Six Mountain Hikes In Spain
There are so many different mountain hikes in Spain, that it would take a complete book to fully detail and collect all of the options offered by the geography of the Iberian peninsula.
This article briefly describes some of these hikes. Each one stands out for its special characteristics, degree of difficulty or risk, its beauty and aesthetic component, and historical significance. Additionally, all of them will have some particular interest to those who wish to explore the nature of the mountains.
Six mountain hikes in Spain
The Caminito del Rey
In the province of Malaga, you will find the Guadalhorce river. Along the river, there is a particular path called the Caminito del Rey, named after a visit made by the monarch Alfonso XIII, in 1921.
The path was built for a practical use. In the first two years of the 20th century, the Sociedad Hidroeléctrica del Chorro created the walkway in order to give its workers a path through which to transport materials to work sites.
Its particular, the dangerous footbridges are popular with hikers and they make up a large part of the route. These bridges make up around three of the total five mile distance. It takes between three and four hours to cross them in a one-way trip. Additionally, you can complete the return trip via buses that offer this service.
The Caminito del Rey is one of the most famous mountain hikes in Spain, due to the challenge of crossing its flimsy footbridges. This activity is not for beginners.
The Galayos
This route is located in the Sierra de Gredos, in the province of Ávila, and is a favorite among veteran rock climbers, due to its steep elevations. The route’s final destination is Pico de Mira, which is 7,687 ft high. When you arrive there, it quickly becomes obvious that the effort will be worth it. This is thanks to the extraordinary views that await at the end.
The hike features around 40 granite peaks. The term galayo originates from an Arabic way of saying “bare rocks that rise in a mountain.” You can travel the route’s 6.84 miles, in around six hours, and you also have options to complete the route via a mountain bike.
The Carlos V Route
One of the best mountain hikes in Spain that will also allow you to recreate a historical journey, is the Carlos V Route. The hike replicates the crossing made by Carlos V of Germany through a route in Cáceres. In 1557, the monarch moved from Tornavacas and Jarandilla de la Vera, to the monastery of Yuste, where he lived for the last part of his life.
The route is beautiful, with a landscape full of monuments, rivers, and native vegetation. It is about 15.5 miles long and can be traveled across in around eight or nine hours, with some steep inclines for the more experienced hikers.
The Oma Forest
This is one of the most beautiful mountain hikes in Spain due to its artistic character. Located in the Basque country, this place is also known as the Painted Forest. Along the routes, hikers can see large trees that have been painted by the artist, Agustin Ibarrola.
The artist painted the trunks with strips of color and shapes. When you look at the paintings from a certain perspective, they form coherent sets. The result is 47 different figures. The forest is located in the Oma Valley, which you can reach from the Santimamiñe caves in Kortezubi.
The trail is full of abundant and beautiful vegetation. It is about 4.4 miles long and you can complete it in about two hours. Of course, this is not taking into account the additional time it takes to view and contemplate the beautiful tree paintings.
Peña Trevinca
In the province of Zamora is the Sanabria Lake, located in the national park of the same name. It is one of the largest in the Iberian peninsula.
This hike begins at the Laguna de los Peces and ends at the Peña Trevinca. The trip covers a total of 14.9 miles (round trip), and can be completed in around eight hours. This route is really only suitable for mountaineers with a lot of experience. You will thoroughly enjoy the imposing landscape, full of canyons, rugged valleys, and rural villages.
Cueva de los Chorros
The journey to the mouth of the Mundo river is another of the great mountain hikes in Spain. It is particularly worth a visit for those who consider themselves good hikers. The hike features an impressive grotto, more than 320 ft high, from which rain and snowfall cascade down. This is the Cueva de los Chorros.
The beautiful waterfall makes the effort worth it for whoever comes in search of it, via a route that is not very difficult to complete. It is only a 2.5 mile round trip, and is definitely worth the adrenaline you’ll experience while climbing steep inclines in complete darkness and traversing down narrow slopes.
You can complete this adventure in around two and a half hours of hiking. We do not recommend that you enter the cave farther than 490 ft, in order to avoid getting lost or hurt.