Hiking Spain: The Camino De Santiago and Beyond

Caminito del Rey

Spain, well-known for its diverse landscapes, soaring Pyrenees and sun-kissed Mediterranean coast, is also the second most mountainous country in Europe. Although the most well-known, the Camino de Santiago is just one of the many hiking routes the country has to offer. With 60,000km of signposted paths to explore and 16 different National Parks, hikers are spoilt for choice. Here as some other soul-stirring suggestions:

Ruta del Cares

Nestled amidst the Picos de Europa National Park, spread across the provinces of Asturias, Cantabria and León, this breathtaking trail takes hikers through “Divine Gorge”, offering a challenging yet rewarding adventure. Arguably Spain's most beautiful hiking trail, visitors will traverse valleys surrounded by mountains over 2,600m in height.

GR11 – Senda Pirenaica

To experience the beauty of the Pyrenees, travellers can take the GR11 trail along the Spanish/French border. The entire trail is a 400km long stretch from the Cantabrian Sea to the Mediterranean, but is broken up into 46 different sections, so hikers need not complete the entire trail to experience the beauty of this imposing mountain range.

Caminito del Rey

For adrenaline junkies, this trail in the province of Malaga is a must-try. Placed precariously along the cliffs of El Chorro Gorge, the "King's Little Pathway", offers jaw-dropping views and an exhilarating experience. The 8km walk takes approximately three to four hours.

Mt Teide

Mt Teide

At 3,718m high, Mt Teide, on the Canary Islands' island of Tenerife is Spain's tallest mountain. There are two options to ascend this volcano – the first is a challenging trail that takes approximately six hours, while the second is the easier option by cable car, followed by a short walk along the Telesforo Bravo footpath.

Spain is fast becoming a hiking mecca and a series of hiking festivals take place across the country each year to celebrate this passion, allowing fellow hikers to unite and share their love of adventure travel. In the Canary Islands, the festivals of the islands of Tenerife (usually held in May), La Palma (usually in October) and Gran Canaria (also in October) are fairly well known. The “Marbella 4 days walking” festival is another one of the most popular events and takes place every October.

For more information or inspiration visit www.spain.info/en/ or follow @spain on Instagram. 

* Natalia Sarmiento at Natalia.SarmientoGarcia@tourspain.es
* Rachel Jones at rachel@thisishelm.com.au