Trips & tickets
From Oviedo along the Cares river to Poncebos, the funicular up to Bulnes village beneath the Picu Urriellu, then a Cabrales cheese cave and tasting.
Through the Hermida gorge to the monastery of Santo Toribio and the village of Potes, with an optional cable car ride into the mountains.
A guided day to the glacial lakes of Covadonga, the basilica and holy cave, and Cangas de Onís, finishing on the coast at Lastres.
The full GetYourGuide listing for the Picos de Europa — cable car trips, Covadonga lake tours, Cares gorge walks and 4x4 tours, with live prices.
The Picos de Europa span three regions of northern Spain, and each side has its own highlight: the Fuente Dé cable car in Cantabria, the lakes of Covadonga in Asturias, and the Cares gorge walk between them. They are far apart by road, so most visits focus on one.
Around those sit 4x4 tours, guided walks and day trips from Santander and Oviedo. These pages compare the options and help you choose a side.
Plan it properly
Visiting the Lakes of Covadonga in the Picos de Europa: the 2026 road closures, the bus from Cangas de Onís (3,000 passengers a day), Lakes Enol and Ercina at 1,070 and 1,108 m, easy walks, the basilica and Holy Cave, and Cangas de Onís.
A guide to the Cares route (12 km each way from Poncebos to Caín), its history, how hard it is and how long it takes, the Bulnes funicular (€17.61 one way, 7 minutes), the Naranjo de Bulnes at 2,519 m, and Cabrales cheese caves.
A guide to the Cantabrian side of the Picos de Europa: the Fuente Dé cable car (753 m in about 4 minutes to 1,823 m), its hours and weather closures, walks from the top, the Hermida gorge, Potes and its tower, and the monastery of Santo Toribio with the Lignum Crucis.
The mountains
Photographs licensed from Shutterstock.
Access is regulated in 2026 from 1 June to 18 October and on 24, 25 and 31 October. Check the rules for your date before you set off.
A shuttle runs every 30 minutes between Cangas de Onís and Covadonga from 7:40 to 19:00; a single costs €1.55.
From Poncebos to Caín and back is 24 km. The hardest part is the 2.5 km climb at the start from Poncebos.
Yes. Tours reach Bulnes by funicular, the Liébana valley with an optional cable car ride, or the Lakes of Covadonga.