Picos de Europa and western Pyrenees

The oab_holiday great holiday rumination continues.

We’ve had a request from a younger oab to not fly and to go to Spain.

Northwestern Spain looks totes brilliant for us – hillwalking, MTB, road cycling, wild swimming and skate park(!). Likely a week in Picos de Europa/Cantabrian mountains, another week in western Pyrenees.

Ideally we could pay for a few days uplift somewhere.

We would self cater and have the car.

Thoughts, experiences, suggestions of where to stay and ride are welcome.

There will be lots of posts about Picos de Europa, it’s great. Weather can be tricky and with the proximity to the coast,  higher altitude hut to hut trekking isn’t to be taken lightly due to electrical storms

Somiedo national park further west is lovely. Anywhere we’ve been walking in the Cordillera Cantabrica has been fab

Inland is wilder, more interesting and less populated than the coast. The walk/cycle up to the Andara mountain refuge (very spartan when I last went – not like Alpine refuges) from La Hermida is dramatic (if it’s not foggy!). Plenty of other national parks available to the south. HTH.

Here’s a link to a very useful local website…..

https://cantabriaenbici.es/index-en.html

Been to both years back. One touring trip included the Picos. A great spot. On another trip we back packed from France into Spain and back. We passed through the Ordessa valley in Spain which was incredible.

So I think it’s a good shout. Will you be taking the Ferry to Spain? The sea life was amazing.

Pretty sure I have a Cicerone guide for Cordillera Cantabrica you can have for nowt if you end up that way.

Tbh, it’s been well over 20 years since I went to the Basque Country/Picos area. Memory is a bit fuzzy but the thing that stands out is cider, lots of cider.

I’ve always wanted to go back and visit Bardenas Real as well https://www.visitnavarra.es/en/bardenas-reales

http://www.vtopo.fr/blog/vtt-espagne-bardenas.html

Picos are stunning…as are the Spanish side of the Pyrenees….Ainsa seems a great place to be based (see the ‘Renovating a Spanish rural property’ thread..) I’ve no idea of uplift places but I bet Spekkie will know.

Buying and renovating a rural property on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees

https://www.trailforks.com/region/picos-de-europa/?activitytype=1&z=10.0&lat=43.18243&lon=-4.78941

5 Epic MTB Descents in the Spanish Pyrenees You Need to Ride Before You Die

Had a superb two weeks with the Mrs around Santander and Bilbao. Also had an amazing week with Basque MTB slightly further east. I’d happily go back there again, incredible food, cheap wine (more txakoli please!) and wonderful scenery. Oh and the beaches are amazing too. And the ferry ride to Santander is a great way to start a holiday (just make sure you get a cabin).

Great areas both. Fair bit of ground to cover is all I’d say. Done hols with teenagers in Ribadisella on the coast a few km from the Picos. Would recommend, loads of outdoor stuff plus quiet resort mainly for Spaniards. Foothills run to the coast and are really quiet, with really good gravel type riding.

North coast going east I only know a few surf spots and the big road, tho did a day of mtb some way along with basque mtb. Really good. Slippy limestone and light drizzle reminiscent of the dales, tho with secret singletrack and low key trail building.

Bilbao’s a must. Guggenheim, Mundaka, town. And St Sebastian is a great beach city and works as a base for the western Pyrenees. Mmmm pinchos… Marginal preference these days for the French side of the border, largely language related. Love the basque country. Could write loads about all the above as others doubtless will…

A resounding positive reply.

Plan is the ferry, and not yet settled on quite where yet. I’m thinking one week further inland (ish) and one week on north side of Picos.

… good surfing all along the northern coast of Spain as well.

Picos are brilliant and accessible for hiking with a cable car (Fuente De) gets you right into the peaks and the Bulnes funicular which takes you up to some lovely upland meadow areas. Nice drive up to the Covadongo lakes too.

Lots of interesting history too. We are big fans.

Are you getting the ferry over?

Picos – extreme gravel. Easy but terrifying in places…

did 3 weeks with the family in 2008 – ferry to Bilbao – camped and drove across to Santigao and back over the 3 weeks stopping a various campsites – all good site – the sea – mountains – what’s not to like. Weather can be variable but nothing but a bit of rain

Stopped with these rentals, really secluded but still accessible for the coast. Some fantastic places to eat in the area too.

