Spain's first National Park
Declared in 1918, the Picos de Europa are a limestone massif rising about 20 km from the sea. From El Ardinal you can reach all three of its massifs, trails such as the Cares and mountain villages such as Bulnes.
More about the national park →
Cares Route
The “Divine Gorge”: 12 km carved into the rock above the river, from Poncebos to Caín. Poncebos is 6 km from El Ardinal.
Covadonga Lakes
Enol and Ercina, two glacial lakes 12 km up the road from the Covadonga sanctuary. Check beforehand when you can drive up.
Bulnes & the Naranjo
The village with no road, reached on foot or by funicular from Poncebos, below the Naranjo de Bulnes.
Coming to walk the Cares? Where to stay and how to plan the day →
What to do from Cabrales
Hiking
Trails for every level, from valley walks to high-mountain climbs.
Sella descent
Kayak or canoe on a gentle, family-friendly descent, under an hour away.
Cheese caves
The natural caves where Cabrales matures, to taste it where it is made.
Coast & beaches
Llanes (40 min), Ribadesella (50 min) and the blowholes.
Fuente Dé cable car
1 h 15 by car. It climbs 750 m in a few minutes to a viewpoint at 1,823 m.
Starry skies
With little artificial light, on clear nights you can see plenty of stars from the valley.
Getting to know the Picos de Europa
The rock that explains the valley: limestone, caves and cheese in the Picos de Europa
Today is International Geodiversity Day. Here a single rock explains three things people see separately: the Cares gorge, the caves in the…
The red deer rut in the Picos de Europa: when and how to hear it without disturbing the deer
When the red deer rut happens in the Picos de Europa, where it is usually heard and how to listen without stressing…
The Picos de Europa in autumn: safety tips for the mountains and the Cares Trail
Shorter days, fog that rolls in without warning and wet rock: what to bear in mind when walking in the Picos de…
Driving up to the Lakes of Covadonga: when you can and when you need the bus
For much of the year you reach the Lakes of Covadonga by bus, but the calendar follows a pattern that repeats. When…
6 km from the Cares Trail
Choose your apartment and plan your days at your own pace.