Tours of Spain

High Pastures of the Picos

The Picos de Europa, in northern Spain, is one of the most stunning mountain areas in Europe, with its dominating limestone pinnacles, verdant green valleys, crystal clear rivers, beautiful meadowlands and vibrant forests, it is a veritable paradise for hill walkers. Specially designed by our expert local guides, this brand new walking holiday showcases not just the region's classic walks, but its natural wonders, geology, abundant flora and fauna, and its traditional mountain culture. Beginning near Cangas de Onis, our series of guided day walks will see us exploring for 5 - 7hrs each day and will include a traverse of the spectacular man-made cliff-side path cut through the 1500m deep Cares Gorge, a circuit of the stunning Covadonga Lakes and some fantastic views of Naranjo de Bulnes (Pico Urriellu) one of the most iconic sights in the Picos. By using 3 different comfortable hotels bases in the pretty mountain areas of Cangas de Onis, Arenas de Cabrales and Fuente De, we will be able to cover as much of this magnificent National Park as possible within a week's holiday. If you choose to travel on our spring departures you'll witness the high pastures explode with spring flowers and rare orchids. Those travelling later in the year will see autumn transform the forests into an opulent tapestry of gold's, reds, russets and yellows. Whichever time of year you choose to travel our expert local guide will be on hand to talk to you about the flora and fauna you'll encounter. This is a simply a great introduction to some of the finest walking country in the world.

With over 200 holidays to choose from, KE Adventure Travel has one of the very best collections of trekking and walking holidays worldwide. Graded on a scale from 1 to 12, we have holidays to suit everyone. Our tougher treks are likely to involve multi-day hikes through wilderness regions, with porter support and tented accommodation. Whilst at the other end of the scale, our softer walking holidays are more likely to be hotel or lodge-based with a day-walk format and an emphasis on uncovering the area's history, culture and cuisine. From our earliest days we've developed a range of treks that include celebrated classics such as Peru's Inca Trail trek, the ascent of Tanzania's Kilimanjaro and the ever popular Everest Base Camp trek in Nepal. Alongside these, we have always made it a priority to seek out distinctive and unique itineraries in less familiar areas such as Armenia, Cameroon, Madagascar and Burma. Whichever of our trekking or walking holidays you choose to undertake, you can be sure you'll enjoy breaking out of your day-to-day routine and exploring exotic landscapes on foot, with the chance to experience different cultures.

Traverse of the Picos de Europa

Close to Spain's northern coast, the Picos de Europa is a region of steep-sided valleys, isolated villages and rugged limestone peaks. Picking out the highlights of Picos walking, this great walking holiday makes a logical and continuous west to east traverse visiting the three separate massifs that comprise this dramatic mountain range. From the pretty country town of Cangas de Onis, we hike by way of the Vegarredonda Refuge to our first objective, Pico Cotalba (2026m). We then descend the 1500 metre-deep Garganta del Cares, following a spectacular cliff-side path that is one of the great Picos walks. Climbing back up into the central massif, we overnight at a refuge beneath the awe-inspiring Naranjo de Bulnes and continue walking across a lunar landscape to the superb viewpoint summit of Torre Horcadas Rocas (2500m). A picturesque final day's hike to down into Espinama concludes this gem of a walking holiday.

Over more than 30 years Explore has developed a diverse and exciting range of more than 100 walking and trekking holidays. Whether you’re new to walking holidays, a casual hiker or a seasoned trekker you will find plenty of expertly planned walks and treks to choose from. We specialise in small group walking and trekking holidays. On these you will be in a group of up to 16 along with an experienced tour leader. Depending on the trek you may also have guides, porters, muleteers, cooks and camping crew with you too. For many trekkers the camaraderie with the crew is one of the highlights of the holiday.

On Foot In The Picos De Europa

Tour Map of On Foot In The Picos De Europa

This week-long trekking adventure takes us into the beautiful high mountain scenery of Picos de Europa National Park. We explore the area in depth with walks in the unspoilt and wild landscapes of the western, central and eastern massifs. We base ourselves for six nights in Sotres - the highest inhabited village in the Picos. This tour showcases some of Spain's finest scenery and includes a hike to the base of the iconic peak of Naranjo de Bulnes. On a trip highlight we trek along cliff-cut pathways through the imposing Cares Gorge - over 1000m deep and 12km long.