Walking the Picos de Europa

Spectacular scenery. Excellent guide. Good accommodation with lovely view from dining room. Great food.

I was surprised how green "Green Spain" is. On landing I thought it looked more like Austria, and this resemblance persisted. It had been rainy before we went and the woodland paths were quite muddy. There are brown cows with cow bells (very docile) and a lot of goats (very friendly). Our week was hot and humid so on the last day we set off at 8am instead of the normal 9am. The area is very peaceful, but there are few way-marked trails so it was useful to have a guide. On the free day we chose to go to the coast. The beach at Poo (yes it is called Poo) is stunning - lovely soft golden sand and restaurants overlooking the beach. We were less impressed with Llanes - it is OK and the icecreams from the van the group are picked up at are superb (and huge! - save room for one) but given how nice the beach at Poo is we would probably spend more time there if it is a nice day. The hotel has a nice garden to sit out in with stunning views of the mountains (sometimes hidden in mist, sometimes clear against blue sky). The hotel staff are very organised. The bar is a nice place to hang out after walks or before dinner. The food is very tasty. There is a small appetiser, a soup, a main and a pudding. Our only thought to improve this would be more vegetables with some of the main courses (e.g. the pork is the best ever - it is so tender - but it was served up with just one carrot along with Dauphinoise potatoes). Cutting out the appetisers would save a lot of work serving and washing up for what is a small thing. The beef curry bomb was very popular with the group - highly recommended! The prawn curry was a bit too fancy with a couple of whole prawns and my husband would have preferred a proper big bowl of prawn curry and rice rather than have to mess about dissecting his dinner. The hake with little clams on the last day was excellent. Every meal was very tasty and well cooked.

An excellent holiday with a lovely group in beautiful surroundings, and a very friendly hotel.

This is a fantastic opportunity to walk in dramatic limestone country. The routes are varied and not too challenging, the wild flowers amazing and the accommodation, food and staff first class. I have travelled with Exodus many times over the last 16 years and this is one of the best.

This turned out as a perfect holiday for me, the location, walks, guide, food and the harmony within the group were all excellent.

An inspiration week in stunning mountain scenery. Good accommodation, excellent guide and we had good weather to cap a wonderful week

This was an excellent holiday. The walks were well planned, the scenery was fantastic and the hotel is pleasant and relaxed with outstanding food. The only problem was that it was too hot.

I have just returned from an August trip walking in the Picos de Europa; I feel as if I have been on the top of the world! I very rarely give anything more than four stars but this trip really was five star from beginning to end. I had several reservations whether I could manage the ascents, as coming from the Chilterns I am used to a few hills, not steep mountains. But our guide, Alvaro, was outstanding, and really sensitive to the needs of the whole group - and I made it to the top every time! Sometimes he led from the front and sometimes, where appropriate, he let the faster walkers go at their own pace and ran between the front and the back of the group to make sure we were all ok and felt supported...and all this whilst carrying up to 10 litres of water in case we ran out. His passion and enthusiasm for the area were infectious and it really is a spectacular area to walk in. The food at the hotel was excellent, especially the evening meal which was a four course affair, beautifully served and with a good range of choice for the mains. The hotel owners Jim and Pilar and their staff are all very friendly. We were blessed with great weather which certainly helped and my fellow walkers were a great bunch. As always with Exodus, single travellers should have no reservations about coming on their own.

Based in Arenas de Cabrales, known as the gateway to the Picos de Europa, a group of 15 explored the region which offered a varied terrain through forests, shepherds paths, green valleys, a gorge, river paths as well as being among limestone peaks. There was beautiful wild flowers such as orchids and blue thistle as well as wildlife where we spotted griffon vultures, chamois, brightly coloured butterflies as well as cows with their bells clanging around their necks. The Hotel Torrecerredo was our base for all our days walking. It's a small family run hotel with staff that went above and beyond to make our stay a welcoming and memorable one. The restaurant served delicious traditional 4-course meals and the bar stocked all our post walk requirements at very affordable prices. Five minutes from the hotel is the village Arena de Cabrales. This is a picturesque village which offers many bars and restaurants offering tasty meals and a few souvenir and outdoor shops as well as local produce shops selling their famous Cabrales cheese.

The tour is brilliant, book it. The hotel is lovely, all the staff were very helpful and owners not only speak English but were Leaders themselves so they know all about the walks and the area. The hotel food was excellent and there is a drying room, and washing line, so you can wash/dry clothes and boots. My room had a bath and a shower, heaven after a long days walk. Magnificent views from the South facing pretty garden terrace ( and the bar and restaurant) and drinks very reasonably priced. Guide , excellent, knew the mountains very well, even when covered with snow! Very reassuring. Long walks but very quiet, we hardly saw anyone each day, which was lovely (apart from Carres Gorge - take a hat as no shade) we were well off the main “highway” fantastic views every step. And no hidden costs as a full breakfast, packed lunch provided and a 3 course evening meal.