Your Walking Options & Planning Your Days
Welcome to Northern Spain’s glorious coastal mountains
Join free daily organised walks or self guide – or do a mix of both
- Easier Moderate Walks & Harder High Level Hikes
- Tried and tested gems – off the beaten track, rich in flora, fauna and magnificent scenery
- Chat daily with our own walkers and get ideas and information for a succession of amazing walks
Walking in the Picos de Europa on a Collett’s holiday
Our wonderful base in the Picos de Europa is the perfect location for a walking holiday. We can give you everything you need to create a succession of memorable days out in the mountains. Whatever it is that brings you to the Picos, you are sure to thrive in the mountains that surround Potes, whether you self guide or join organised walks – whether you seek high level adventure or the easier itineraries in the idyllic terrain of the flower-strewn meadows, upland pastures and woodland. Either way, the extensive knowledge of our own hosts and walkers is available each evening at Office Hour so that you can enjoy a succession of memorable walks in these beautiful mountains.
Our Ideas & Information Files detail 35 of the wonderful walks in the Picos de Europa, plus many more suggestions for days out. At your leisure you can browse a range of magical walks from easier moderate to very hard. For each walk we give the duration, ascent, degree of difficulty and the relevant section of map. You can also borrow on a daily basis an easy-to-carry Route Laminate for each itinerary. The files also contain details of scenic drives, places of interest, bike rides, ideas for rainy days (as if!) and other days out.
Furthermore, each evening (except Wednesdays) over a sociable pre-dinner drink you can chat with our own walkers at Office Hour, who will offer you their first-hand knowledge of the itineraries that take your fancy. They will be only too happy to help you find beautiful walks that tick all the boxes for you.
Idyllic strolls, precarious rocky ridges
and everything in between
Such is the geography of the Picos de Europa, walkers of all levels of fitness and ambition are sure to thrive here. There are rambles through oak and beech covered foothills, walks which weave along ancient ‘caminos’ between timeless mountain villages, high peaks to conquer and high mountain circuits to complete. And if you fancy something different, we are just 45 minutes from Spain’s dramatic Costa Verde with its beautiful beaches, coves and impressive cliffs.
Easier & Moderate Walking
People in search of easier and moderate walking can venture out on a superb selection of delightful walks, which unravel in the enchanting foothills beneath towering peaks. You will discover woodland, rich with fauna; idyllic upland pastures, profuse and vibrant with flowers; and picturesque hamlets, where time seemingly stands still. It is a pleasure to wander into an enchanting, sleepy hamlet and sit at the table of a rustic café, gazing at the seemingly unbroken rim of peaks that surround the valleys and provide the high level walker with an extensive variety of mouthwatering adventures. That said, there are several walks at high level – perhaps accessed by cable car – that are not too challenging and these routes allow the less ambitious walkers to enjoy days out at higher level.
High Level Walking
If you are a high level walker, we look forward to helping you explore the exhilarating trails that will comprise some breathtaking days out. Once any late lying snow has retreated, local classics become accessible, such as the mighty Peña Prieta (2539m), Horcados Rojos (2344m), Naranjo de Bulnes Circular and the great Vega de Liordes. Also, each week we offer two must-do itineraries for the more serious walker…
The Cares Gorge
The most famous route in the Picos de Europa, the majestic path which follows the Cares Gorge (Garganta del Cares) in the deep narrow canyon that separates the western and central massifs. Not for the vertigo-prone, this track exists because of an amazing feat of engineering. It was carved out of the cliff faces of the western walls of the gorge with a series of bridges and tunnels during the 1920’s while building a 12km water canal for a hydro-electric station in Poncebos. It is a 90 minute drive to the start of the walk but this unique and fascinating gorge is well worth the trip.
Fuente Dé
Another wonderful feature of the Picos de Europa is Fuente Dé. A dramatic cable car ascent whisks walkers between Fuente Dé and El Cable, perched precariously at 1800m in the central massif with its expansive views south across the Cordillera Cantabrica. From here there are options for both medium and high level walkers and you cannot fail to be captivated at every turn by the awe-inspiring scenery. Our walks are likely to either climb towards the Horcada Rojos with its awesome views of the signature peak of Naranjo de Bulnes, or we will head towards the historic Chalet Real and the gentian-covered alpine meadows which surround Refugio Aliva, before meandering down to the idyllic mountain village of Mogrovejo.
