How many days do you need to hike around the Picos de Europa?

I did the loop in seven long days in October 2019, hiking from morning until dark, about 90 miles. The refuge version, with a bed every night and shorter stages, takes nine days.

When is the best time to hike the Picos de Europa?

June to September is the easiest time, and late June to September is also the busiest. I went October 2 to 8 and had good weather, but it's the very end of the season, when some refuges close and the summer buses stop.

Where do you sleep in the Picos de Europa?

In staffed refuges and village hostels. Most refuges book through reservarefugios.com. Free camping isn't allowed in the park, and since 2026 a bivouac is only allowed without a tent above 1,800 m, so don't copy my three wild camps.

Do you need to book refuges in the Picos de Europa?

I didn't. I just showed up in October and there was always space. In summer, book the refuges ahead, and in autumn check each refuge's closing day.

How do you get to Fuente Dé?

Asturias and Santander are the closest airports; I flew into Madrid and a friend drove. Buses run from Santander to Potes, and in summer on to Fuente Dé. In 2026 the cable car is EUR 13 one way in low season and EUR 17 in high season.

The Picos de Europa film: Northern Spain

Northern Spain · 7 days · 90 miles

Picos de Europa Hiking Guide

7 days alone on a loop through northern Spain's Picos de Europa.

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Real pages from the guide. Tap one to see it big.

A day page
A day map and elevation profile
At a glance
One-page trip sheet

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The route

My GPS recording of 7 days on a relief map. The numbers are where each day starts; the red dot is the finish. The full GPX files and the day maps come with the guide.

Relief map of the Picos de Europa route: 7 days drawn in red with numbered day starts, labelled Fuente Dé, Torre de las Minas de Carbón, Refugio de Vegabaño, Sotres and Pico Conjurtao. — Map data: Terrain: Mapzen Terrain Tiles (EU-DEM, SRTM) on AWS · Glaciers, rivers & lakes © OpenStreetMap contributors

At a glance

Days: 7 days
Distance: 90 miles
Climbing: About 31,600 ft (9,640 m) up
Season: Summer and early autumn
Start and end: The top station of the Fuente Dé cable car

What's inside

All seven days. Stats, time to allow, my notes, the trail, where to get off, a map with an elevation profile, and links to that day in both my films.
My GPX files. My own recordings for each day and the full loop, with waypoints for the refuges, villages, the water taps I marked and food stops, ready for AllTrails, Gaia GPS, Garmin or Organic Maps.
Where to sleep. The park's 2026 bivouac and camping rules in plain terms, why you shouldn't copy my three camps, and the refuges and villages instead.
The refuge version. A 9-day plan built from my GPS line that sleeps in refuges and villages every night.
Refuges and villages. Every refuge on the loop with phone, season, 2026 prices where published and how to book, plus what I said about each one.
Getting there and around. The Fuente Dé cable car with 2026 prices and hours, the Funicular de Bulnes, and the summer buses to Poncebos, Sotres and Caín.
Food, water and safety. Where I ate and found water, the guard dogs, fog, the Cares rockfall, and the steep and exposed places.
Before you go and a trip sheet. One page of year-to-year checks and a printable one-page summary of the whole loop.

About this trip

In October 2019 I hiked alone for seven days around the Picos de Europa National Park in northern Spain: about 90 miles from the top of the Fuente Dé cable car past the Naranjo de Bulnes, down the Cares gorge and over the western massif, and back. It was a very difficult trail, and in 2020 I called it my favorite hike to date. This guide has my GPS files, maps and notes for every day, the refuges and villages, the park's new camping rules, and a version of the loop with a bed every night.

Watch the film on YouTube (1.3M views).

Gear for this route

Paid links: I earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This was early in my hiking career. I didn't have all the fancy things companies have sent me since. Here's my kit that fall, what I'd take now, and what I filmed with.

