Top Hiking Spots in Picos de Europa: 2026 Must-See Trails

The first time I saw the Picos de Europa, it wasn’t from a trailhead. It was through the grimy window of a long-haul bus winding through the Cantabrian hills in the pre-dawn gloom. I was twenty-two, broke, and clutching a dog-eared map of Northern Spain. Then, the sun cracked the horizon and lit up a wall of limestone fangs that seemed to tear right through the clouds. I remember the air leaving my lungs—a sharp, involuntary gasp. It looked less like a mountain range and more like a geological accident, something so violent and beautiful it shouldn't exist. I got off that bus in the next village with nothing but a daypack and a burning need to get closer.

That was twenty years ago. I’ve been back countless times since, in the sweltering heat of August and the silent, snow-muffled hush of January. The Picos de Europa, or "Peaks of Europe," sit in the north of Spain, a limestone karst massif that holds the ghost of the last ice age. They are notoriously moody, veiled in mist one minute and blazing under a cobalt sky the next. They are home to the osa parda (brown bear) and the lince ibérico (Iberian lynx), though you’re more likely to encounter a stubborn herd of sheep blocking your path.

As we look toward 2026, the trails here are more accessible than ever, thanks to improved infrastructure and a renewed commitment to sustainable tourism. But the mountains themselves remain wild, demanding respect and preparation. This is not the Dolomites; it’s rougher, wetter, and arguably more soulful. If you are planning a pilgrimage to these limestone spires, here is the definitive guide to the trails that will break your heart and put it back together again.

The Ruta del Cares: The Grand Canyon of Spain

Let’s start with the titan, the trail that everyone knows and, frankly, everyone hikes. The Ruta del Cares is the Picos de Europa’s greatest hit. It is a marvel of engineering and nature, carved into the sheer limestone walls of the Cares Gorge. It is also, in high season, a conga line of hikers. But do not let that put you off. Even with the crowds, the sheer scale of the place swallows them up.

The Experience

You begin in Poncebos, a tiny hamlet clinging to the side of the canyon. The air here is cool and smells of damp stone and wild mint. The trail, a maintenance road for a water canal, is blasted out of the rock face. For the first hour, you are walking in shadow, listening to the roar of the river far below, a white noise that becomes the soundtrack of your day.

Then, the sun hits. The gorge widens and narrows, a geological heartbeat. You traverse tunnels that plunge you into sudden, velvet darkness, your headlamp beam dancing on the wet walls. You cross bridges that span abysses that make your stomach flip. The rock here is a tapestry of colors—ochre, grey, rose, and bone white. Look closely at the walls; you can see the striations of ancient water currents, the fossils of creatures that swam here when this whole area was a tropical sea.

The trail ends at the village of Caín, a sun-trap nestled at the bottom of the gorge. By the time you arrive, your legs will be buzzing, your shoulders aching, and your soul scrubbed clean. The hike is point-to-point (12km one way), but most people take the ALSA bus service from Caín back to Poncebos (or the reverse). The bus schedule varies by season, so checking the ALSA website is non-negotiable.

Fuente Dé and the Upper Cable Car: A Shortcut to the Sky

If you want to feel like you’ve been catapulted into an alpine environment without the weeks of acclimatization, Fuente Dé is your portal. It’s not a hike in the traditional sense; it’s a vertical ascent that delivers you to the roof of the Picos.

The Experience

The Teleférico de Fuente Dé (Fuente Dé Cable Car) is an engineering marvel. You enter a small yellow cabin, and 2.5 minutes later, you are whisked 753 meters upward. The sensation is intense. The ground falls away, the trees shrink to matchsticks, and the jagged peaks of the Peña Vieja and the Macizo Central loom closer.

You emerge at 1,823 meters into a wind that feels like it’s been blown down from the Arctic. The air is thin and smells of ozone and crushed alpine herbs. From the top station (address: Soto de Valdión, 39588 Potes, Cantabria), the world opens up. There are two main trails from the top.

First, the Mirador de la Rebeca. This is a 1.5km round trip (mostly boardwalk) that takes you to a viewpoint hanging over a precipice. It’s accessible to almost everyone, including children. The view of the glacial cirque below is dizzying. You can see the tiny speck of the Urriellu hut (more on that later) nestled at the base of the Naranjo de Bulnes.