Inicio

I so want to go again – maybe next autumn

Can’t really add anything to the chat about the Picos (but they are highly recommended). If you’re in that area the nature reserve around Gernika and Gernika is worth a visit. And Bilbao. We stayed in a eco hotel near Guernica and in Santillana Del Mar. We then went to watch the Tour de France in the Pyrenees (including climbing the Tourmalet on TDF race day).

The “mini-cruise” ferry across the bay of Biscay was worth it for the whale spotting and other wildlife.

Do go, it’s an amazing region.

Walking, but how epic? If the family is happy scrambling the HRP between Pic Midi d’Ossau and the Vignemale gets my vote – walk up to a some summits along the way. The french GR10 is a slog which avoids the highest part of the range, the HRP is no more of a slog but more out there man. Carrying enough food makes for a heavy pack. It’s so weather dependant don’t plan on doing anything a particular day. Check out the weather forecast for the weeks you’ll be away and plan around that. The forecasts are pretty relaible a week to ten days ahead.

MTB: I’m another Ainsa fan because it’s so easy, just follow the signs. I’ve never done uplift though, they tend to be circular routes you just ride around. The Basque coast is also good but requires local knowledge to make the most of it. Doug of this parish runs basquemtb.

Road cycling. My favourite day out is Aubisque, Soulor and Tourmalet. Too many camper vans in season though so the dead ends such as Hautacam and Luz Ardiden when you get fed up with cars, camper vans and herds of motorcycles. Cols up from Tardets are all a lot quieter but make sure you have some big cogs at the back.

Wild Swimming. If you don’t have wet suits you’ll find the water gets colder the further west you go in Spain. My favourite spots are St jean de Luz because the Rad means you can still swim when surfs up and Zarautz.

Skate Park. Pau. 😉

Edit: to reply to above. Guernica is on the Compostelle route so I’ve walked through it twice – most pilgrims stop there with their bed bugs. The town is run by a hotel mafia. The youth hostel closes peak season to force people into hotels, even the people in the tourist office are apologetic about the town’s over-priced and frankly sub-standard hotels. Best find something out of town. A pity because we’ve found reasonably priced, clean hotels with friendly staff everywhere else in Northern spain.

There’s a gondola in the picos that allows you to take bikes on the first two runs of the day.

Make sure your tubeless sealant is topped up though. Those rocks are oooo so sharp.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/giRbowYHQkhmqbbq8

If only I could work out how to insert photos

There’s a gondola in the picos that allows you to take bikes on the first two runs of the day.

That’s Fuente De. Totally epic track descent to the north. I think the route back South is more mtb. Wonderful pension in Soto de Sajambre, with high plateau walking up in the mountain above, with managed refugio to stay in.

On the coast, Comillas has an excellent campsite, lovely beach and a nice town.

We cycle toured from Bilbao, into the Picos and back again (early 90s) – all very nice. We had some off-road route details from RSF but didn’t get round to much (quite wet in the mtns when we were there). Got it on the list to visit again with mtbs sometime.

The ferry can be a bit bumpy in Bay of Biscay. We’ve done over twenty North Sea / Scandinavia ferries and never had anything as rough as going to Spain. They had to slow to a crawl and face into the storm for half the night – anyone on a “mini cruise” wan’t allowed to leave the ferry in Bilbao before heading straight back 🙂

Fuente De. That’s it. Nice little campsite right next to it.

We’ve done the ferry three times now. Quite amazingly the bay of biscay has been like a mirror every time.

The food in that whole area is amazing. Oh how I love pinchos and a beer.

There’s lots of fun to be had on the river from Cangas de Onis to Ribadesella. Hiring a boat is easy and pre-Covid there were shuttle buses

Thanks all – ferry to be booked tonight, along with accommodation in for a couple of nights on coast near Santander, a long week at Potes and then near Geuernica for a few nights.

Tip: the ferry from Plymouth, although a longer driver for us by 40 mins, is actually many hours faster crossing than from Portsmouth. No idea why – faster ferry I assume.

Doug of this parish runs basquemtb

Used Doug’s services in 2010 when he was quite new – bigger operation now with more options. Stunning terrain for riding and he does uplifts to ease the climbing.

