Learn more about what to expect on this family adventure holiday in Spain including when to go, how to get there and how comfortable you can expect to be.

Itinerary

Photos

Dates & prices

Holiday info

Video

Further information

When should we go?
Any time of year between April and October.

The Picos mountains are situated on the central north coast of Spain, “Green Spain” so you can expect cool and wet conditions at any time of year.

The warmest & driest months are July-Sept (15° – 28°C). You should still be prepared for occasionally cool conditions in the high park, and the chance of rain at any time.

May tends to be showery but is also one of the most beautiful months to visit, with snow in the high park and meadows full of spring flowers.

October is changeable but benefits from the beautiful autumnal forests and is often hot and sunny.

How do we get there?
There are several options in addition to flying you have ferries to Santander & Bilbao, trains and driving are also options.

For train routes see the fantastic Man in Seat 61 website: www.seat61.com

The best flights are to Asturias (1hr from the Picos): Easyjet has direct flights from London Stansted or you can go via Madrid.

Alternatively Ryanair has direct flights to Santander (1.5hrs to the Picos) again from London Stansted.

Several airlines fly direct to Bilbao (2½hrs to the Picos).

How active?
Entirely up to you. Our guide will adapt to weather conditions but we assume that you will be walking, biking and canoeing as well as possibly canyoning.

Walking in the Picos means rugged, steep limestone mountains. The paths we use are usually well worn and comfortable. In the high Picos there is often shingle.

Canyoning is great fun in a rough and tumble sort of way. But it is expertly supervised and no experience is needed. Don wetsuit, harness and helmet (provided) and drop down into the stream and make your way back down to the bottom by negotiating the river bed. This can include abseiling down a waterfall, jumping into pools, sliding down slippery rocks and swimming.

Canoeing is in two person open canoes. All equipment, wet suits, life jackets, etc are provided. Before entering the water, we have a safety/instruction lesson from our local partners. We generally paddle the Deva River – short sections of rapid, some obstacles mid-river but generally wide.

Cycling for this holiday we take a steady ride along the coast from where you can see the high mountains. The ride is largely on wide trails with some paved sections and some single-track. You should be reasonably confident on a bike to enjoy the ride.

How comfortable?
You stay in three hotels over the course of this holiday all in different parts of the Picos de Europa mountains.

The first is just to the north-west of the main Picos mountains. This gives you access to the northern and western sides of the mountains as well as being within striking distance of the coast.

Your second hotel is a comfortable but fairly simple 16 room inn high on the side of the Liebana Valley to the south-east of the mountains.

Your final hotel is a comfortable small hotel in a village near the coast of the Picos which is ideal for time at the beach to relax.

How independent?
With your own car, you’re completely independent and flexible but with support available if you need it. Spend two full days with a Pura guide during your holiday.

We provide you with all the maps, walking notes and local information you will need.

How responsible?
Pura Aventura is passionate about the places it visits.
To help preserve the integrity of these destinations we:

• Work directly with local businesses and organisations to directly benefit local economies. We use small, locally owned hotels and restaurants.

• Work with local guides so that our holidays are more interesting for clients and more beneficial locally.

Pura Aventura actively supports the Spanish mountain conservation charity www.quebrantahuesos.org

Pura Handmade Holiday

This self guided family adventure holiday is part of the Pura Aventura Handmade range and is unique to us.

What makes this family holiday different?

We have designed and deliver this active family holiday using our own people and carefully selected local suppliers to create a Pura Handmade holiday.

The beauty of a family self drive holiday with Pura Aventura is your independence to choose what you do every day.

As well as the magnificent natural beauty of the Picos de Europa region itself, it makes a perfect environment for a family holiday with a difference.

There’s a huge variety packed into a small area…

• Quiet sandy beaches set in rugged bays perfect for relaxing and exploring;

• High mountains for walking, exploring and sightseeing. Depending on how energetic you feel, you can walk, drive or take the cable car up.

• Valleys, gorges and rivers for walking, cycling, and water-based activities from gentle canoeing to canyoning.

• Charming towns and villages rich in Asturian history, culture and cuisine.

All in all, we think that the Picos make a wonderful setting for an active and comfortable family holiday with plenty of variety to offer something for everybody.

What is a Pura Self Drive Holiday?

At the heart of the concept is an independent holiday with the guesswork taken out.

What is included?

What Pura do is book your cars and hotels so that you have the basic structure of your holiday set out. We then give you the information to fill the days in a way that suits you best. That means that you travel with detailed information about the areas you are visiting. This ranges from advice on the best beaches, market days, our favourite restaurants, what to do on a rainy day, etc.

You also have a series of walking scale maps with our own walking notes. You will invariably have more walking notes than days to walk so you can choose which ones to do and which ones to save for a return visit.

To help you make the best choices, at the start of your trip you spend a full day with a Pura guide.

How tailored is it?

Here in the UK we tailor the itinerary to your needs as closely as possible. Of course, once you are actually on holiday you can choose to stick to the letter of the itinerary or change it as you go along.

Your Pura guide also helps you map out the best possible holiday according to weather forecasts, local festivals, your energy levels, etc. They can also help you make any calls you need to book optional activities. Think of it as a bit of fine-tuning. Freedom and flexibility without the guesswork.

What about the cars?

The cars we book for you are good sized cars. Because you are generally going into mountain environments, we make sure that the cars are suitably powerful.

And hotels?

The hotels we use are generally small and family run. The standard varies from luxurious, boutique style to simple, comfortable rustic type places. Rooms are en suite.

We always believe that when you wake up you should know where in the world you are so we place character, location and comfort at the top of the list. If you want uniformed staff, look elsewhere!

Useful Links

As you already know, Pura Aventura is dedicated to safe and responsible travel. The links below provide useful content and more information about Spain. Please call us of any special requirements on 01273 676 712.

Country Information

FCO

The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office provides useful travel advices on Spain.

BBC News

BBC News provides useful information about Spain. Read more about it.

Official Government website

Find out more about Spain, by visiting its official governement website.

Prepare your holiday

Health

Before you go on your holiday to Spain, please ensure you have the correct vaccinations. Check out the NHS website for advices and visit your GP or a travel clinic.

Currency Exchange

For the latest information on the €uro currency, visit the ICE website.

Weather

To check the weather in Spain, visit wunderground.

Pura’s Amazon shop

See our own Spain selection in Amazon.co.uk for a wide range of travel essentials, such as books, gadgets, clothing, etc. in preparation for your upcoming holiday.

Train ticket

If you are leaving from the UK, you may want to book things like train tickets or airport hotels.

Flight deals

Find the best flight deals for your holiday to Spain with Kayak, Expedia, Vayama and Opodo.

Maps

If you are going to one of our Spain self drive holidays you will perhaps need to know more about the traffic. Infocar provides good maps.

Trains

If you are looking to travel to the Picos by train, find out about train timetables and bookings.