Second, for the more adventurous, is the trail to Horcados Rojos. This is a high-altitude ridge walk. It’s about 6km round trip from the cable car station, but don't let the distance fool you. You are scrambling over loose scree and navigating narrow ridges with significant exposure. The summit of Horcados Rojos (2,167m) offers a 360-degree panorama that will make you feel very, very small.

Naranjo de Bulnes: The Holy Grail of Spanish Climbing

You cannot talk about the Picos without bowing to the Naranjo de Bulnes (Orange of Bulnes), or Picu Urriellu in Asturian. It is a sheer-sided, 250-meter monolith that rises like a shark’s fin from the surrounding meadows. It is the Eiger of Spain. While the vast majority of hikers will not climb the rock face, there is a pilgrimage trail that takes you to its base, a spiritual journey for any mountaineer.

The Experience

The trail starts in the hamlet of Sotres, the highest village in Asturias (address: 33554 Sotres, Cabrales). The parking lot fills up fast; it’s best to arrive early or stay overnight in a local casa rural. From Sotres, the trail is a relentless, thigh-burning ascent up the Collado de Pandébano. It takes about 2.5 to 3 hours of steady climbing.

As you crest the collar, the view drops into the Valle de los Beyos, a glacial valley that looks prehistoric. The Urriellu hut (Refugio de Urriellu) comes into view—a stark, modernist box of concrete and glass sitting in the shadow of the monolith.

Reaching the hut is an emotional moment. Even if you aren't climbing, standing at the base of that vertical wall, looking up at the bolt lines and imagining the climbers hanging on in the void, is humbling. The hike is usually done as a day trip, but staying the night in the hut (reservations essential) allows you to see the sunset turn the limestone pink. I once shared a bottle of red wine with a veteran climber on the hut terrace who had been trying the Solitaria route for twenty years. "The mountain," he told me, "doesn't give you the summit. It lends it to you. And sometimes, it wants it back."

Horcados Rojos from the West: The High Camp Approach

For those who did the Fuente Dé cable car and thought, "I want to live up here," there is the approach to Horcados Rojos from the west via the Jou de los Llosar. This is a serious undertaking, usually reserved for experienced hikers doing a multi-day trek or carrying overnight gear for a high bivouac.

The Experience

This route typically starts from the Collado de la Braguía, a high mountain pass accessible by a winding road from Potes. The trail descends slightly into the Jou (a glacial bowl) before beginning the ascent to the ridge of Horcados Rojos.

What makes this route special is the isolation. You leave the day-trippers behind at Fuente Dé. Here, you are walking on a landscape of limestone pavement, a karst terrain of grikes and clints that looks like a giant’s cracked tile floor. The vegetation is sparse—mosses, alpine cushions, and the occasional Ibex watching you with bored indifference.

The final ascent to the ridge is a scramble. There is a fixed rope to help with the steepest section. Once on the ridge, the world falls away on both sides. You are walking a knife-edge with the horizon stretching forever. This is the place to watch the storm clouds gather and dissipate, to feel the raw power of the Atlantic weather system slamming into the mountains.

Tamaña Valley and the Revilla de Picos Loop: The Hidden Gem

If you want to escape the famous peaks and find the "real" Picos, head to the Tamaña Valley. This is a remote, sparsely populated area in the western massif. It feels like the Picos of fifty years ago—quiet, wild, and deeply atmospheric.

The Experience

The village of Revilla de Picos serves as the gateway. It’s a cluster of stone houses with slate roofs, perched on a hillside. The air smells of woodsmoke and frying chorizo. From here, a narrow road (scary but paved) descends into the valley floor.

The hike I recommend is a loop that takes you from the valley bottom up to the Collado de Tamaña, a high pass that offers stunning views of the Peña Prieta massif. The trail follows the rushing Rivera de Tamaña river, crossing meadows filled with wildflowers in June and July. The water here is crystal clear and cold enough to numb your hand in seconds.

As you climb out of the valley, the landscape changes from lush green to stark grey limestone. You might see chamois here. The silence is profound, broken only by the wind and the clatter of hooves on rock. This is a two-day hike if you take it slow, or a long, grueling day hike if you are fit. There is a refuge at the top (Refugio de Tamaña), but check its status; it’s often unguarded and basic.

