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Picos de Europa family adventure
- Tour specially designed for families
- The best of the mountains and the sea
- Qualified mountain guide (UIMLA certified)
- The Picos de Europa National Park
- Mini-trek with overnight stay at Urriellu Refuge in the Central Massif
- Two days at a campsite on the coast with accommodation in family tents
- Trip open to participants from different countries, chance of sharing the experience with families from other cultures
Price on request
Tripcode: ESGK100
4 Comfort
Level 1 - EN:
Simple accommodation, often with multiple rooms like huts, cottages or guesthouses. Sometimes with bunk beds and often with shared bathrooms. All camping trips fall into this category.
Level 1 - EN:
Simple accommodation, often with multiple rooms like huts, cottages or guesthouses. Sometimes with bunk beds and often with shared bathrooms. All camping trips fall into this category.
Level 2:
Simple to good inns, small family hotels, B&Bs and agriturismo (farmsteads), generaly with private bathroom. Often chosen for their excellent location in relation to the itinerary.
Level 2:
Simple to good inns, small family hotels, B&Bs and agriturismo (farmsteads), generaly with private bathroom. Often chosen for their excellent location in relation to the itinerary.
Level 2:
Simple to good inns, small family hotels, B&Bs and agriturismo (farmsteads), generaly with private bathroom. Often chosen for their excellent location in relation to the itinerary.
Level 3:
Good hotels, inns, B&B, agriturismo (farmstead) with ensuite private bathroom, often wel located and serving good meals
Level 3:
Good hotels, inns, B&B, agriturismo (farmstead) with ensuite private bathroom, often wel located and serving good meals
Level 3:
Good hotels, inns, B&B, agriturismo (farmstead) with ensuite private bathroom, often wel located and serving good meals
Level 4:
Special hotel with excellent food, ambiance and service. Accommodations with a special touch.
Level 4:
Special hotel with excellent food, ambiance and service. Accommodations with a special touch.
Level 4:
Special hotel with excellent food, ambiance and service. Accommodations with a special touch.
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4 Difficulty
Level 1:
Walking levels:
Trips with short walks of generally three to four hours (excluding breaks) and/or optional day excursions; flat or slightly hilly terrain using well kept paths.
Cycling levels:
Easy biking in nearly flat landscape; also possible for people with little or no bicycle experience. The daily distances are approximately 30-50 km in general. Bicycles with up to 3 gears can do the job. All our adult rental bikes have at least 21 gears.
Level 1:
Walking levels:
Trips with short walks of generally three to four hours (excluding breaks) and/or optional day excursions; flat or slightly hilly terrain using well kept paths.
Cycling levels:
Easy biking in nearly flat landscape; also possible for people with little or no bicycle experience. The daily distances are approximately 30-50 km in general. Bicycles with up to 3 gears can do the job. All our adult rental bikes have at least 21 gears.
Level 2:
Walking levels:
Moderate day walks, 4-5 hours per day (excluding breaks) on hilly to mountainous areas using well kept, sometimes stony paths.
Cycling levels:
Biking on gently undulating terrain, you may encounter short climbs from time to time. The daily distances vary between 30 and 65 km. A bicycle with minimum 7 gears will do. All our rental bikes have at least 21 gears.
Level 2:
Walking levels:
Moderate day walks, 4-5 hours per day (excluding breaks) on hilly to mountainous areas using well kept, sometimes stony paths.
Cycling levels:
Biking on gently undulating terrain, you may encounter short climbs from time to time. The daily distances vary between 30 and 65 km. A bicycle with minimum 7 gears will do. All our rental bikes have at least 21 gears.
Level 2:
Walking levels:
Moderate day walks, 4-5 hours per day (excluding breaks) on hilly to mountainous areas using well kept, sometimes stony paths.
Cycling levels:
Biking on gently undulating terrain, you may encounter short climbs from time to time. The daily distances vary between 30 and 65 km. A bicycle with minimum 7 gears will do. All our rental bikes have at least 21 gears.
Level 3:
Walking levels:
Trips with strenuous day walks or trekking in mountainous areas. 5 to 7 hours walking maximum per day, sometimes carrying backpacks with stuff for one night; height differences between 500 & 1000 m. per day
Cycling levels:
Strenuous biking trips in areas where you cannot avoid steep slopes. Some bicycle experience in short trips is needed. The daily distances range from 30 up to 75 km.
