Halfway across the first glacial valley, I step off the path to stand on a patch of snow. A spider scuttles away across the frozen crystals. A few yards further on, the mountainside bursts with color: tiny Alpine flowers alive with bees and crickets, surrounded by jagged peaks. A pair of chamois watch from a cliff, then clatter up an almost vertical face. I stop walking and cool down fast, so I put on a jacket. I remind myself I’m in Spain, during a European heatwave.
When I finally look away from the wildlife, my hiking group are tiny dots on a trail snaking up a rock wall. This is the Picos de Europa mountain range in northern Spain—a cluster of peaks rising over 2,500 meters, famous for their steep slopes. I set off after them, catching up as they scramble over a ridge to find an unexpected sight: a gun turret from a World War II aircraft carrier, now a mountain refuge hut. (Cabin Verónica was cut from the USS Pulau in 1961 at a Bilbao scrapyard and dragged up here by mule.)
The caretaker, Jorge, took it on as a project eight years ago and has since made it his summer home, adding solar power and water tanks to the shiny aluminum dome. “I love it,” he says with a grin, making coffee in the tiny kitchen. “Why would I need cities and crowds when I have this?” The views are stunning. Far below, down the valley, a bearded vulture soars—one of a small number successfully reintroduced in 2005. The hut sleeps a maximum of six, too small for our group, but it’s popular with climbers and solo walkers.
This trip seems full of contradictions and surprises. For starters, on the Portsmouth to Bilbao ferry, I was alone on deck at 5 a.m., surrounded by thick, cold fog. I couldn’t even see the waves below the rail. We seemed motionless, lost in the outer reaches of space. As I stared down, the mist lifted a little, and three dolphins burst from the water, reminding me I was on planet Earth, not a spaceship. This ferry route, and its sister route to Santander, crosses an ocean canyon 4,000 meters deep, and whale sightings are common. The onboard expert, André, tells me he’s seen orcas and several whale species, including the rare Cuvier’s beaked whale.
The Picos mountains, west of Bilbao, have always been known for the unexpected. In Spanish history, they were a center of resistance to Roman rule and later the Moors. They have flowers and butterflies found nowhere else; the chamois is a unique subspecies, and there are bears and wolves too. Beneath the towering peaks lies another surprise: an underground network of rivers and giant caves almost a mile deep.
Our hike across the range started in the north, walking up to the mountain hut Vegarredonda at 1,410 meters. There are a few of these huts scattered across the Picos, most off-grid and supplied by mule. Expect good conversation, generous food portions, and a plastic-covered mattress in what some might call a “snoremitory.” I’m saved by the kindness of Arten, one of our group, who gives me silica gel earplugs. They work well, and in the morning I wake to find everyone already gone to breakfast.
In a small stone-walled workshop, an old lady sits on a rustic milking stool. On the shelves are wheels of cheese.
Food is a big part of the Picos experience. That morning we hike to a few stone cabins by a lake, Ercina, and find a handwritten sign advertising homemade cheese. Bruno and Cristina, our guides, get very excited. In a little stone-walled workshop…An old lady sits on a rustic milking stool, wearing a nylon housecoat, waiting for customers.
“My grandfather built this cabin in 1944 when I was three years old,” says Maria. “Everyone used to come up here for the summer, bringing their animals with them. Now it’s just me.”
The pastures of the Picos mountains
On the walls hang her ancestors’ drinking horns and wooden plates; on the shelves are wheels of cheese. The Picos method is to mix milk from sheep, cows, and goats. The results are delicious. “I was afraid this tradition might die out,” Maria says. “But my son is interested, so there’s hope it will continue.”
We leave Maria, still eating the cheese, and turn up a side valley, climbing steadily past boulders that hold tiny gardens of saxifrage and stonecrop in their hollows. A wallcreeper flits away, one of the rarer birds that live here. Chamois stand on distant ridges, never far from the snow patches. But their world is shrinking as Spain’s heatwaves creep higher and higher. (I was glad I traveled by ferry; as a foot passenger, I produced less than 10% of the CO2 I would have by flying, according to the Direct Ferries carbon calculator.)