There’s lots of fun to be had on the river from Cangas de Onis to Ribadesella. Hiring a boat is easy and pre-Covid there were shuttle buses

That’s certainly true. I’ve done the Descenso Internacional del Sella Race twice. It’s a fantastic race and overall event. Quite over the top. The atmosphere is amazing with the train following the race and spectators wading in the river cheering you on.

https://www.canoeicf.com/noticies/sella-descent-once-again-proves-its-popularity

Did a road trip across Spain a few years ago with the US side of the family, flew to Barcelona for 3 days in city then got a rental car drove out to Pyrenees, stayed up the road from Ainsa nearer Ordessa for another 5 days, then onwards to Picos via a night in Logrono and an afternoon out in Pamplona, then 5 more nights in Bejes in the Picos, highly recommended AirBnB (used to be cheaper but its huge) up in a tiny village, just a bar and a bread van in the morning plus the stinkiest cheese shop I ever encountered, brilliant hosts, 5km in the mountains up a dead end road. If you wanted to ride from there it would have been great as the gravel started 200m up the road and went on and on up and over the mountains. Finally dumped the car in Santander and jumped on the ferry, however it was the roughest crossing I’ve ever been on, most were being within 1/2hr of leaving the port!!

Airbnb details of you want them.

Been back to Ainsa since riding but drove all the way down, worth it though and will go back to both again in the future.

and you have to try the cabrales cheese – it’ blue cheese peppery heaven

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabrales_cheese

Ideally we could pay for a few days uplift somewhere.

Do yourself a favour and get in touch with Doug at Basque MTB, tell him what you want, and let him take care of the details. You really won’t regret it.

can’t rate him and his crew highly enough

and you have to try the cabrales cheese – it’ blue cheese peppery heaven

Under no circumstances accept the sample of rotten sludge the old lady in the hardware store in Arenas pushes on unsuspecting tourists. Horrific.

These threads are always frustrating. Lots of STWers come up with some places that fit the OP’s declared wishes really well and then the OP completely ignores them.

csb came up with Comillas. I’ve walked the North Coast from Saint Jean de Luz to Ribadeo and Comillas is an excellent suggestion. I’ll add there’s some architectural interest with a Gaudi villa to visit. But no, the OP is going to stay somewhere near Santander – which is a bit like Portsmouth with better weather.

Lots of good mountain walking, MTB, gravel and road ideas presented in the Picos or Pyrénées, but the OP is going to Potes, why? Have you checked out the suggestions in the mountains proper, OP? Or the Basque Coast? or Ainsa (there’s an Autovia most of the way there so it’s not as remote as it would first appear).

Then there’s Guernica. The only reason you’ve ever heard of the place is because it got bombed so it’s like Heilbronn, Coventry or Royan; rebuilt. It’s just a dull town in rolling hills away from the sea and I think I already said dull. Bilbao on the other hand I can understand people visiting and finding interesting things to do and visit, I think most of us can name at least one in Bilboa, I don’t have any suggestions for Gernica and I’ve been there twice.

Take this badly or take it as an attempt to get you Googling all those suggestions up there.

I used to live in Guernica (I like it 🙂 ) – Where “near” to Gernika are you staying?

Do yourself a favour and get in touch with Doug at Basque MTB, tell him what you want, and let him take care of the details. You really won’t regret it.

can’t rate him and his crew highly enough

That’s essentially what I was trying to say, but done better.

I used to live in Guernica (I like it 🙂 )

I note that despite that you haven’t given a long list of things to do there. For my home town (which I’m not suggesting) I’d say – go kayaking or rafting at the woatersports center, swin in the 50m outdoor pool with a view of the mountains (27°C year round), indulge in the 100s of kms of marked MTB trails and ride to Lourdes on the chemin Henri IV, do a round trip over Soulor Aubisque on roadies, visit the chateau and Musée Bernadotte, spend a few hours in the skate park, have an apéro in a bar on the Boulevard des Pyrénées, buy some Jurançon at the Cave Cooperative, scramble up Pic Midi d’Ossau… .

Now you do Guernika. 😉

@matt_outandabout I used the Plymouth ferry for the first time this year and it seemed to take a lot longer to clear the port than from Portsmouth and that wasn’t due to Covid but rather the capacity in the port for the ferry.

To be fair Gernika is a better place to live than visit.
But…
There are a lot of marked MTB trails.
eg https://www.urdailife.com/ruta-en-bici-urdaibai-bermeo-forua/
Mountain bike centre
https://www.wikiloc.com/trails/mountain-biking/spain/basque-country/mendata

Officially based in Mendata, which is a village up the hill from Gernika ( I actually lived half way up in Ajangiz)

There’s plenty of water sports to be done in the area, the beach of Laida is close by, Mundaka is famous for it’s surfing.

