Picos de Europa, limestone, gorges and lakes half an hour from the sea.

What are the Picos de Europa?

A limestone massif in the Cantabrian range, spread across Asturias, Cantabria and León, less than 30 km from the sea in a straight line. It is made up of three massifs separated by deep gorges: the western or Cornión, with the Lakes of Covadonga; the central or Urrieles, the highest, with Torrecerredo, at about 2,650 m, and the Naranjo de Bulnes; and the eastern or Ándara, the smallest. The Sella, Cares and Deva rivers surround and cut through them.

Almost all of it lies within the Picos de Europa National Park. It was born in 1918 as the Montaña de Covadonga National Park, the first in Spain, and after two extensions, in 1995 and 2014, covers about 67,000 hectares in eleven municipalities of the three regions. There is no entrance fee or general control: you only pay for specific services, such as the bus to the Lakes or the cable car.

How to get there and where to sleep?

The most convenient airports are Asturias and Santander. By car, from Oviedo to Cangas de Onís it is an hour; from Santander to Potes, an hour and three-quarters through the La Hermida gorge; from León to Posada de Valdeón, about two hours.

The massif cannot be crossed by car through the middle. The roads go round it through the valleys, and getting from one side to the other costs more than it seems on the map: from Cangas de Onís to Potes it is about 80 km and an hour and a half; from Potes to Caín, over the San Glorio pass, almost 100 km and more than an hour and a half. So it is wise to choose a base according to what you want to do, or to sleep in two places.

Cangas de Onís and eastern Asturias are the base for Covadonga, the Lakes and the Sella. Arenas de Cabrales is close to Poncebos, where the Cares route begins and the Bulnes funicular leaves. Potes and the Liébana region, in Cantabria, are the base for Fuente Dé and Santo Toribio. Valdeón and Sajambre, in León, are the quieter side, with Caín at the end of the Cares gorge.

The narrow-gauge train that runs from Oviedo to Santander along the coast stops at Arriondas and Llanes, and there are buses from Oviedo to Cangas de Onís and from Santander to Potes. But to move between valleys and reach the trailheads you need a car.

What is there to see in the Picos de Europa?

Covadonga and the Lakes. Above Cangas de Onís is the sanctuary of Covadonga, with the Holy Cave and the basilica. Higher up, about 12 km along the CO-4 road, the Lakes of Covadonga, Enol and Ercina, with a 5 km walk round them. In season you cannot go up in a private car: you go up on the shuttle to the Lakes from Cangas or Covadonga.

The Cares gorge. The Cares route links Poncebos, in Asturias, with Caín, in León, along a path cut into the rock between walls hundreds of metres high. It is about 11 km each way, 22 there and back, and more than five hours. It is the busiest route in the park.

Bulnes and the Naranjo. Bulnes is a village without a road: you reach it on foot from Poncebos or on the funicular, opened in 2001. From Bulnes the path climbs towards the Vega de Urriellu, at the foot of the Naranjo de Bulnes, the Picu Urriellu, a long mountain day.

Liébana. Potes is the region's capital, with its tower and bridges. From there you go up to Fuente Dé, where the cable car rises 753 m in under four minutes to the El Cable viewpoint, at 1,823 m. At the top you can walk down through the Áliva pastures. Nearby are the monastery of Santo Toribio and, on the way to the coast, the La Hermida gorge. It is all on the Liébana and Potes page.

The Sella. On the northern edge of the massif, between Arriondas and Ribadesella, the Sella descent by canoe is the most popular summer activity in the area.

When to go

May, June, September and October are the best months: the routes are open, there are fewer people and the temperature is good for walking. In July and August everything fills up, from the Poncebos car park to the bus to the Lakes, and it is wise to start early. From November to March it can snow in the high areas, the days are short and there is ice in the shaded stretches.

Mist is part of the climate at any time: it is common for the Lakes or the Fuente Dé viewpoint to be covered while the sun shines below. Check the webcams or the forecast before going up.

How many days do you need?

With three days you can see Covadonga and the Lakes, the Cares route and Fuente Dé, sleeping one night in Cangas or Cabrales and another in Potes. With five or six days there is time for Bulnes, the Sella, Valdeón and a longer route or two, without spending the day in the car.

What is worth knowing?

On the days of restricted access to the Lakes, in 2026 almost all summer, Easter, the weekends of May and several long weekends, you can only go up by bus, and the park-and-ride car parks cost €3 per car per day. The Fuente Dé cable car closes for works from 16 November 2026 for a few weeks. In the park you walk on real mountain terrain: bring suitable footwear, water and a warm layer even if it is hot below.