Picos de Europa: Northern Spain’s Overlooked Mountain Range

The Picos de Europa’s name supposedly comes from returning Spanish sailors who spotted these peaks on the horizon as the first European landmark visible from the Atlantic. They’re not particularly tall – Torre de Cerredo, the highest summit, reaches just under 2,650 metres – but the limestone geology creates vertical drops and gorge systems that produce something more visually dramatic than altitude alone would suggest. Most visitors to northern Spain go to the Camino or Galicia. The Picos get overlooked, which suits them.

The range straddles Asturias, Cantabria, and Castilla y León, about 20 kilometres from the Bay of Biscay coast. The combination of proximity to the sea and significant elevation means the weather is volatile and the light often spectacular.

The Cares Gorge

The Ruta del Cares is Spain’s most famous gorge walk and earns the reputation. A path carved into the limestone follows the Cares River for 12 kilometres between Caín (León) and Poncebos (Asturias), threading through tunnels blasted for a 1940s hydroelectric project. The gorge drops 500 metres below the path in places. The walking itself is straightforward – mostly flat, well-maintained – but the exposure is dramatic and continuous.

Start by 9am in summer to beat the worst of the crowds and the heat. From Poncebos, doing it as a there-and-back is the practical approach if you can’t arrange transport between both ends.

Fuente Dé Cable Car

The cable car on the southern edge of the massif in Cantabria rises 740 metres in about 4 minutes to a limestone plateau at 1,823 metres. From the top, you can walk for hours across karst pavement with views south to the Castilian meseta. The car carries 20 people; summer queues of 2+ hours are common. Go very early or in the late afternoon.

Cabrales Cheese

The Asturian side of the Picos produces Cabrales, a blue cheese aged in limestone caves within the park. It is one of the more assertive blue cheeses made anywhere, with a flavour intensity that builds through the ageing period and a texture that ranges from firm to almost liquid. Most village restaurants in the Picos serve it. The combination of Cabrales with local pan de maíz and a glass of sidra poured in the Asturian style (from a height, over one hand, into a glass held at waist level, to oxygenate the drink) is the specific culinary experience the Picos offers.

El Corral del Indianu in Arriondas is excellent for traditional Asturian cooking. Most village restaurants serve a menu del día at lunchtime for around €12-15.

Getting There and Staying

The nearest airports are Asturias (OVD, near Avilés, about 90 kilometres from Cangas de Onís) and Santander (SDR, about 80 kilometres from Potes). Car hire from either airport is the practical option – public transport into the heart of the park is very limited.

Potes is the main hub for the Cantabrian side: a small medieval town with a good selection of casas rurales and small hotels. Cangas de Onís on the Asturian side has the famous Roman bridge and most accommodation options.

April to June and September are the best months: wildflowers, good walking weather, manageable crowds. July and August are warm and popular. The upper elevations can carry snow as late as May.