Holidays in the Picos de Europa, Spain

The Picos de Europa (Peaks of Europe) is a dream for any walker. The impressive limestone massifs of the Cantabrian Mountains form part of an immense wilderness, populated by brown bears, wolves and Iberian lynxes. The park spans several different regions and contains Spain's highest peak, Torre de Cerrado at 2648m, alongside several other mountains over 2000m high. The Cares Gorge at 1.5km wide is one of the largest in Europe and caves over 1000m deep have to be seen to be believed.

The park is best known in the climbing community who take advantage of its jagged peaks and sheer limestone cliffs, but it also provides excellent hiking and mountain biking opportunities. It is arguably one of the few places in Western Europe where you can feel completely in the middle of nowhere. A series of mountain refuges and well signposted trails make the park a haven for independent explorers but it is undoubtedly best appreciated on a guided trip, which will enable you to get closer to wildlife and some of the natural wonders in the park.