What I carried in 2019

PackHyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 2400 HyperliteThe 2400 size, about 40 L.
TentREI Passage 1A cheap tent that isn't the lightest or the smallest.Similar: NEMO Hornet Elite OSMO 1P Amazon
QuiltNemo quiltSimilar: Hyperlite Mountain Gear 20° Quilt Hyperlite
Sleepinga washable liner, an inflatable mat and a pillow
Clothesa sun hoodie, a white cap, REI zip-off hiking pants and a long-sleeve wool layer
Rain jacketUniqlo light rain jacket
Cold nightsa hat, scarf and gloves
Sockstwo pairs of thin wool socksOne on and one drying on the outside of the pack.
ShoesColumbia hiking shoesThey were a little too stiff for me. I didn't have trail runners yet.
Water filterSawyer filterOn a Smartwater bottle, plus a 2 L Platypus for dry stretches.Similar: Katadyn BeFree AC · 1L Amazon
Alsoan accessory bag, DEET, a knife and two big plastic bagsThe bag held cash, documents, a headlamp and medicine. My friend bought me the knife, and I picked up a walking stick on the way.

What I'd take now

My current kit for what this route needs.

Sleeping-bag linerNaturehike ZY20 Sleeping Bag Liner AmazonCompulsory in all the park's refuges.
Rain shellArc’teryx Beta AR Jacket Arc’teryxFog and cold come in fast.
Warm layerArc’teryx Cerium Hoody Arc’teryx
ShoesOboz Katabatic LT Low GTX AmazonYou want good grip on wet limestone.
PolesBlack Diamond Alpine Carbon Z Poles Amazon
Water filterKatadyn BeFree AC · 1L AmazonCarry about 2 liters of water capacity.
Power bankNitecore NB20000 Amazon
NavigationAllTrails+ AllTrails · 30% offImport my GPX files and download them offline: in fog the GPX track is your guide. Offline maps need the paid plan.
Phone dataAiralo eSIM Airalo · $3 offMobile data in Spain without a SIM swap. Coverage in the park is often limited.

Filming kit

What I filmed this trip with in 2019. My setup is smaller now (below). Leave the drone at home here: drones are banned in the national park (see Straight answers).

CameraSony a7 III Amazon
LensSony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM Amazon
MicRode VideoMic Pro+ Amazon
TripodPeak Design Travel TripodSimilar: SmallRig Carbon Fiber Tripod Amazon
DroneDJI Mavic 2 ProNo longer made.

What I film with now

Since September 2026 I film with a smaller setup: the Pocket 4 and the Mic 3 on the trail, and the Mini 5 Pro in the air.

CameraDJI Osmo Pocket 4 Amazon
MicDJI Mic 3 · 1 TX + 1 RX AmazonIt pairs with the Pocket 4.
DroneDJI Mini 5 Pro Amazon

Everything I carry now: my gear page.

The Day 2, Sotres to Cantu Collugos page from the Picos de Europa Hiking Guide

Free sample + packing list

Try Day 2 free, plus my packing list

Sotres to Cantu Collugos

The whole day page from the guide as a PDF, plus my camping packing list: the 42 things I carry, with a note on each, and this route's own list on top. The PDF opens right away and both come by email. You'll also get my emails about new guides and trips, a few a year.

The details

Format: A 66-page PDF sized for a phone (A5, prints fine too) and a folder of GPX files, in one zip download.
Edition: 2027 season edition, updated September 2026.
Delivery: Instant. After you pay you get a private download link. Bookmark it to download again on any device.
Payment: Secure checkout through Stripe, in your own currency. Tax is included in the price, except in the US and Canada, where any sales tax is added at checkout.
Refunds: Not useful? Email me within 30 days for a refund: kraig@kraigadams.com.
Questions: Email kraig@kraigadams.com.

Questions

How many days do you need to hike around the Picos de Europa?: I did the loop in seven long days in October 2019, hiking from morning until dark, about 90 miles. The refuge version, with a bed every night and shorter stages, takes nine days.
When is the best time to hike the Picos de Europa?: June to September is the easiest time, and late June to September is also the busiest. I went October 2 to 8 and had good weather, but it's the very end of the season, when some refuges close and the summer buses stop.
Where do you sleep in the Picos de Europa?: In staffed refuges and village hostels. Most refuges book through reservarefugios.com. Free camping isn't allowed in the park, and since 2026 a bivouac is only allowed without a tent above 1,800 m, so don't copy my three wild camps.
Do you need to book refuges in the Picos de Europa?: I didn't. I just showed up in October and there was always space. In summer, book the refuges ahead, and in autumn check each refuge's closing day.
How do you get to Fuente Dé?: Asturias and Santander are the closest airports; I flew into Madrid and a friend drove. Buses run from Santander to Potes, and in summer on to Fuente Dé. In 2026 the cable car is EUR 13 one way in low season and EUR 17 in high season.

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