The road riding is outstanding, just head on any road (aprt from Gernika to Amorebieta).
The forest of Oma is cool.
https://tourism.euskadi.eus/en/cultural-heritage/oma-forest/aa30-12375/en/
Bermeo is a lovely fishing village (and there are some nice descents into it)

Admittedly I’m describing what’s around Gernika, rather than the town itself. But the train runs thru there so it’s well connected.
As for Gernika itself, the Basque parliament is an impressive building. The bars and restaurants are good.
Market day is lively and during the summer there’s a good chance there will be a Fiesta of some kind going on.

Do yourself a favour and get in touch with Doug at Basque MTB, tell him what you want, and let him take care of the details. You really won’t regret it.

can’t rate him and his crew highly enough

I will – we just don’t want / cannot afford euro850 x 4 of us for a full week. We will be asking if they can do a day or two of uplift. That said, the main week is in the Picos and we plan on using pedals and the cable car…

To be fair Gernika is a better place to live than visit.

We are aiming for somewhere between Bilbao, Vitoria Gasteiz and some Basque MTB routes I have found around Donostia-San Sebastian. Mrs_OAB has found somewhere at Durango that exceeds what I had found in Gernika. Seems an area we will fall over some lovely days out.

Oddly, never spent much time in Durango. Seemed to just go through it, but it’s right at the base of nice mountains.

Don’t be put off by the above ^^ Gernika is at the very least a good base (IMO)

Have a look at …
Zarautz – good beach, nice walk to Getaria. Also, some good riding straight from there. Easy access to Donostia and Bilbao. – anywhere near the A8 motorway gives you access weverywhere really.

Hondaribbia – really nice town, right on border, but worth the extra hassle if you want to go West. Over the border is Bayonne. Also easy access to Pamplona and Navarra toward Ainso

Plentzia, on the Bilbao Metro line, great beach, nice town, good mtbing along the coast and local hills. English langiuage surf school. (I could hoook you up)

Lekeitio is half an hour from Gernika, very fond of that town.

I’m roughly equidistant between Ainsa and Cangas, both amazing areas and you can’t go wrong

Hey Matt, we took 3 weeks at the end of my wife’s mat leave a couple of Mays ago with our first boy at 11m.o. Toured down via the Loire for a night and a day to break the journey to our friends in Hossegor. Spent 5 days in Hossegor day-tripping, surfing, rainy day visit to Pau.

Then on to other main destination – Asturias. We stayed in a lodge/cabin in the hills above Arriondas.

https://www.rusticaltravel.com/villas/spain/northern-spain/green-spain/asturias/picos-mountains/at23

Arriondas is as good a base as any for a first visit, you’re within a short drive of the sea and the mountains It’s a decent sized town – with a very decent supermarket for that part of Spain. Lots of kayaking/rafting schools along the river(s) amazing scenery in every direction, views of the Picos de Europa from the house and garden. did some day trips on the bikes with littl-un in the wagon (some proper type 2 fun after we rode deeper and deeper into sketch, thinking it was about get easy round the next corner – it didn’t, we had to turn around and do it all backwards!)

Asturias Yoga Home Page

We drove up the standard entry road into the Picos NP and did a day hike on the plateau. Very lovely, but a better day was after a tip from the owner of the lodge to head to Ponga – the much less visited, slightly lower, arguably more beautiful park to the west of the Picos. Drove over, biked with the wagon, stashed them in some bushes, hiked to the top of a mountain with D in a sling. Absolutely stunning day.

Had a nice quid pro quo with the wife – she wanted yoga, I wanted biking. Spent 2 nights with Asturias Yoga. https://www.rusticaltravel.com/villas/spain/northern-spain/green-spain/asturias/picos-mountains/at23

The teacher, Simon, also rides mtb and took me for a show around his trails one evening. Bonus for me , as “my” treat was a day with Basque mtb. after we packed up from the Yoga place, we hiked a way up the Senda del Cares. Worth a trip if you’re near there.

The day with Basque mtb was mint – due to a quirk of low numbers and illness, I had the van and 2 guides to myself for the day. Lucky me!

San Sebastian was a great day out too. I’d advise skipping breakfast, and spending the day strolling round the city, with regular bar stops for Pintxos. And have a swim in the bay.

Got the ferry back from Bilboa – lucked out again with a millpond-smooth crossing the whole way.