FASTPACK THE PICOS DE EUROPA
NEW 2025 DATES COMING SOON
PRICE:
£1325pp
BOOK WITH A 10% DEPOSIT & PAY OFF IN SIX INSTALLMENTS
SINGLE ROOM UPGRADE: £65 PER PERSON *ONLY AVAILABLE AT HOTEL LAGOS NATURE
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EXPERIENCE OVERVIEW
This circular fast packing adventure has everything and more: rocky crests, gorges, lush valleys, vast glacial lakes, and leafy forests. There is no doubt that you won’t be amazed by what you find on our trail running journey.
Over the course of four days on the trail we’ll fast hike/trail run a remarkable journey through a landscape above the clouds, as we look to make a circumnavigation of the Picos de Europa in northern Spain.
We’ll experience the very best of what the Picos de Europa has to offer, by staying in high mountain refuges and covering rewarding daily distances, all the while by being surrounded by blissful lofty peaks. It has a self-support element to it whereby you will need to carry a small pack big enough for a change of clothes, your water and snacks.
INCLUDES
2 nights at the Vegadonda & Vegabano Mountain Refuge including breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner (bunk room accommodation)
1 night at a guesthouse in the village of Cain including breakfast (twin room share)
1 night at the Hotel Lagos hotel in Cangas de Onis including breakfast (twin room share)
Fully guided circumnavigation with 3 Pure Trails Guides
All transfers
4 days of fast hiking/trail running on blissful trails
Trails & Trees: with every booking, we plant a tree
SHARE THIS TRIP
ITINERARY
+ DAY 1: ARRIVE BILBAO. DRIVE TO CANGAS DE ONIS. HIT THE TRAIL TO VEGADONDA
+ DAY 2: FAST HIKE TO VEGABANO
+ DAY 3: FAST HIKE/TRAIL RUN THE VALDEON VALLEY TO CAIN
+ DAY 4: FAST HIKE/TRAIL RUN TO COVADONGA LAKES, VIA THE CANAL DE TREA. RETURN TO CANGAS DE ONIS
+ DAY 5: DEPART CANGAS AND FLY HOME FROM BILBAO
Would you like to talk to a Pure Trails team member to learn more about this trip?
OUR ITINERARY
WHERE WE STAY
HOTEL LOS LAGOS NATURE, CANGAS DE ONIS
In the charming town of Cangas de Oni the Los Lagos Nature is a pretty little boutique hotel located at the heart of a historic square.
The hotel is just metres away from all of the towns sights and is a perfect base for accessing the Picos de Europa.
The rooms are all beautiful, spacious and also makes for a relaxing stay after our journey.
VEGADONDA & VEGABANO MOUNTAIN REFUGES
Located high in the mountains and above 1,400m we will spend two nights of the journey in cosy mountain refuges.
The refuges are maintained and operated by mountain wardens and our stay will be in bunk bed formation where blankets and sleeping bags are available.
Despite being high in the mountains the refuges offer warm showers and hot meals, as well as jaw dropping 360 degree mountain scenery straight from the front door.
IMPORTANT NOTES
+ FLIGHTS
Fly to Bilbao airport (BIO). This airport is well connected to Europe with many direct flights daily.
Please aim to arrive in the morning as we have a group transfer scheduled to depart at 12:30.
Your departure flight will need to be booked leaving no earlier than 12pm.
+ THIS IS A FASTPACKING ADVENTURE, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
Fastpacking is simply travelling on the trail carrying your own bag with all of your belongings in it to suit a multi-day adventure.
There are almost no roads where we are heading, which means we need to be semi-supported in our approach. You will need to carry a running bag suitable to carry between 20 - 30L of luggage. This means travelling light with only the essentials (spare running gear, light sleeping bag, small tower, water, snacks...)
If are unsure just pop us an email and we'll go over this in as much detail as you need.
+ WHAT WILL THE TEMPERATURE BE LIKE?
In July we expect long, summer days with blue skies and lots of sun. Being above 1,000m should mean that daily temperatures are perfect for trail running, but it must be stressed that given our journey routes around the Picos de Europa, we need to be prepared for all weather with the possibility of rain and foggy conditions.
At night/early morning temperatures outside will dip, but these soon vanish as soon as the sun comes up.
+ VISAS
British, America, and Australian citizens can enter and remain in Spain for a maximum of 90 days in every 6-month period without a visa.
A visa is not required for other EU passport holders.
+ WHAT SHOULD I BRING?
We will send you a complete packing list in advance of the trip beginning so you are clear on what to pack.
+ WHAT FITNESS IS REQUIRED FOR THE TRIP?
This is a challenging adventure which involves 3.5 long days on the trail which involves long, steep ascents, as well as steep descents which are away from civilization. The trails we travel will at times reach higher altitudes up to 2,000m and follows rough and more difficult terrain.
This adventure is ideally suited for runners & fast hikers who can comfortably be on their feet for up to 4-6 hours per day. You need to have a good level of fitness and be able to move to distances up to 20km in a day, as well as cope with back to back days. As this is a fastpacking adventure it also means you will need to be able to carry your own bag up to a weight of 5kg.
+ WHAT IS THE TERRAIN GOING TO BE LIKE?
Fast hiking & trail running on this circumnavigation of the Picos de Europa involves four long days amongst remarkable mountain scenery.
One of the joys of the Picos de Europa is that fewer travellers outside of Spain generally visit which means we benefit from relatively empty trails.
Our route is very challenging and involves distances of approx. 15km per day which includes long ascents uphill (particularly on day 2 & day 4) up to 1400m, as well as steep downhill sections (as much as -1000m).
We can expect to be on our feet for anywhere between 4 - 6+ hours.
The terrain is amazing with a real mixture of lush green grasses, beech and virgin forests to the rougher limestone rocks that characterize the central and western Massifs of the national park. It's worth knowing the higher we go, the more techincal and rocky the trail becomes, but we take our time to ensure everyone is comfortable.
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