Daily, Free & Optional – Unfailingly Breathtaking
Your stay will surely be enhanced by our own walkers. You can join them day to day on stunning walks – except Wednesdays, our local day-off. You simply choose the walk that takes your fancy – see below. All our walks take place in a relaxed and easy-going atmosphere. Armed with a packed lunch (available to all guests at €7 each), we generally set out at about 9am and, depending on the itinerary, return to the village in the mid or late afternoon, allowing you enough time to relax after the walk, maybe over a drink on the terrace or a stroll into the village. Here are the walks we offer on a daily basis:
A “Peaks & Passes” High Level or Harder Walk
Height Gain: 600m – 1200m, 5-7 hours
Venture into the massifs on high trails amidst awe-inspiring landscapes.
A “Classic” Easier Moderate Walk
Height Gain: 300m – 600m, 4–6 hours
Upland flower pastures, woodland trails, riverside tracks, sleepy hamlets and some easier higher level paths.
Ideas & Information
Daily access to the extensive local knowledge of our own walkers
The intimate knowledge of our own walkers is available every evening at Office Hour, where you can browse maps with them and create a succession of wonderful self guided walks to suit your ambitions. You can also refer to our invaluable Ideas & Information Files, which feature many walks, from shorter strolls to challenging and dramatic high trails. For each walk we give the duration, ascent, degree of difficulty and the relevant section of map. You can also borrow on a daily basis an easy-to-carry Route Laminate for each itinerary. The files also contain numerous alternative options, scenic drives, places of interest, bike rides, ideas for rainy days (as if!) and other days out.
For people who prefer to walk independently or simply do your own thing. Our extensive knowledge is always at hand, notably every evening at Office Hour. This is usually held on the sun terrace of Posada el Corcal , where – over a sociable pre-dinner drink – you can browse maps with of our own walkers and create a succession of wonderful self guided walks to suit your ambitions.You can also browse our invaluable Ideas & Information Files, which feature many walks of all grades, from easy idyllic riverside or meadow strolls to challenging high trails. For each walk we give the duration, ascent, degree of difficulty and the relevant section of map. You can also borrow on a daily basis an easy-to-carry Route Laminate for each itinerary. The files also contain proposals for other days out, such as scenic drives, places of interest, bike rides, other locally-supplied activities and suggestions for a rainy day – as if!
All of the information provided in our Ideas & Information files is available for you to borrow, in the form of easy to carry Route Laminates. These include an accurate route description together with useful information such as average walking time, total ascent and distance as well as the relevant section of the map. Whilst these should not be treated as definitive guides, they can prove invaluable when used in conjunction with the local walking map we will send you shortly before you depart for the Pyrenees.
Plan your days over a relaxed, pre-dinner drink
In the Picos, Office Hour takes place each early evening (except Wednesdays), usually on the sun terrace in the garden of the Posada el Corcal – weather permitting. Over maps and a relaxing, pre-dinner drink, you can chat with our own walkers about which of our organised walks might suit you best for the following day.
You can get ideas and information on many walks of varying grades as well as one of our Route Laminates for your chosen walk. These walks are also documented in our Ideas & Information Files, which, along with other reference books are dotted around at Office Hour for you to browse at your leisure. We are also available to offer you help with planning other days out (places of interest etc.), should you fancy taking a break from the walking.
“It’s Office Hour that really makes the holiday…“
Sarah & John Gilman, New Mills
Office Hour is nothing like as formal as its name suggests. Whilst it is a popular and effective feature of a Collett’s holiday, it is also entirely optional and many guests just drop in for a sociable drink with us and other guests. Either way, another memorable day in the mountains takes shape, leaving you to enjoy the evening with everything sorted.
The exquisite Posada el Corcal
Our base in the Picos de Europa is the beautifully appointed Posada El Corcal. It is run courteously and with unassuming efficiency by its owners, the Soberon family. Posada el Corcal is in a charming rural setting in the hamlet of Tama alongside the road between Potes and Panes near the Picos National Park. It is less than 2km (5 minutes in the car) to Potes, but you can also walk there in 40 minutes along a riverside track.
You will be more than comfortable at El Corcal. It is immaculately presented throughout. Whilst modern inside, there are some delightfully rustic touches. All of its en suite bedrooms, some with balconies, have been individually decorated with exquisite taste. Bright colours and stylish furnishings characterise every room.
After a day in the mountains, relax in the lounge over a book and a drink, or wander through French windows into an attractive garden with furnished terraces. Or you can take time out in the Posada's health spa, where there is a jacuzzi, sauna and small gym.
At the entrance of El Corcal’s driveway just 50 yards from the Posada itself, there is a traditional Spanish taverna restaurant, Casa Fofi, which is also run by the Soberon family. It has the charming and easy-going atmosphere of a rural restaurant and it is where we meet each evening (except Wednesday) to enjoy a three course dinner (with wine included). A good breakfast is served everyday in El Corcal’s attractive breakfast room.
Walking Holidays in the
Picos de Europa
In pictures – Walking in the Picos de Europa