We spend the night at Refugio Vega de Ario, a hut with the best cooking, which also hosts the Oxford University caving team. After more than 60 years of exploration and several generations of speleologists mapping some of the world’s most extensive cave systems, they tell me they are close to connecting two huge cave networks. I promise to come back and see it—once the stairs are installed.
Beneath the soaring peaks lies another surprise: an underground network of rivers and giant caverns nearly a mile deep
The next day, we cross one of the few places in the Picos where you’ll see a car—the village of Poncebos, which sits on a beautiful gorge walk along the Rio Cares. From there, we climb again through flower-filled meadows and abandoned farmhouses into the clouds. Then, with perfect dramatic timing, the mist clears to reveal the stunning highlight of these mountains: Picu Urriellu, a soaring 2,529-meter rock pinnacle, beneath which sits one of Europe’s most spectacular mountain huts, Vega de Urriellu.
This is one of the most popular huts, sleeping 96 people, with many more camping nearby, but it remains friendly and sociable. We stand outside with Bruno and Cristina as they point out their favorite climbing routes. Around us, small groups of climbers discuss their plans. The south face is popular with guided groups; the west face is a 750-meter monster.
The Picos are full of colorful flowers
The glacial depressions, with their spiders and flowers, lie ahead, but this is where I would choose to stay. You wouldn’t catch me down a cave, but I’m tempted by what Bruno calls excellent climbing routes. As the sun sets, the rock turns orange, giving Urriellu its Spanish name, Naranjo de Bulnes—the Bulnes orange.
Dusk falls, and I walk up a mountain track for more views, but find the world below the hut completely covered in cloud. I sit on a boulder and, after a while, realize I’m being watched. A chamois stands poised on a ledge above, its delicate curved horns silhouetted against the twilight like two question marks. I watch the last orange glow fade on Urriellu’s summit, then look back to the ledge, but the chamois is gone.
The trip was provided by KE Adventure Travel; the eight-day traverse of the Picos starts at £1,295, including all meals, accommodation, and guides. Brittany Ferries sails up to twice weekly from Portsmouth to Bilbao and Santander, and from Plymouth to Santander, from £128 for foot passengers in August.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about trekking through the Picos de Europa covering beginner to advanced concerns
General Beginner Questions
1 What exactly is the living mountain culture in the Picos de Europa
It means the local people still live and work hereraising cattle making cheese and maintaining ancient stone huts and trails You arent just walking through a museum you are walking through active farms and villages
2 Do I need to be super fit to trek here
Not necessarily There are easy valley walks and villagetovillage routes for beginners However the classic highmountain routes require good stamina and a head for heights
3 When is the best time to go
Late June to early September is safest for high routes May and October can be good for lower trails but expect snow and mud at altitude Winter is for experienced mountaineers only
4 Is it safe to go alone
Yes on wellmarked main trails But for remote peaks or multiday treks it is strongly recommended to go with a guide or a group Weather changes fast and fog can make navigation tricky
5 What is the Cares Gorge route
Its the most famous day hike a 12km path carved into a vertical cliff face Its flat but narrow with sheer drops Its spectacular but can be crowded in summer
Advanced Practical Questions
6 Can I stay in mountain refuges or do I need a tent
You can use staffed refuges on the main routes but you must book ahead in summer Wild camping is technically restricted in the National Park but bivouacking high above the treeline is often tolerated if you are discreet and leave no trace
7 How do I handle the Cabrales cheese smell in the villages
Embrace it The cheese is famously stinky because it is aged in natural mountain caves The smell is strong but the taste is incredible Buy a wedge from a local farm not a tourist shop
8 Whats the biggest danger besides falling
Sudden weather changes A sunny morning can turn into a