Naranjo de Bulnes (East Face): The Hiker's Alternative

While the west face is for climbers, the East Face offers a spectacular hiking route that loops around to the Collado del Llambrión. This is arguably the best way to see the Naranjo's sheer verticality without needing ropes.

The Experience

Starting again from Sotres or the nearby Vega de Liordes, this route takes you up through pastures where the cows wear bells that clank with a melancholic rhythm. You ascend towards the Horcados Rojos but branch off before the summit scramble to drop into the Valle de la Güeña.

From the valley floor, you look up at the East Face of the Naranjo. It is terrifyingly steep. The trail then climbs the Collado del Llambrión, a high saddle between the Naranjo and the Jultayu. The view here is the money shot: the Naranjo rising vertically on one side, and the vast expanse of the eastern Picos on the other.

I remember sitting on that saddle, eating a sandwich of cheese and chorizo, watching a solitary eagle ride the thermals. The wind was so strong it nearly blew my hat off. It felt like the edge of the world. This is a long day (14-16km), and you need to be fit.

Winter Hiking: Potes and the Lower Valleys

The Picos de Europa are not just a summer destination. In winter, they take on a stark, monochromatic beauty. The high peaks are off-limits to all but expert mountaineers, but the lower valleys, particularly around Potes, offer incredible winter hiking.

The Experience

Potes is a medieval town that looks like it was carved out of a single block of granite. In winter, the narrow streets echo with silence. The river Deva flows through the center, often shrouded in mist.

A great winter walk is the trail to the Monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana. It’s a flat, easy walk along the river from Potes (about 3km). The monastery holds the Lignum Crucis, a fragment of the True Cross, and is a place of deep pilgrimage.

For something more adventurous, drive up to Tamaña or Cillorigo and hike the lower forest trails. The beech woods (known as hayedos) are magical in winter, their bare branches creating intricate lacework against the grey sky. The ground is often frosty, and the air is crisp and cold, smelling of snow and damp earth. If you are lucky, you might see the tracks of a wolf in the snow.

The Ruta del Cares (The Return Journey)

I mentioned the Cares earlier, but it’s worth mentioning the "return" strategy. Many people hike from Poncebos to Caín and take the bus back. But consider the opposite: start in Caín.

The Experience

Caín is a sun-drenched village that feels like the end of the world. Starting here, you hike up the gorge. It’s tougher physically (more ascent), but you are facing the rock walls the whole way. The light is better for photography in the afternoon. And when you reach Poncebos, you are at the top of the gorge, looking down into the valley you just traversed.

The sense of accomplishment is different. It feels like you’ve climbed out of the underworld. From Poncebos, you can walk (or hitchhike) the 2km to the village of Amieva, where there are excellent sidrerías (cider houses). The ritual of pouring the cider from a great height is a reward in itself.

Conclusion: Preparing for 2026

The Picos de Europa are a living landscape. In 2026, the trails will be there waiting, but they require you to be a responsible visitor.

• Reservations are Key: The mountain huts (refugios) are not casual hotels. They fill up months in advance, especially for weekends in July and August. Book as soon as the new year opens.
• Weather is Everything: I cannot stress this enough. The Picos create their own weather. A sunny morning can turn into a thunderstorm by noon. Always carry layers: a waterproof shell, a fleece, a hat. Never go up high without a map and compass (and the knowledge to use them).
• Leave No Trace: The Picos are fragile. Stick to the marked trails. Pack out everything you pack in. Do not light fires in the summer.
• The Food: After the hiking, you must eat. The local cuisine is hearty and designed for mountaineers. Try Cocido Lebaniego (a heavy chickpea stew), Queso Cabrales (blue cheese that will knock your socks off), and Orujo (a pomace brandy) to settle the stomach.

Hiking in the Picos de Europa is more than just physical exercise. It is a dialogue with history, geology, and your own limits. Whether you are standing on the ridge of Horcados Rojos watching the sun set over the sea of clouds, or huddling in a cafe in Potes with a hot chocolate after a winter walk, you are participating in a tradition that goes back centuries. The mountains are calling. Pack your boots, check the weather, and answer.