The origin of this route dates back to 1900 when more than 500 workers created tunnels with dynamite to reach Caín and to install a hydroelectric plant.
The trail starts at Poncebos, the same starting point as the hike for Bulnes. We suggest going early (before 10 am) to find parking. Except for at the beginning, the trail is easy and flat and it can easily be done in 5-7h, including stops. However, if you did a hike the previous day (as we did), you will feel that the way back seems to be neverending. Ruta del Cares is a hike to remember, following the River Cares with plenty of goat sightings along the way. For the official website and more information, click here.
If you don’t want to do the round trip of Poncebos-Caín-Poncebos, there is the alternative of doing only one way (Poncebos to Caín or Caín to Poncebos). Some taxis or 4x4s offer a shuttle service to take you back to your car, or if you are driving with 2 cars, you can do it by yourself.
6 – Caín (Day 3)
Caín de Valdeón appears on this list because it shares The Ruta del Cares with Poncebos and because it is a wonderful village in the middle of high peaks. You can find restaurants to refill, drink a ‘tinto’ (red) wine, and enjoy the views of Nature while laying on the grass. Once you are rested, it is time to go back to Poncebos and your hotel.
The next few days will be spent in the western part of the National Park to visit areas around Covadonga. We suggest to stay near Poncebos before heading to Covadonga. Asiego, a super small village, is a good option.
7 – Sanctuary of Covadonga (Day 4)
On this day, we drove from our hotel to Covadonga, famous for its sanctuary. It is said that this is the starting point of the Spanish Reconquista in 722. After the victorious Battle of Covadonga, a virgin was forged in the rock and since then, thousands of pilgrims visit her every year.
Even if you are not a devout person, the sanctuary deserves a visit. Also, you can take a bus from Covadonga to the Covadonga Lakes, another gift of Mother Nature.
8 – Covadonga Lakes (Day 4)
How to get to Covadonga Lakes: To get to Covadonga Lakes, you can walk (only 3 hours) or do as everybody else does, take the bus. Parking is only allowed if you go before 7:00 am. The Lakes open from 7:00 to 21:00 (19:00 in Winter). Important: The Lakes are closed in Summer, Easter, and during some festivities, to ensure environmental conservation.
The bus costs 9€ (round trip) and the bus stop is visible in Covadonga (there is a barrier with a stop and stop buses). Every approx. 20 min there is one bus going up and down. They go up to the Lakes from 9:00 am until 19:30 (17:30 in November and December), and go down until 20:30 (18:30 in November and December). The trip by bus takes 30 minutes.
Bring your own water and food. There are only two restaurants with abusive prices and no water fountains.
Once you arrive, the recommendation is to follow one of two possible routes to explore the area and to see the lakes. We did the shorter trail, and it took us around 1h with many stops. When we first arrived, it was extremely foggy, but the fog disappeared after our hike, letting us see the lakes. Note that because the lakes are positioned high up between mountains, not everybody will be as lucky to see them.
9 – Cangas de Onís – Back to Santander (Days 4-5)
Cangas de Onís is one of the famous towns in Asturias, due to its proximity to Covadonga and also because of its Roman bridge. It is a good place to relax and conclude our trip, after the hiking days. We encourage people to walk around the town and visit the famous bridge (it was originally a Roman bridge which they rebuilt during medieval times), the medieval Iglesia of La Asunción, and the statue of Don Pelayo, “the first king of Spain”.
If you haven’t tried it already, you can try to eat ‘cachopo’. This typical food is a sandwich of crispy steak with cheese. To eat some local tapas and cider, we recommend Los Arcos restaurant or El Polesu. You can also stop at some stores to get Cabrales cheese (goat cheese).
On the way back to Santander, depending on your timing, there are amazing beaches to discover in the northern villages. We couldn’t explore the area due to our schedule, but surely we will plan another road trip to see some of the most beautiful beaches in the country. Check this website to get an idea.
10 – Naranjo de Bulnes (Along the trip)
Naranjo de Bulnes (Urriellu Peak) is the name of the most famous mountain of Los Picos de Europa. Even without being the tallest one (2519 meters), thanks to its location, it is observable from different viewpoints.
The best lookout to view it is from Mirador del Pozo de la Oración, which is easily accessible with a car park and on the way to Cangas de Onís from Poncebos. It is well marked so you can’t miss it.
Another lookout is Mirador de Bulnes. You can visit while you are at Bulnes on the first day. To reach it, there is a short 10-minute hike from Bulnes. There are two more lookouts: Mirador de Camarmeña and Mirador de Pedro Udaondo, but the two we have shown in this post offer better views.
This wraps up our recommendations for a 5-day road trip in Lost Picos de Europe. We hope that our journey detailed in this post has inspired you to visit the beautiful region and to enjoy the hikes, views, cider, and local food.
Further reading…
Looking for more places to visit in Spain? Check out additional posts below.
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