My adventure with Picos de Europa

by Anja Robanke | Jun 7, 2022 | Travel tips, Spain, Spain, Travel tips

The Pices de Europa is very magnificent and truly impressive. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever encountered in my months in Spain. I have a complete joy inside after this.

You who follow me know how much I love the mountains. I would rather be up in the mountains than out on the coast. I feel more alive and creative when I have heights around me. Whether it is the thin air is not known 😉

I have such an wup wup over that area here. And I would love to share a lot of pictures and words from my experiences here. I have experienced all kinds of weather. No snow 😉

My experiences here extend over many days.

Let’s start with a little practical

Here is a map. I have driven on the orange roads. And I have put a caravan there where I have spent the night – as there were no campers 😉 If you click on the different open Google maps with destinations for the accommodations. However, they are all found via the CamperContact app. The purple ones are free and the red ones are pay places.

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It was only the road on top one on the top left and towards the Picos that was a bit challenging (for me). And that’s because there’s a lot of traffic. Large tourist buses arrived, which made life difficult for several of us. But it really was a beautiful trip, so do not skimp on it. There are also restaurants up there if desired.

I work and travel, so it’s all been over for some time. And last time now here at Pentecost, where I returned here to get the last way up there.

I think it’s incredibly beautiful. And if you are into mountain driving, then I can highly recommend the experiences on these roads.

Picos de Europa (referred to daily as Picos). It is a mountain range that is part of the 300 km long Cantabrian mountain system that stretches across northern Spain from the Pyrenees in the west to Galicia in the east. Picos is Spain’s oldest national park and was created in 1918.

Above and below you can see a glimpse of the rides I have had. Of course, I do not drive that fast. It is recorded this way (Time Lapses)

Picos has the highest and very significant peaks of the mountain system, which is 2,600 meters above sea level and is actually less than 20 kilometres from the sea coast.

Picos de Europa means Europe’s peaks are an area the size of Bornholm (an Island in Denmark).

I sense the area is a paradise for people who love the outdoors, such as hiking, climbing, trail running, and cave exploration. And then me, who loves a walk with my camera and driving on some cool roads.

The campsite in the middle

I just have to share a few video moods from here. A little wonderful gem with many opportunities if you hike, climb, etc. The owner of the campsite spoke super good English. And he had some good overviews of where to hike.

On-site there was also a restaurant where I got lamb. It was really good. However, I did not like the beer. Whether it’s because it’s forever since I’ve been drinking something, I have no idea 😉

Fuente Dé – a windy experience

I took a lane up here as I do not have the ankle to be able to walk up there. But I have to admit, I’m a big fan of those tracks so you can hike on from there. On this trip, it got extremely windy, so I went down again, to make sure they did not close it.

Below you see a mood video I cut together afterwards from my day up there 🙂

A mix of photos from my time in and around the national park

Overnight at the church and the horses

This place by the church, the horses and the lake was a place I came back to 3 times as the place gave me a feeling of great peace. I have slept there for a total of 4 nights and I have slept mostly alone there, but also had the company of 3 other carriages one night. The birdsong here is wonderful. And there are black kites and goose vultures flying around here too.

There are actually bears, lynx and wolves in the area, but I saw no one 😉 I had a tour agency, but I did not manage to get on tour or in hiding. Perhaps some other time.

I want to move on. In approx. 3 weeks, then I return home to Denmark to give a speaks – and to see my family. Then I have a month to drive home. And I do not know the way yet 🙂

Rolling greetings from Spain
Anja

My adventure with Picos de Europa

The Pices de Europa is very magnificent and truly impressive. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever encountered in my months in Spain. I have a complete joy inside after this.