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NEW! Walk through green Cantabrian hills to the Picos de Europa

The spectacular skyline of the Picos de Europa region of northern Spain has held a special draw for centuries, signalling to sailors that they were nearly home, and now beckoning hikers from around the world. Our new route here maintains this sense of anticipation, starting in the green foothills to the east and journeying westwards to the higher wilderness.

First you’ll become acquainted with the quiet farm tracks scattered across the valleys of Polaciones and Liébana. Vultures and eagles soar overhead whilst Cantabrian brown bears and Iberian wolves keep their distance in the undisturbed hills away from your path. Stop at tiny villages to stay in wayside inns and small hotels where you can enjoy a glass of orujo (the local firewater) with your hosts and sample the hearty Lebaniego stew.

After the bustling little town of Potes, follow the final section of the Camino Lebaniego pilgrimage route to the monastery of Santo Toribio. The modest buildings here belie its status as one of the most important pilgrim sites in Europe, with attendant hermitages perched on vantage points in the surrounding hills.

Now the landscape becomes more rugged, and the trail brings you to the massive cliffs at Espinama and Fuente Dé. Below the soaring peaks you have a choice of routes, but if the weather is good you should scale the cliffs by cable-car and experience a different world of bare rock and alpine pastures. The best views are yet to come on a glorious descent across the wooded hillsides back to your celebratory dinner and the end of your great Cantabrian traverse.

This route has been created especially for On Foot Holidays by Aznar Fernandez de Pinedo, designer of several of our Spanish hikes. He says: “When creating this route I wanted to avoid the popular trails in the mountains that have become overcrowded. My route visits totally off-the-beaten-track valleys and towns that no other tour operators have considered.

“It is a great ‘Crossing of Green Spain’ to reach the magnificent Picos. It skips the uneven paths at high elevation where the weather is unpredictable, and instead goes along scenic trails that are easier underfoot, but all the time through extremely beautiful scenery.”

‘Foothills of the Picos de Europa’ is now open for bookings in September and early October 2025, and for spring/early summer or autumn 2026. See our webpage for all the details, or call us to speak to Harriet or Simon, who have both walked the route and will be happy to tell you about its unique character.

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