Walking Cares Gorge and the Picos de Europa
Listed under Walking in Asturias, Spain.
The Picos de Europa are limestone range dominated by three tall peaks and are a great place to walk for the scenery, wildlife: including wolves and bears, the regions traditional villages and the variety of routes on well kept trails.
The Cares Gorge walk starts inauspiciously in a carpark above a hydroelectric plant which is fed by the gorge's floods.
The beginning of the walk is uphill but as you climb you get a view of the valley slipping deeper and deeper beneath you into the spectacular gorge. The rest of the trip is downhill and the bridge crossing one of the gorges tributaries provides an excellent photo opportunity.
The end of the walk crosses open fields before passing underneath the dam and up to a grassy plateau with several places to eat and drink. The return trip follows the same path.
Written by 
William Mackesy.
Comments, reviews and questions by other travellers
How close it it to Cudillero
I'll be staying in Cudillero - how far is it from there? Thanks,
Walking the Cares Gorge
It is an absolutely stunning walk, no doubt about it. It does get really quite busy though and the parking can be a nightmare. If you are there during July or August make sure you get to the trail head early, turn the car around and park facing downhill. If you can, avoid Sundays pretty much from May to October as it will be a bit or a lot busier. Early on a Monday you'll have the place more or less to yourself and there's not much more beautiful than that!
Bear in mind that you can walk as far as you like before turning back. After the first uphill section you start to head gently down into the gorge but more or less the walk is flat. The views change with every twist and turn as the gorge closes in. The return is along the same path but the views are totally different and quite spectacular. So, even if you only want to walk for a couple of hours, do it.
Who's been here
Similar Experiences
Southern Alps via the Milford Track
Southern Alps, South Island, New Zealand. This vast area includes Mt. Cook, where Hillary trained for Everest, as well as the…
Nakasendo Trail
During Japan's feudal period the Nakasendo Trail linked Kyoto and Edo (now Tokyo) via the mountains, rather than the Pacific co…
Walking in the Annapurna Region
This is probably the best long distance trek in the world, no doubt. The terrain, culture and scenery are constantly changing, …
Nearby Experiences
Riding in 'green' Northern Spain
Visit 'green Spain', the sharply rising regions of the foothills jutting towards the jagged limestone of Picos de Europa for th…
The Picos de Europa National Park
This is my favourite mountain area in Europe and sits comfortably high in my top ten around the world. The practical bit: …
Santillana del Mar
This small Spanish town flourished in medieval times. The Collegiate Church Cloisters of Santa Juliana and the Regina Coeli Mus…
Hi william. Nice reviews. It would be useful to put the length of the route/timing on your review. Also worth mentioning that if you do the walk in summer, the HIGH TEMPERATURES means it is ESSENTIAL TO GO PREPARED AND CARRY WATER. There are frequent rescues (or worse) when people walk without being suitably equipped. There is no where to get water on the route and in summer the heat can be tremendous!
1 Reply
Thanks for the warning - that's gonna be a lot of extra weight to carry!