Level 3:
Walking levels:
Trips with strenuous day walks or trekking in mountainous areas. 5 to 7 hours walking maximum per day, sometimes carrying backpacks with stuff for one night; height differences between 500 & 1000 m. per day
Cycling levels:
Strenuous biking trips in areas where you cannot avoid steep slopes. Some bicycle experience in short trips is needed. The daily distances range from 30 up to 75 km.
Level 3:
Walking levels:
Trips with strenuous day walks or trekking in mountainous areas. 5 to 7 hours walking maximum per day, sometimes carrying backpacks with stuff for one night; height differences between 500 & 1000 m. per day
Cycling levels:
Strenuous biking trips in areas where you cannot avoid steep slopes. Some bicycle experience in short trips is needed. The daily distances range from 30 up to 75 km.
Level 4:
Walking levels:
Trips with heavy excursions in high mountains, sometimes carrying backpacks with stuff for several nights. 6 to 8 hours maximum per day; height differences up to 1200 meters per day; only for participants with an excellent condition and without fear of heights.
Cycling levels:
Serious and strenuous biking trips in mountainous area, the slopes are longer and/or steeper than at the previous category. Requires a good physical condition, a broad cycling experience and adequate mountain climbing bicycle. The daily distances range between 30 and 80 km.
Level 4:
Walking levels:
Trips with heavy excursions in high mountains, sometimes carrying backpacks with stuff for several nights. 6 to 8 hours maximum per day; height differences up to 1200 meters per day; only for participants with an excellent condition and without fear of heights.
Cycling levels:
Serious and strenuous biking trips in mountainous area, the slopes are longer and/or steeper than at the previous category. Requires a good physical condition, a broad cycling experience and adequate mountain climbing bicycle. The daily distances range between 30 and 80 km.
Level 4:
Walking levels:
Trips with heavy excursions in high mountains, sometimes carrying backpacks with stuff for several nights. 6 to 8 hours maximum per day; height differences up to 1200 meters per day; only for participants with an excellent condition and without fear of heights.
Cycling levels:
Serious and strenuous biking trips in mountainous area, the slopes are longer and/or steeper than at the previous category. Requires a good physical condition, a broad cycling experience and adequate mountain climbing bicycle. The daily distances range between 30 and 80 km.
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Duration: 8 days
Details
Picos and the coast: a family adventure
The best of both the mountains and the sea: spectacular walking in the Picos de Europa National Park, then 2 days on the beautiful Asturian coast. Group tour in which a qualified mountain guide will show you the best landscapes, flora, fauna or the magnificent geology of this special Spanish mountain area. Accommodation at small hotels or hostels in mountain villages, and 2 nights at a campsite near the beach. The highlight of our mini-trek takes us to an authentic mountain hut, "Refugio Vega de Urriellu", situated at 2000m in a lunar landscape of limestone splendor. Chance of spotting chamois, alpine choughs . . . and rock climbers! We'll need to carry our rucksacks and sleeping bag for the night at the refuge. To end our trek, we'll traverse the famous Cares Gorge, then drive northward to a small campsite on the coast. There we'll enjoy a day at the beach or (optional) activities such as canoeing, cycling or walking. A visit to the nearby bufones will show us natural blowholes which spew sea water, creating geyser-like eruptions when wave action is high. At the campsite, we sleep on sleepmats in family tents with 2 or 3 bedrooms. During the trek, all meals are included. At the campsite, we enjoy breakfast together each morning, then everyone goes their own way for the day. Our last evening is spent enjoying a farewell dinner at a local cider house, where we'll have the opportunity of mastering the traditional pouring technique local use (practised with water, of course!).
Itinerary
Expand itinerary Collapse itineraryDay 1: Arrival in the Picos
Arrival in Arenas de Cabrales, just at the door of the Picos de Europa National Park. Accommodation at a rural hotel, double or quadruple rooms, with en-suite bathroom. In the evening we will have a welcome dinner with our guide at a local cider house to introduce the trip program for the week.
Challenge: Travel to Asturias
Villages: Arenas de Cabrales
Day 2: Cares Gorge route and 4x4 excursion to Espinama
Today, the route starts in Poncebos where we begin the Cares gorge walk, Impressive views, beautiful bridges over the gorge and rock tunnels, to get from Poncebos to Caín, a small village at the other side of the gorge. In Caín, a 4x4 car will pick us up to continua our route, stopping to visit the "Chorco de los Lobos", an ancient trap for wolves. Then we continue, up the pass of Altos de Valcabao (1800m) and down to Fuente Dé and finally Espinama, where we finish the day.
Challenge: 3.5-4 h, 250m ascent, 100m descent.
