One of the reasons I moved to the region of Asturias in Northern Spain was for its incredible hiking along the coast and mountains.

Since moving here, I try to do a route every weekend. Here are some of my favorites day hikes:

Routes in Natural Parks

Picos de Europa

• Lagos de Covadonga

This is the quintessential hike for anyone visiting Picos de Europa. The park is Spain’s first and oldest national park and celebrated its 100-year anniversary this year. The path around the two lakes, Lago Enol and Lago Ercina, has easy routes for even inexperienced hikers. Check out the lookout point between the lakes for spectacular views.

• Majada de Belbin-Minas de Bufarrera-Lago Enol

This hike starts at the same point as Lagos de Covadonga but takes you toward abandoned mines and then a cluster of huts which are used to store the region’s famous cheeses as well as wool from the flocks of sheep that roam the mountains.

Cheese is kept in caves for months in order to get it ready to sell. You can find horses along the path as well as local shepherds who are helpful and friendly. We hiked off the path and explored some caves which were once part of the mines.

Somiedo Natural Park

• Valle de Lago

This hike is especially fascinating because of the small earth-roof huts called tietos which you will find along the trail. These houses were used by a group of people called vaqueiros for storage and shelter.

You will pass by several of these huts or brañas along the way before making it to a stunning lake with a house overlooking the water. You can continue on to a second lake, Lago de Saliencia which is only a few hours’ hike.

• La Peral a Villar de Vildas

This hike starts in the charming mountain town of La Peral which also features tietos and ends at a peak. There are several routes you can take around this area which is particularly beautiful in winter after a snowfall.

Depending on how heavy it snowed, you may not need snowshoes, but it is a good idea to bring sturdy, waterproof shoes and hiking poles if you have them.

Las Ubiñas-La Mesa Natural Park

• Camino Real del Puerto de la Mesa

This route is found on the border of two natural parks in Asturias: Somiedo and Las Ubiñas-La Mesa. You can leave the initial path for a bit and explore around the tietos, but it is a bit of hike down.

Easy Routes

If you want something easier, suitable for kids or feel like eating well:

• Ruta de las Xanas

Named after the Asturian mythological water nymphs, Las Xanas, this route is perfect for families, children and beginning and experienced hikers alike. You will see multiple waterfalls that help give the path its name as well as quaint mountain towns and rocky cliff sides.

Most people end the route with a large meal at Casa Generosa, which offers all the Asturian favorites: la fabada, el pote, morcilla, sidra and arroz con leche.

• Ruta de Alba

This fun and scenic route is another family favorite found in the natural park Redes.

It’s easy enough for children but still worthwhile for more experienced hikers who want to chase waterfalls and explore nearby mountain towns.

If you want to explore the coast:

• Luanco to Candás

This is a route you can easily access by bus from either Gijón or Oviedo. In Oviedo, there is a bus that goes to Luanco every hour. In Gijón, every 30 minutes. You will start in Luanco which has a small but interesting maritime museum and continue along the Senda Costera to the seaside village of Candás.

It’s a short, but beautiful hike. If you have more time, you can begin at the lighthouse at Cabo Peñas which is past Luanco and is situated on the northernmost point of Asturias. If you don’t want to hike all the way out to the cape, the path from Luanco to Candás is lovely and goes all along the coast as well as through a patch of forest.

In Candás, you can visit an art museum and see a seaside sculpture garden as well as try some of the best ice cream in Asturias and a baked sweet called marañuelas that both villages are famous for.

• Bufones de Pría

This route is great because you can take advantage of it even on a wild and windy day. The area has deep holes which spray up mist when the sea is rough. It looks like a geyser and the holes make deep rushing sounds which sound like waking dragons.

The route takes you past beautiful beaches and cliffs including the beach Cuevas del Mar which has small caves on the shore and is a popular spot for rock climbing.

• Gijón: Ruta La Ñora

This is another route you can access by bus as it begins at the beach right in front of Gijón. The route is all along the coast and it is impossible to get lost.

You will pass by several outdoor art installations and take in views of the city and ocean. It’s definitely a trek there and back but you can rest and take a swim at one of the many beaches along the way.

To explore near the Camino del Norte:

• Cercanias del Cielo

This is an easy hike that allows you to explore near the Camino de Santiago, known in English as the Way of St. James. It begins in the storybook village of La Vega and goes up to a small peak, taking you through rolling hills and tall trees. The route offers impressive views of Picos de Europa in the distance and if you go in autumn (or seronda in Asturian) you may stumble across Asturians harvesting mushrooms who are happy to chat about their findings.

If you want to have a snow day:

• Puerto de Marabio

After a snowfall, this route is a bit more difficult to access. We had to drive as close as possible until the road was shut down and then hike an additional 5 km to the beginning of the route.

Once there, we hiked for a bit more until using our snowshoes to complete the route. If you don’t own snowshoes (raquetas in Spanish) you can rent them along with hiking poles at outdoor stores such as Decathlon.

This was my first trek in the snow with raquetas and although it was tiring to move through the deep drifts, it was incredibly rewarding to see the entire countryside bathed in white.

If you want to chase waterfalls:

• Cascada y Molino del Pímpano

This route is cool because although it’s not much of a route (you walk right up to the waterfall) it features a spot that was in an Asturian film called Bajo de la Piel de Lobo starring Mario Casas.

The film was directed by promient Asturian filmmaker Samu Fuentes and is like a modern day retelling of Beauty and the Beast but without the love story and Stockholm Syndrome. Before you get to the main waterfall, you will see a mill with a small waterfall.

• Cascada de Méxica

A slightly longer hike that offers views of the gorgeous Méxica Falls which are higher than Pímpano.

• Cascada’l Tabayón del Mongallu with Robles Llanu’l Toru

This waterfall is situated in the mountains and on a warm day, you can bathe in it. We went in winter so we had to sludge through snow, but it was still worth the hike.

Afterward, we doubled back and did a short hour trail to see the Robles Llanu’l Toru. These are enormous 100-year-old oaks which were struck by lightning but have been contributing to the forest ecosystem ever since.

Upcoming Routes

These are the main day hikes I have done since moving to Asturias. It’s important to note that while autumn and summer are a beautiful time to hike in Asturias, I did many of these routes during the winter and early spring had no problems with weather conditions.

For information about hiking the Camino del Norte in the Basque Country, as well as Cantabria and Asturias.

I will also feature a longer post on coastal routes and beaches in preparation for summer.

Thanks as always for reading and please reach out with any questions!