Trekking Ring of Picos de Europa 4 days

We offer you a trekking route during 4 days through the Picos de Europa mountains, also known as the Picos de Europa. We'll connect three different mountain shelters of the Western Massif of Picos de Europa. With this trekking route, we will pass by sheep pens where we might come across shepherds elaborating local Gamoneu cheese, hike up to the Senda del Cares trail, and by high mountain passages where the limestone turns the landscape into a true stone desert. We will spend the night in mountain shelters. It will be divided into 4 stages:

• Stage 1: Caín - Vega de Ario

From this inn we'll walk towards Caín, a village located in the depths of Picos de Europa and well-known entrance to the Senda de Cares trail. Once in this area, we'll see the stunning views of path artificially made by dynamiting the abyss. Then, we'll continue to Canal de Trea, the only ascent we'll face on the first day, which will prepare us for what is to come. This stage will come to an end at Vega de Ario where we'll find the first shelter and spend the night there.

• Stage 2: Vega de Ario - Vegarredonda

The second stage goes through a path used by local shepherds, a millennial job now coming to an end. Afterwards, we'll enjoy easy terrains as we come closer to Ercina lake, which we'll surround in order to get immersed in Palombreu mount, an area where boars and foxes are easy to be seen. Once the evening comes to an end, we'll see our next stop: Vegarredonda shelter, where a warm bed will be waiting for us.

• Stage 3: Vegarredonda - Vegabaño

We'll move to another autonomic region: León. We'll reach an ascent as soon as we start the route looking for Collado de les Merines, the hardest part of the day, from where we'll go through a moon-like landscape full of aridity, it will remind you fo a stone desert. The greenish Vegahuerta (at Peña Santa de Castilla's feet) is the only vegetation you'll be able to see. Luckily, as we come closer to a more favourable terrain we'll find Vegabaño forests. This is the place where the last shelter will welcome us.

• Stage 4: Vegabaño - Caín

We've left the simplest stage for the end as the last day is always the hardest. However, the terrain we'll go through is plain and the stage shorter before we arrive at Valdeón Inn. We'll head towards Puertos de Dobres, from where we'll descend to the inn. This is the place where this amazing experience comes to an end, an adventure that will probably bring you lovely memories for years. Moreover, you'll be able to get to know better the stunning landscapes of the Picos de Europa National Park.