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€750 – €880
The Picos de Europa with namaste nomad offers best travel experience in North of Spain, like minded peoples, great food and drinks and good day hikes. It’s about experience and we know how to make you satisfied.
Namaste Nomad organise yearly small group walking holiday to Picos de Europa, dramatic mountains in the northern of Spain, in the middle of the Camino de Santiago. A two hour flight from Dublin or London to Santander and a scenic jeep transport to Espenama village, o accommodation at family run guest house, Hostel Navandi. Very near from the famous Camino de Santiago, the Picos offer you the opportunity of quieter trails, lush valleys, like we say mini Himalayas, authentic Spanish culture and villages and routes with stunning visual backdrops in the limestone mountains that make up the Picos d europa amazing.
The Spanish equivalent of a mini set of himalayas, in late June and early July they are uncrowded, fresh, welcoming and wonderful. We are running few tours back to back every year with a limited of 10 places on each departure. Each tour lasts (Wed- Wed 7 days), with 5 days of walking in each tour. Walking is moderate (4-5hrs per day), with an option to do a challenging day mid-tour (6-7hrs). The tour cost includes your guide, accommodation, food, airport pick-up and drop-off and luggage transfer. As well as a fascinating local culture and a rich history there are a wide variety of spin-off activities and sight-seeing (mountain-biking, rafting, kayaking), as well as museums, cable car rides and mountain fenicular railways to enjoy when you want to catch your breath.
Our guide from Ireland will work with local guides where required and will accompany your tour thorough-out. Last day of the tour is all relax and shopping and good bye dinner with few drinks and late evening party also available in town so thats make perfect holidays. This tour also the best opportunity for people to make like minded friends for rest of the life.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Santander – travel to Espinama (677m)
Arrive in Santander, Pick up from Santander airport by mini-bus for 2.5hr journey into Picos de Europa. Overnight Nevandi Guest house. Nevandi Guesthouse is a choice and chilled family run guest house amazing hospitality, food is great, if only you could keep it as fresh as it tastes on the table each day. Introduction and tour briefing with nice red wine. Sounds Nice?
Day 2: Espinama (677m)
Espinama is a sleepy village nestled at the south side of the central Picos Massif. Our first day is a relaxing 4km three hour hike on the slopes above Tama, a village on the other side of regional centre Potes, a short drive down the valley from Espinama. The hike is to the amazing Banda de Tejos, an ancient grove of Yew trees at 1000m, which sheltered a community fleeing Roman invasion. A great half day to warm the legs and meet the rest of your walking group, following by a convivial meal together in Nevandi Guest house.
Day 3: Espinama to Sotres (10km) (1050m)
An moderate 4-5hr introductory walk in the valley connecting Espinama to Sotres, an idyllic village nestled in the heart of the Picos approx 10km to the north. The ascent is gifted by an early ride on the cable car at Fuente De to 1000m, and our first views of the Picos ‘peaks’ proper from the top. Then we head north in the flat valley with mountains on both sides of the trail, stopping for a packed lunch in a meadow in Vegas de Piedra Lle, a Berger village en route. A short uphill in the final half km takes us to Sotres and refreshments! Stay at family guest house and experience the best Spanish dining.
Day 4: Sotres to Bulnes (7km) (550m)
A short descent from the village of Sotres is following by an ascending trail to Terenosa (1200m), a 3km walk from the village. [From here a challenging alternative route is the 5km ascent to the magnificent Naranjo de Bulnes (1960m), a Tor rock dominating the entire central massif of the Picos. Following lunch at the Refugio de Uriellu in the shadow of Naranjo de Bulnes, a 4km descent brings you to Bulnes village.] For easy to moderate legs, the route from Terenosa goes downhill, through alpine meadows with magnificent views of the Naranjo de Bulnes to the south. Grazing goats and cattle nibble the alpine flora and a 3km descent sees you into Bulnes village nestled at the head of a quiet valley, serviced not by road, but a funicular rail link. We lodge in the convivial Albergue de Cabrales (no goats indoors!)
Day 5:Bulnes to Cain (12km) via ‘Ruta de Cares’ or Cares Gorge (480m)
For those suffering any excesses from the challenging route of the day prior, the 2km funicular rail descent to Poncebos for the start of the day can be a welcome option. Otherwise the 1 hour descent by foot is one of the flavours of the central massif. At Poncebos the funicular and trail meet at the eastern end of the ‘Ruta de Cares’ or Cares Gorge. Sometimes described as the most stunning walk in Europe, the ‘Ruta de Cares’ is a 10km gorge walk extraordinaire. Using a path established for an innovative hydro-electric canal in the early 1900’s, the trail ascent to the south of the river and reaches 200-400 meters above the river bed. Dramatic views and a trail cut through solid rock in places are not for the vertiginous, but as one of the most popular routes in the entire Picos, are well trod and convivial. We overnight in the family run Alberque el Diablo de la Pena.
Day 6: Cain and surrounds (4-8km)
Having walked from the principality of Cantabria right into Castille y Leon the previous day, Cain is a tiny mountain village supporting a few guest houses and corner shops in a spectacular cauldron of mountains at the head of Cares gorge and valley. As the final walking day, the routes around the village allow for a pleasant warm-down and offer all grades of terrain and length depending on your energy levels. Traditional coppicing and small-hold agriculture and husbandry (including bee-keeping) are much in evidence and a pleasure to explore on a relaxing day walk. Tonight we get picked up by our transporter from cain to Espenama and agin we stay in Navandi.
Day 7: Potes & St Vincente De la Barquera
Our final day is a relaxed day shopping and sight-seeing in beautiful coastal town, 1 hour bus ride to St Vincente de la Barquera, a picturesque village on the northern coastline, afternoon you reach here and relax on the beach and explore markets. Here we have a farewell evening meal and celebration with your group. Overnight in a city centre guesthouse.
Day 8: Home
We drop you to Airport today and good bye till next trip.
Price includes
Price excludes
- Flights
- Insurances
- Drinks or any other personal expenses
- Extra trips and sightseeing other than in itinerary
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