North Spain
Northern Spain has many outstanding walking areas and waymarked trails. Amongst walkers, the area is best known for the various pilgrimage paths (“caminos”) leading to the historic north-western town of Santiago de Compostela. The most popular of the caminos is the “Camino Frances” which, as the name suggests, makes its way to Santiago from the south-west corner of France. But there are other pilgrimage paths to Santiago, including one that follows the Atlantic coast north from Portugal and another that starts in San Sebastian and traces Spain’s northern coast to Santiago.
Also in north-western Spain is a cluster of spectacular mountains known as the Picos de Europa. These mountains are protected by a national park and many regard the park as providing the best walking in Spain. The limestone peaks, or picos, thrust upwards beyond 2500m and are sliced and riven by gorges, chasms and deep-sided valleys.
The Pyrenees run for 490 kilometres along Spain’s border with France. This extraordinary frontier mountain range delivers innumerable magnificent walks, including the epic GR11 that follows the entire length of the Pyrenees almost entirely on the Spanish side. There are a couple of segments of the Pyrenees that are particularly well-known to walkers - the section that runs across the northern border of the region of Aragon and the portion in neighbouring Catalonia.
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Some of the best walks in Northern Spain are set out below. Click the buttons for further information.
Picos de Europa walks
The three limestone massifs that make up the Picos de Europa are home to a multitude of magnificent walks, including the famous Cares gorge walk and the Jermoso traverse. Only 25 km in from the Atlantic coast, the massifs are jammed with soaring, jagged peaks and densely vegetated gorges.
Camino Frances
This is the most popular of the caminos to Santiago de Compostela. It covers about 790 kilometres from St Jean Pied de Port in south-west France to Santiago in far north-west Spain. One of the most famous pilgrimages in Europe and a singular opportunity to meet like-minded souls.
Camino Portugues
This route to Santiago de Compostela runs north from Lisbon, covering 620 kilometres. A popular shorter version involves starting at Porto. This reduces the distance to a more manageable 220 kilometres. The second most popular of the caminos to Santiago.⠀
Camino Del Norte
The longest of Spain’s caminos, this route to Santiago de Compostela starts from San Sebastian and follows the northern coast of Spain westwards. At 800 kilometres, not many undertake its full length but some of the most spectacular coastal segments are very appealing.
Gavarnie-Ordesa Circuit
A three/four day walk in the high central Pyrenees that includes sections in France and Spain. Notable features of this walk are the Breche de Roland, the Cirque de Gavarnie (a semi-circle of massive cliffs that rise from lush meadows) and the Ordesa Canyon.
The High Circuit
In the lakeland of Catalonia’s section of the Pyrenees is this 55 km trail that incorporates nine mountain refuge huts in a stunning National Park (Parc Nacional d’Aiguestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici). Can be undertaken with tour operator assistance.