Picos de Europa by International Mountain Leader Sam Benson
This is my favourite destination for numerous reasons! For example; it’s easy to visit, there are so many different places to explore and the local people and culture are wonderful.
From the UK there are flights into Santander, Bilbao and Asturias. You can drive down through France and the Pyrenees. My favourite is to take the ferry from Portsmouth to Santander and enjoy the cruise and relax. Having a car is a real positive in getting around even though the buses from the airports are regular and cheap. The whole area is compact and, in many ways, exploring on foot is the best way to see it. Taxis are also available in most towns and give a quick and easy way up into the mountains.
My favourite day on my last visit was seeing the Vuelta España cycle race racing through the mountains. Once the race had left, the town square was cleared, and the elderly residents all danced to traditional music.
My top tip would be to visit with a sense of humour, an umbrella and a phrase book. The local waymarking can be either non-existent or send you in loops around the village. The umbrella is good for the hot sun as well as the occasional shower. Many local people have little spoken English and are embarrassed by your polite enquiry. So, don’t be surprised if they walk away or do not answer. A simple phrase book can help just to break the ice.
It would be a good investment to employ a locally based walking leader or guide as many of the best places are hidden away and someone with local knowledge will know the routes and best cafés to stop at.
The Picos also offer brilliant climbing, caving, cycling on/ off road, surfing and fabulous beaches. There are so many activities to enjoy in addition to trekking as well as food and wine.
The only hazard in the mountains can be the huge caves, the larger ones are marked on the map but the entrances can be close to the tracks and they are not fenced off. Take real care with routes higher up on the snow, the cave entrances fill in with snow.
The Picos de Europa are a wonderful place to visit being easy to access and offering dramatic and diverse landscape within a compact area. The area is surrounded by other mountains and national parks so there are numerous options for further adventures. The mountains are never busy and the area offers accommodation in huts, home stays, hotels and campsites. The towns all have supermarkets and shops and maps are cheap and easy to buy in country. There are some good guides to the area like Phil Lawler’s book ‘Los Picos de Europa’ which is my favourite, easy to understand and has a good range of walks.
If you feel inspired and need any further information please contact me at picostreks@hotmail.com
Thank you Sam!
