Trekking in Spain - Picos de Europa

Our trip begins today at Bilbao Airport where we'll meet in the arrivals hall at 12pm. Please note, the latest your flight can arrive is 11:30am. We'll travel together as a group to- Sotres where we'll spend most of our time. The highest village in the Picos, Sotres (in Asturias) positions you with the sky at your fingertips and endless stunning walking trails on your doorstep. Situated between the central and eastern massifs, and within the designated Biosphere Reserve, it's an ideal base for exploring the mountains. This week, we'll be staying at Hotel Rural Casa Cipriano, a family-run hotel in the heart of Sotres. The rooms are comfortable with ensuite bathrooms and decorated in a simple style true to the manner of the region with wooden furniture and tiled flooring. Please note, on Day 4, we spend the night at a different hotel in Potes on all but August departures. The hotel also boasts a restaurant, bar and small shop, all run by the family. Refuel with hearty, home-cooked Asturian dishes in the rustic restaurant - the Fabada Asturiana (a smokey bean stew) is a must-try. At the end of a day's walking, the hotel bar beckons you with its cosy atmosphere - grab an Asturian cider or local wine and relax by the roaring fire or sit out on the terrace and soak up the bustle and charm of local life. Then, in the family shop just next door, pick up locally made treats from souvenirs to cheeses and hams. ...more ...less

We start our day with a short transfer to Jito de escarandi (1250 meters/4101 feet) and start our first walk up to Caseton de Andara Refuge at 1725 meters/5660 height. Enjoy magnificent views of the sea and the San Vicente beach before continuing to Collado Tramacondiu (1850 meters/6070 feet) and walk around the Macondiu Peak to get to Valdediezma forest. From there, we return to our starting point and return to Sotres for the night. Today's 18 kilometre/11.20 miles walk is expected to take around 6 hours with approximately 700 metres/2297 feet of ascent and 680 metres/2231 feet of descent.

This morning we drive the short distance down to the collection of red-roofed buildings known as Invernales de Cabao and cross the river. Then, ascending along a series of switch-backs, we gain height quickly to reach a viewpoint looking back towards Sotres. The track levels out now, ascending more gradually onto a plateau. Here stands the tiny hamlet of Pandebano, where, in AD718, a battle took place between the Visigothic Christians and the remnants of a somewhat depleted Moorish army. Leaving our vehicle, we walk up to a 'saddle', where the huge monolith of the Naranjo de Bulnes (Pico Urriellu 2,519m/8265 feet) comes into view. Rearing straight up from the surrounding rockscape, this rust-coloured mountain is the famous iconic image of the Picos. We walk up to the base where there is a refuge and the chance to see climbers attempting to scale the improbable sheer face. Today's 16 kilometre/9.90 miles walk is expected to take around 6.30 hours with 800 metres/2625 feet of ascent and descent.

We'll start this morning with a short drive to Jito de Escarandi from where we'll start our walk at 1,395 metres/4,577 feet. We'll follow old shepherds' paths down through the Valdediezma beech forest and pastures to Sobra Valley and up to Tresviso where we'll stop for a lunch break en route. After lunch, we'll continue down the Balcon de Pilatos to Urdon where we'll meet our bus to take us on to Potes, our base for tonight. Known as the village of bridges, Potes sits at the confluence of four valleys and centres around its river. With its historical buildings and streets crisscrossed with stone bridges, this beautiful Medieval town is a pretty place to spend an evening. Tonight, we stay at the Hotel Infantando here in Potes. Set on the edge of the Picos de Europa National Park, this country hotel is a great spot to unwind, with sprawling views of the surrounding nature from the terrace. Please note that for our August departures we are not able to stay in Potes so instead return to our hotel in Sotres. Today's 10-kilometre/6.2-mile walk is expected to take around five hours with 1,150 metres/3,773 feet of descent.

Today we drive to Fuente Dé making a visit to the Santo Toribio de Liebana Monastery on the way. We take the cable car up 1,000 metres/3,281 feet to the rugged high plateaux of the Picos to be greeted with panoramic views of the national park. We walk through alpine meadows down the Aliva glacial valley to Sotres, stopping for a picnic lunch and to see the abandoned Las Manforas mines. Today's 18 kilometre/11.20 miles walk is expected to take around 5 hours with 100 metres/328 feet of ascent and 1,000 metres/3281 feet of descent.

Today we drive down through Alpine scenery to Puente Poncebos at 218 metres/715 feet. Here the medieval pack horse bridge spans the Cares river. This marks the starting point for the walk through the dramatic gorge of the Garganta del Cares - a cleft over 1000 m/3281 ft deep and some 12 km/7.50 miles long. The path literally cuts into the cliffs in places; only with the aid of tunnels and bridges is it possible to traverse its entire length. This is one of the highlights of any visit to northern Spain and is a 6 hour round trip on foot, although walkers can turn back at any point and return to Poncebos where there are places to eat and drink if you wish before we return by vehicle to Sotres for a well-earned rest. Today's 24 kilometre/14.90 miles walk is expected to take around 6 hours with with 300 metres/984 feet of ascent and descent.

From Sotres we going up to La Caballar by bus. We then start to walk at 1100 metres/3609 feet and walk down to Camba Forest and get to a big group of old huts of Tobaos and Valfrio with a wonderfull views of the central massif. Walk down to Tielve to test the famous cabrales blue cheese. The Cabrales Cheese de Tielve is one of the tastiest in the area, with centuries of tradition and a good number of national and international awards. The ranchers continue to go up to the sheepfolds in the summer and getting up early for the first milking of the animals, in the vicinity of the houses the cows and sheep graze; roosters and hens scamper in the corrals and goats roam on the nearby cliffs. After lunch, we walk back to Sotres by the old traditional path of Sotres. Todays 10 kilometre/6.20 miles walk is expected to take around 4.30 hours with with 350 metres/1148 feet of ascent and 400 metres/1312 feet of descent.

Departing the mountains this morning, we drive to Bilbao Airport (BIO) where we will arrive at about 11.30am and this is where the holiday ends. The earliest time you should book a flight to depart today is 1.30pm.