Exploring Picos de Europa with Kids

Traveling with each of my kids alone is vastly different that traveling with them together.  A lot of times I like it better to be honest.  There is less refereeing to do, less competing interests, fewer blood-sugar crashes, etc.   It also provides a different kind of bonding opportunity when it’s one on one.  So I try to peel each of them off for quick trips whenever I can.  One of my favorite father/son trips recently was a road trip to the impossibly beautiful Asturias region of Spain.  Asturias is a rugged green paradise, battered by the cold Cantabrian sea to the north, criss-crossed by trout-filled rivers, echoing with cow bells, and home to mountains you might expect to find in the Alps.  It may as well exist in a different universe than Spain’s tourist-packed beaches to the South.  And to me and my son, it is heaven and one of our favorite places for hiking, fly fishing, and exploring.

Despite last minute planning, we got undeservedly lucky in terms of weather, festivals, fishing, and just stumbling into some breathtaking places.  But in the hopes of inspiring others to go, here are some of the highlights and suggestions on where to stay, what to do, and what not to miss.

Day 1 – Picos de Europa and the village in the sky

I had reserved a 4×4 but was given an electric mini Cooper with a shrug.  We made the best of it and drove fast from the Bilbao airport west along the coast towards Picos de Europa.  After a couple hours hugging a dramatic Big Sur-style coastline, you head inland, the road narrows and you start to climb.  Picos de Europa is not the Sierras or the Rockies, it’s more of a place than a mountain range.  There is an incredible amount to see and do, but you can map out an itinerary that lets you experience a lot of it in less than a week.  Our target for the night was Bulnes, a remote mountain village that is only accessible via a steep 2 hour hike, or since 2001,  via a diagonal train called a funicular that cuts upward through 2,200 meters of rock.  But on roadtrips in Asturias (and in Spain in general) you also just bump into amazing places you didn’t expect to find.  The first example of this was the Basilica de Santa Maria la Real de Covadonga.  It’s a Transylvania-style, pink hued, work of engineering and art that emerges out of mountain fog and actually takes your breath away.  On the adjacent valley wall, there is chapel that is carved into a sheer rock wall and sits above a waterfall.  We climbed up and were surrounded by muttering nuns (my son still talks about that).

We wanted to get to Bulnes early enough to explore so we pushed on deeper into Picos de Europa.  On the way we passed through the gateway town of Arenas de Cabrales and ate thinly sliced beef in olive oil at a sidewalk bar.  We watched several people try to corral an enormous white horse that had gotten loose and was running in the street.  

From Cabrales the road winds up the Cares river canyon, crossing back and forth over bridges where we would slow down to peer over into the fish-filled eddies below.  We parked at the base of the funicular and bought 2 round trip tickets for about 20 bucks each.  We were the only ones heading up.  

When you get to the top it’s hard to overstate how dramatic the setting is.  You emerge into a high mountain canyon with towering monoliths on all sides with their tops obscured in clouds.  It is impossible for a village to exist.  And yet Bulnes is there with great places to stay and eat along a small mountain creek. But the best part is if you walk past Bulnes the trail winds up to a separate area at the top that overlooks the valley below.  There you will find El Ceylon, an inn run by our new friend Alberto.  I highly suggest you stay and eat there.  And be sure to walk all the way to the end to have a beer at the easy-to-miss tavern and look back down towards the Cares valley.

Day 2 – The world famous Cares trail

We do a lot of hiking so I had heard of the Cares trail and seen pictures in magazines.  It’s about 14 miles out and back and a lofty 4.8 on All Trails. It’s also now one of my favorite hikes on the planet with competition in places like Nepal and New Zealand.   We scored it early spring and quiet, but it can be busy.  So time it well if you can.  It’s also a little sketchy with lots of options for your child to fall to their deaths, so it’s not a trail to mess around on.  But it was heaven.  Winding along the Cares gorge through tunnels, past goats, and ancient aqueducts with views that are sometimes hard to process.  I wasn’t sure my nine year old was going to be able to do the 14 miles and I kept assessing throughout the day if we should turn back.  But he did it.  He was wobbly by the time we back, but happy and full of memories. 

Day 3 – Fuente Dé and the gondola to heaven

After the Cares trail , we were wiped out and collapsed in a heap in the nearby village of Sotres.  It’s actually higher than Bulnes but you can drive to it.  We stayed at a casa rural with a very friendly host named Carlos.  The place is officially called Casa El Canalizu La Abeya, but everyone just calls it Carlos’ place.  I highly recommend it.  It’s funky, but in a good way, and the setting is stunning. There is a road beyond Sotres that heads up to the roof of Picos de Europa.  It dead ends at the remote village of Traviso, which is WAY back in time and worth the drive.  We wanted to get to the other side of Picos de Europa but you can’t really go that way. However, I could see on the map that there is a 4×4 road that connects across. I wasn’t sure if our mini could make it, but we decided to try.  We only got about a third of the way before it got too rocky and I decided we better turn back if I wanted our deposit back.  But the road was incredible and we plan to go back with a proper vehicle.  There is no one up there except wild horses.  We ended up making the hour drive on paved roads to Fluent Dé.

Fluent Dé is at the end of a long dead-end road that loops around the south side of Picos de Europa.  The Parador de Fluent De sits right at the base of a stunning rock wall. They probably shouldn’t have been allowed to build it there.  It’s nice, but you come for the setting and the gondola which is adjacent to the hotel and takes you up to some of the best views in Spain.

Day 4 – Fly fishing the Sella

Asturias is a world famous fly fishing destination and the world championships were held there in 2022. It’s hard to go wrong, but even so, in unfamiliar settings it’s always a good idea to book a guide if you can.  You learn a ton and almost always have better luck.  I highly recommend Asturias Mosca.  Carlos is from the region and knows everything there is to know about fishing its rivers.  He also brings amazing food.  We were chasing the large, beautiful speckled trout in the region, but the salmon fishing is supposed to be incredible between May and July.  That night we stayed at a one-of-kind casa rural at the top of a hill with view to the South of Picos de Europa.  The place is called La Montaña Mágica and it is just that.  The rooms have great fireplaces, porches that look towards Picos de Europa, and the place has a lot of animals and a great restaurant.

Day 5 – Easter on the Coast

After all this naturing, as a semi-conscientious father I felt obliged to at least do a little culturing on the trip.  So we headed to the coast.  On this trip we weren’t going to make it to Oviedo or Gijon, Asturias’ proper cities, but the nearby small costal towns of Llanes and Ribadessela were perfect. Both are are painfully picturesque, Ribadessela, in particular.  We happened to be there for Semana Santa, which is Spain’s week-long easter celebration.  In places like Sevilla, Semana Santa is a pilgrimage for tens of thousands and the city gets out of control. But in smaller towns you can experience some of the ritual processions without the crush of people.  We’re not religious but I have a deep respect for the tradition and the history, and it was amazing to experience the holiday in a setting like that.

Final thoughts

I’ve been on lots of road trips but this was one of my favorite.  Both for the experiences themselves, and the opportunity to see them through my son’s eyes.  We plan to go back soon to surf, visit Oviedo, and do more fishing.  It’s been a few months since the trip and looking back on it now makes me appreciate what a gift the time with him was.  Time is precious.  So grab a kid and hit the road!

(Gotta work while you travel?  So do we!  Check out our posts on parenting as digital nomads and our digital nomad essential gear guide)