Picos de Europa National Park National Park

Address: Picos de Europa National Park - Cantabria / Asturias / Castilla y León, Spain

Website: https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/red-parques-nacionales/nuestros-parques/picos-de-europa/

Hours: Open year-round (visitor centres seasonal)

Admission: Free (no general park entrance fee). Fees may apply for cable cars, guided activities and some visitor centres (e.g., Fuente Dé).

Picos de Europa National Park is a protected mountain area in northern Spain covering parts of Asturias, Cantabria and Castile and León, recognized for its dramatic limestone peaks, deep gorges and high mountain pastures.

The park offers extensive hiking networks, well-known features such as the Cares Gorge (Ruta del Cares), the Lakes of Covadonga and alpine-access facilities like the Fuente Dé cable car. Trails range from valley walks to high mountain routes and are widely used by day hikers and multi-day trekkers.

Historically the high pastures were used for transhumant grazing and small mountain communities; over the 20th century the region gained legal protection and infrastructure to support recreation while conserving its karst landscapes and biodiversity.

The park lies along Spain’s northern Cantabrian range, inland from the Bay of Biscay and roughly between the cities of Oviedo and Santander, with multiple valley entry points on the Asturias, Cantabria and Castile and León sides.

• Access point: The Fuente Dé cable car shortens ascent into the central massif and is a major access point for hikers and sightseers.
• Signature trail: The Ruta del Cares is a long, well-known hiking route through a deep limestone gorge that is often walked as a day trip between valley villages.

What to See#

• Cares Gorge (Ruta del Cares): A limestone gorge trail that links villages in Cantabria and Asturias, renowned for its dramatic cliffs and a well-maintained walking route known as the Ruta del Cares.
• Lakes of Covadonga: A group of glacial lakes and a shrine area near Covadonga that serves as a popular gateway for visitors and pilgrims to the park’s southern valleys.
• Fuente Dé cable car: A cable car at Fuente Dé providing rapid access from the valley floor to high mountain trails and viewpoints in the central massif.

• Begin popular routes like the Cares Gorge (Ruta del Cares) from the Poncebos trailhead early in the morning to avoid the peak flow of coach parties and enjoy cooler hiking conditions.
• Use the Fuente Dé cable car to gain altitude quickly and access high trails around Bulnes and Áliva - it shortens approaches and helps avoid long road ascents that draw most day visitors.
• Take the funicular to Bulnes or explore the lesser-visited valleys (e.g., Valdeón) for quieter walking and traditional mountain villages that many visitors skip in favor of the main Covadonga/Cares sites.