Spain is sculpted by extensive mountain ranges surrounding a high inland plateau and has nearly 6000km (3728 miles) of coastline. This extraordinary geographic interplay means that hikers can enjoy staggering natural tableaus along their routes, featuring rugged cliff edges, granite rock formations, snowcapped mountains, rushing rivers, glacial lakes, deep canyons, and turquoise-colored waters fringed by white sand beaches.
Additionally, Spain’s rich cultural heritage means that hikers are treated to ancient ruins, historical towns, old churches, and even random castles along the way. Below is a rundown of emblematic hiking routes that showcase the incredibly diverse beauty of this Iberian destination.
Peñalara
Best hike for viewing glacial lakes
14km (8.7 miles), 4 hours, intermediate
Just about an hour’s drive from Madrid, the Sierra de Guadarrama mountain range serves as the spectacular backdrop for the region’s most popular hiking routes. One of the most well-loved trails is the Peñalara circular route, which is accessed via the Puerto de Cotos pass in the mountain town of Rascafría.
This intermediate-level trek will take you to the peak of Peñalara, Madrid’s highest summit at 2428m (7966ft), gradually revealing its wondrous natural landmarks—amphitheater-like valleys and glacial lakes formed by millions of years of glacial erosion. The trail’s prominent lakes, Laguna Grande (Big Lagoon), Lagunas de los Claveles (Lagoons of the Carnations), and Laguna Chica (Small Lagoon), are part of the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park.
El Caminito del Rey
Best steep trail with archaeological highlights
8km (1.9 miles), 2.5 hours, easy
Translated to “The King’s Little Path” after King Alfonso XIII’s visit in 1921, this top tourist attraction in the southern Spanish city of Málaga is not for the vertigo-challenged. The trek takes you on a long, wooden bridge affixed to the jagged steep walls of the Gaitanes Gorge. Historically, this was a service route for maintaining the El Chorro hydroelectric plant and was once dubbed “the scariest walk in the world.” However, recent renovations have reinforced the walkway with protective steel fencing.
This easy, non-ascending trek rewards visitors with spellbinding views of the emerald green waters of the Guadalhorce River below. Along the way, you will encounter archaeological marvels, including Neolithic caves dating back 7000 years and Jurassic-era fossils embedded in the gorge walls.
La Pedriza
Best hike for rugged mountains
12km (7.5 miles), 3 hours, intermediate
The La Pedriza trail begins right at the town of Manzanares El Real, about 50km (31 miles) from central Madrid, close to the Manzanares upper river basin and on the southern edge of the Sierra de Guadarrama. This area, recognized as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, is characterized by rugged granite formations interspersed with gentle streams and churning waterfalls. The most famous pool, Charca Verde (“Green Pool”), is renowned for its deep emerald hue.
Cares Trail (Picos de Europa National Park)
Best hike for dramatic scenery
21.9 km, 6.5 hours, intermediate
Towering high above northern Spain are the iconic, cloud-grazing Picos de Europa (“Peaks of Europe”), encompassing Asturias, Cantabria, and Castilla y León, which offer some of Europe’s most breathtaking mountain views. These limestone summits form the dramatic setting for the Cares Trail, the most popular and emblematic route in Picos de Europa National Park.
Also known as La Garganta Divina (“The Divine Gorge”), the Cares Trail is a moderate route initially carved into limestone in 1916 to serve workers maintaining a water canal that powered the Camarmeña Power Plant in Asturias. Today, it is considered one of the most beautiful hikes in Spain, as trekkers zigzag along plunging ravines, crossing caged bridges and walkways that connect jagged mountain faces, all while enjoying spectacular views of the Cares River below and mountains rising 2000m (6562ft).
Camino de Santiago (French Way)
Best historic hike to retrace pilgrims’ footsteps
100km (62 miles), 7 days, intermediate to difficult
Walking the Camino de Santiago allows you to follow in the footsteps of 8th-century pilgrims who traversed this 500-mile stretch of northern Spain. For ten centuries, this tradition has attracted not just spiritual trekkers but also nature lovers and sports enthusiasts due to its majestic scenery. The route takes you from the Pyrenees mountains along the border between Spain and France, across rugged coastlines, lush forests, traditional villages, and vineyards, ultimately ending at the Basilica of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, where Saint James the Apostle is believed to be buried.
Traditionally, the Camino de Santiago starts in the town of Saint Jean Pied de Port in the Pyrenees, which is the most popular route; however, many pilgrims choose to begin in the Galician town of Sarria to walk the final 100km (62 miles) stretch of the French Way. This multiple-day trail takes you through the small towns of Portomarín, Melide, and Arzúa, across the Miño River—Galicia’s longest river—picturesque woods, and Romanesque churches. After a day’s hike, it is customary to mingle with fellow hikers, often while sipping albariño (traditional Galician wine) before getting a well-deserved night’s rest.
This article was first published on Sep 2, 2021, and updated on Sep 27, 2022.
