A “Walking Holiday” in the Picos de Europa, Northern Spain

Enjoy a week long mountain hiking tour from town to town in the beautiful Cantabrian Mountains of northern Spain, i.e., the Picos de Europa. All your gear is transported from hotel to hotel, so all you carry is a day pack. Also provided are comfortable hotel accommodations, transportation, outstanding food and wine, and excellent company. The Picos de Europa are the western extension of the Pyrenees mountain chain. Although lesser known, they are spectacular in their own right, ranging from rugged and alpine to deep limestone canyons, and almost always within sight of the Bay of Biscay to the north. This tour is ranked as "Level 2", which means about "5-7 hr walks. Paths generally good but may be steep in parts. Height gain between 300 and 600 m (i.e., 900-1800 ft). Averages 400 m (1200 ft). Distances between 12-18 km (7-11 mi)." In my experience, the walking pace is comfortable and everybody regardless of experience, was able to keep up.

The hiking tour is organized by Pico Verde walking holidays <http://www.picoverde.com>, a small independent company based jointly in northern Spain, and near Manchester, England. Tour guides are Kate Threadgold and Barry Daniel, who are both extremely knowledgeable about the local terrain, history, culture, and people, and genuinely pleasant people to be around.

This tour option is a pre-scheduled event by Pico Verde, first come, first served (16 max).

Cost for the one week tour, including local transportation, accommodations, and meals, is 860 British Pounds (currently $1460); single room option is an additional 80 Pounds (currently $130). The amount in USD fluctuates with the exchange rate with pounds.

Participants must sign-up and pay through the tour company directly <http://www.picoverde.com>, but we can try to coordinate our travel plans there and back.

The tour begins in Bilbao, Spain, providing additional opportunities to explore the Basque country, with possible side trips to the famous Bilbao Guggenheim Museum, Guernica, the subject of Picasso’s famous mural, and Basque fishing villages such as Mundaka and San Sebastian. Madrid is also not that far away, and may lie on your flight itinerary. Barcelona is a bit farther, but could be worth the extra effort.

Airfare and transportation to and from Bilbao are not included in the tour price. Published roundtrip airfares from Houston to Madrid are ~$1100. However, less expensive options may be possible through London and elsewhere.