Walking the Picos de Europa

Spent a glorious week walking the unspoilt, peaceful and beautiful Picos. The weather was perfect for walking with only 1 day of light drizzle, breaking the otherwise dry and sunny week. We did a mixture of walks ranging from summiting twice at just over 2000 metres above the tree line through to a coastal walk to Llanes. Alfonso our guide was a true man of the mountains, born in the Region and with a real love and passion for the Picos as well as having a really calm and peaceful persona. The hospitality and home cooking at the hotel was excellent throughout the week and each day you can admire the glorious views of the Picos over breakfast and dinner, cloud cover permitting. I felt throughout the week that I was off the beaten track as the area is so large and un-touristy that on most days you don’t come across many other walkers, with the exception of the Cares gorge which was busier, but not in an unpleasant way. I loved the whole week.

Amazing tour! Such a stunning part of Spain! The views from the hikes were incredible but the hiking was very challenging! I thought I was in good shape until we started these hikes and quite a bit of it was steep terrain, which was difficult. I trained prior to the tour but definitely not 3-4 hours uphill at one time. Some of us stayed back at the hotel a couple of days since it was difficult, which also worked out well to relax a little. Just be prepared and know it's quite challenging. Weather at the end of April/early May was perfect for hiking. Nice cool weather in the morning and rain late in the afternoon. Having snow on the mountains also made it even more beautiful. I loved the hotel and the views from the hotel. We had a great tour guide and wonderful group of people from several countries. It was a very well organized tour.

Based in Arenas de Cabrales, known as the gateway to the Picos de Europa, a group of 15 explored the region which offered a varied terrain through forests, shepherds paths, green valleys, a gorge, river paths as well as being among limestone peaks. There was beautiful wild flowers such as orchids and blue thistle as well as wildlife where we spotted griffon vultures, chamois, brightly coloured butterflies as well as cows with their bells clanging around their necks. The Hotel Torrecerredo was our base for all our days walking. It's a small family run hotel with staff that went above and beyond to make our stay a welcoming and memorable one. The restaurant served delicious traditional 4-course meals and the bar stocked all our post walk requirements at very affordable prices. Five minutes from the hotel is the village Arena de Cabrales. This is a picturesque village which offers many bars and restaurants offering tasty meals and a few souvenir and outdoor shops as well as local produce shops selling their famous Cabrales cheese.

Everything about this trip went beyond my expectations. Our thoughtful and knowledgeable guide Nacho was a delight! The other members of my group (there were 15 of us) were lots of fun and we felt like family by the last day. The scenery was spectacular and the hikes were challenging but not over the top. I cannot say enough positive things about this trip except it was rather hot and humid while we were there and ceiling fans in the rooms would have been a welcome addition. The hotel overall was comfortable, convenient location and the meals were incredible! Don’t hesitate to book this trip if you want to see Spain off the beaten path.

This has to be the best Exodus holiday I have been on.The Picos de Europa are a very beautiful mountain range and the walks we did were varied and interesting with spectacular scenery .A highlight of the trip was walking the stunning Cares gorge. Our leader Alvaro was brilliant .He carefully explained the walks we were doing and while we were walking he looked after everyone in the party often running backwards and forwards from the front to the back of the group . The hotel was great .The hosts Jim and Pilar were very friendly and obliging .My room was comfortable and had a nice modern bathroom .Wifi was free in all areas and was fast and reliable .Best of all was the hotel food .Great menu choices, beautiful presentation and consistently delicious .

An amazing trip assisted by the complete gelling of the group...everyone put in 100% from day 1 to make it a great success

Great trip. Walks, views, guide, hotel, village, the lot!

It was probably the most challenging trip that my wife have done together and despite being in our 70's we felt equal to challenges with Alvarro's encouraging approach. The walking varied from forest trails to gradual ascents with some sce=rambling on the penultimate day. The Cliff walk on the free day to Llanes was delightful and a contract with the mountains. The Carres gorge was very special and we were fortunate to be there at a cool time of year and with few other walkers, We have been on half a dozen or so trips with Exodus and this was up there with the very best

Well planned walks. Lovely scenery. First class leader. Comfortable hotel - excellent food

A trip planned for 2020 finally came about. The location, trail routes, accommodation, group leader (Silvia), hotel staff (Jim and Pilar) and other hotel support staff were just amazing. I did not think I could manage my usual level 3 hikes post Covid (caught this a couple of months before) and managed to participate 3 out of 5 hiking days. My favourite trek was Cares Gorge - views were stunning, do not forget to look back (shodows cast by the mountains along the gorge by the morning sun). During our free day I went to Llanes, a lovely seaside village/town, and a nearby beach with a few members of the group. We had a great day out.