Villages: Poncebos, Caín, Posada de Valdeón, Espinama
Day 3: From Espinama to Sotres through Fuente Dé
Today we enjoy the spectacular views taking the cable car at Fuente Dé. After a lunch break at the mountain refuge in Áliva, we start a long descent along Aliva´s glacier valley. Cows, sheep and horses grazing in the high pasture lands. Choughs, vultures and white-winged snowfinches along our way. A perfect walk through the Picos de Europa!
Challenge: 4 to 5 hrs. 275m ascent, 875m descent
Villages: Espinama, Fuente Dé, Las Vegas, Sotres.
Day 4: From Sotres to Vega de Urriellu
Today we enter the Central Massif. A short transfer will take us to Pandebano pass, where our mountain route starts to get to Urriellu Refuge, at 2000m, under the most famous summit in the Picos. Along the way there are options of shightseeing chamoix and vultures. Once we get to the regufe, we still have time to learn Traditional games out in the field. After dinner , an early sleep, to be able to wake up like the climbers next day ...at 5 o´clock in the morning!!
Challenge: 3.5 hrs, 850m ascent
Villages: Sotres, Pandébano, Urriellu.
Day 5: Down to Cabrales and the Cosst
Early in the morning, we start our route down to Pandébano again, where a 4x4 will be waiting to takes us to Arenas de Cabrales. In Arenas we will take our cars and go to the coast and on to the camping. At the camping, the first thing to do will be setting up the tents and the camp site. After that , a good swim in the sea is awaiting! Tonight a real camp dinner, under the stars.
Challenge: 3.5-4 hrs, 11km.
Villages: Pandébano, Poncebos, Arenas de Cabrales, Camping.
Day 6: A day on the coast
The campsite makes a great place to spend the whole day. We'll set up our tents in a shady spot, just a 5-minute walk from the beach. At high tide, the sea is churning with high waves. Low tide leaves shallow pools where small children can play. Clinging to rocky outcroppings, we'll find mussels, sea anemones, long-necked goose barnacles and small crabs. We'll have our frisbees, badminton rackets and paddles on hand, for fun on the beach. A short route takes us to the village of Pendueles on the coastal walking and cycling path. Each family plans own lunch and evening meals today.
Challenge: Fun at / near the beach.
Villages along the way: Vidiago
Day 7: Optional excursions and farewell dinner
This morning is left free for the activity of your choice. Optional canoeing excursion on the River Deva or visit to the Medieval mariner's village of Llanes. In the late afternoon, we'll enjoy a 2-hour stroll on a fishermen's path to reach Vidiago, where we'll enjoy a farewell dinner at a local cider house. We'll have a fun practising the surprising technique that Asturians use to pour apple cider. Afterwards, transfer back to the campsite.
Challenge: Walking route and farewell dinner.
Villages along the way: Vidiago
Day 8: End of program
Our family adventure in the Picos de Europa comes to an end this morning after breakfast. Departure from Asturias.
Challenge: Travel home from the Picos de Europa
Practical info
Included:
- Transfers and luggage transport according to program, from Day 1 to Day 5, including the descent by cable car on Day 4.
- 1 overnight stay at a pension in 2- or 4-person rooms with private bath; 3 nights at hostels or refuges with dormitory-style bedrooms, running water and basic toilets; 3 nights in 4- to 6-person tents at a campsite
- All meals during the trek (from dinner on Day 1 through dinner on Day 5)
- 3 generous breakfasts at the campsite and 1 farewell dinner on the last night
- Tents with 2 or 3 bedrooms, sleepmats
- Play things provided for days at the beach (ball, rackets, vlieger, frisbee, etc.)
- Tour leader is a qualified mountain guide, who speaks both Spanish and English
Not Included:
- Transport to start / from end of program
- Lunches on Days 6 and 7, dinner on Day 6
- Sleeping bags and lakens
- Optional canoeing trip or bike hire on Day 6
- Transfers by train or van to optional excursions on Day 6
- Personal expenses such as phone calls, etc.
Optional Services:
- Extra nights can be booked before / after the tour, at the campsite on the coast or at a city hotel in Oviedo, Gijón, Bilbao.
- Activities on Day 6 (canoeing, bike rental, etc.)
Reviews
Start: Arenas de Cabrales
Finish: Vidiago de Llanes
Dates & prices
Trip availability: on request 01 May to 30 September
Price on requestOther prices
AVAILABLE ON REQUEST FROM MAY 1st TO SEPTEMBER 30th
Minimum 8 participants.