Picos de Europa National Park

Picos de Europa National Park, established in 1918 as Spain's first national park, is a realm of dramatic limestone peaks, deep river gorges, and Alpine meadows spread across the regions of Asturias, Cantabria, and Castile and León. Its jagged summit ridge, carved by ancient glaciers, rises abruptly from the lush green valleys below, creating one of the most iconic mountain landscapes in the Iberian Peninsula. The park encompasses three massifs — the Western, Central, and Eastern — each with its own character and network of trails.

The most famous hike is the Ruta del Cares, a spectacular 12-kilometre path cut into the sheer walls of the Cares Gorge, following the river far below on a narrow ledge blasted into the rock face. This trail connects the villages of Posada de Valdeón and Caín, offering vertiginous views and a cool corridor through the mountains. For more ambitious trekkers, summit ascents such as the Naranjo de Bulnes (2,519 metres) provide a serious mountaineering objective with rewarding panoramic views from the top.

Beyond the trails, the park is a sanctuary for some of Spain's most emblematic wildlife. Cantabrian brown bears roam the remote forests, Iberian wolves hunt the high pastures, and chamois (rebeco) bound across the limestone screes. Golden eagles and griffon vultures patrol the thermals above the peaks. With its network of refuges, well-marked paths, and dramatic contrasts between deep gorges and high summits, Picos de Europa remains the benchmark for mountain hiking in northern Spain.