The driest month is usually September although you should be prepared for occasionally cool conditions in the upper 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.

In May, June and October you should be prepared for occasional cold, wet mountain conditions.

Altitudes range from sea level to 2,300m. Summer temperatures range between 15° – 28°C.

How active?
The walks are reasonably strenuous but you walk at your own pace.The Picos are rugged, steep limestone mountains. The paths we use are generally well worn and comfortable although in the higher Picos there is often shingle. Walks involve some long uphill sections.

There are long distances on some days so you should enjoy hill walking to get the most out of this holiday.

How comfortable?
Small inns and hotels, twin/double en suite rooms.Your bags are taken for you from place to place.

How independent?
Completely independent but supported.Our transfer guide meets you when you arrive.

While you are walking you can relax knowing that support and help is a phone call away.We provide you with all the maps, walking notes and local information you will need.

Where do I fly to?
Santander: Ryanair has direct flights from London Stansted. 1.5 hour drive to Picos. This is your best option.

Asturias: Easyjet has direct flights from London Stansted. It also has indirect flights via Madrid from most places in the UK. 2 hour drive to Picos.

You can also fly to Bilbao with Easyjet or Iberia but the transfer is longer and may incur additional charges.

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 mountain conservation charity www.quebrantahuesos.org.

Pura Handmade Holiday

We have designed and deliver this holiday using our own people in Spain and carefully selected local suppliers to create this Self Drive holiday.

What makes our Picos de Europa different?

Diego Martín, one of our founders, lives and guides in the Picos. This holiday took him considerable time to put together, discovering the most interesting paths to walk between remote villages.

He still regularly maintains the trail.

You are looked after by a Pura team on the ground in the Picos and they are always on hand in case you need them.

Inn to inn holidays are probably the hardest itineraries to get right. Finding a series of good places to stay within a day’s walk of one another is difficult.

Making sure that the walks connecting them are all worthwhile is nigh on impossible. Having taken a great deal of time to create this holiday, we are confident that there are no compromises: all of the walks are first rate.

In addition, the route takes in the amazing variety of landscape which makes the Picos so special.Walk through meadows, forests, villages, valleys and into the highest peaks over the course of a week.

This route is exclusive to Pura Aventura so almost nobody else uses some of these paths. Each year our guides have to go through and clear sections of the way.

They also have to revisit the walking notes we produce as there can be subtle changes. For instance, after many years telling people to navigate one section by walking towards a large dead tree, the tree came to life and sprang leaves.

As well as detailed walking notes, we provide you with 1:25,000 scale maps which you should be comfortable to use as backup.

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 know the forecast in Spain, visit wunderground.

Pura’s Amazon shop

Find out 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, and want to be easy in your mind before you leave, book your train ticket or airport hotel now.

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 car traffic. Infocar provides good maps.

Trains

Whether your doing one of self drive holiday in Spain, have more information about train timetables and bookings.