Getting to the Picos de Europa
The Picos de Europa are a destination with quite remote areas. In this blog, we provide some details on how to get to the Picos de Europa National Park and important things to keep in mind while visiting.
By plane
There are two airports close to Picos, they are Ranón, near Avilés (Asturias) and Santander (Cantabria).
Asturias Airport
Easyjet has flights from Geneva and London Stansted to La Coruña and Bilboa. Iberia Airlines have flights from Madrid and Barcelona; but also, you will find many other companies that operate flights to northern Spain. See www.aena.es/asturias or Skyscanner for more information. Car rental service is available at most airports, including Bilboa, La Coruña and Santander.
Santander Airport
There are several airlines that have flights to Santander airport from different European capitals. The Santander airport has a cafe and a car rental company. Web: https://www.aena.es/en/santander
By bus
The nearest main bus stations to Picos are situated in Arriondas (7 km north of Cangas de Onís) and Unquera (40 km north of Potes). These can both be reached by long-distance bus services from all over Spain, as well as, further afield in France, Germany and more.
ALSA, the biggest popular bus company, provides a great service from various cities in Spain and the rest of Europe that can take you to Arriondas, Cangas de Onís, Arenas de Cabrales, Panes, and Unquera. See the www.alsa.com website for more information.
From Santander bus companies operate 2-3 buses a day to Potes, and others continue onto Fuente Dé.
From Arriondas and Cangas de Onís, 2-3 buses operate a service to Covadonga. During the summer months you may discover that some roads are closed to private vehicles; therefore, we recommend using a local bus service to ensure you can gain access to Picos.
In addition to that, car access to Poncebos and Cares Gorge is restricted during high season; therefore, buses will depart from Poncebos to Arenas de Cabrales regularly. However, buses will operate from Cangas de Onís to Oseja de Sajambre, Posada de Valdeón, and Caín.
By ferry
Should you wish to travel by water, the nearest ferry terminal is in Santander (Cantabria), which is 1.5 hours from Potes (through Unquera), or 2 hours from Cangas de Onís (through Arriondas). Ferries depart from Plymouth and Portsmouth, UK. These services are more environmentally-friendly, and they can carry cars, motorhomes, vans, motorbikes and bicycles. However, the time it takes to reach the port is considerably longer.
Cars can be hired at the Santander train station, about a ten-minute walk from the ferry terminal.
By train
Spain is well-connected by long-distance railway; however, the closest main train station to Picos is León. Unfortunately, due to the terrain, driving from León to Picos is quite far at 254 km. Therefore, we recommend taking a train to Bilboa, and then boarding a FEVE narrow-guage train along the coast to Santander, Unquera or Llanes. This service does not require advance tickets and bicycles are allowed free of charge.
Find out more about this service by looking at www.renfe.com/es/en/suburban
By car
From the south:
Through León via the AP-66 motorway to Oviedo. From there to Arriondas and Cangas de Onís (6 hours from Madrid).
Through León via the N-601 to Mansilla de las Mulas. Take the N-625 towards Cistierna and Riaño. In Riaño, follow the N-625 towards Cangas de Onís, where you can reach the Valdeón valley, by taking the turn-off towards the Panderruedas pass, before reaching the Pontón pass. Continue along the Pontón pass, to reach Oseja de Sajambre, capital of the municipality of the same name.
If you take the N-621 in Riaño, towards Potes, you can also access the Valdeón valley by turning off at Portilla de la Reina towards the Pandetrave pass.
From the east:
From Santander, travel along the E70 coastal motorway, which will approach the Picos de Europa from the north.
To visit the Western Massif, exit at Arriondas on the N-634.
If you take the Unquera exit from the dual carriageway, follow the N-621 towards Panes. In Panes you can go towards Arenas de Cabrales on the AS-114.
If you wish to arrive at the Massifs from the northern slopes, continue towards Potes on the N-621. Once in Potes, take the branch towards Fuente Dé.
From the west:
From Oviedo, Asturias airport, Portugal or Galicia, the best motorway is the E70 along the coast, taking the Arriondas exit on the N-634. From Arriondas turning south on the N625 to Cangas de Onís.
In Cangas there are two ways of accessing the National Park:
From the south (Amieva, Sajambre and Puerto de Pontón), on the N-625, or to the northern slope, where you must continue towards Soto de Cangas on the AS-114.
In Soto de Cangas take the AS-262 to Covadonga, and if you want to go up to the lakes of Enol and Ercina, take the CO-IV road.
To continue towards the councils of Onís, Cabrales and Peñamellera, take the AS-114. In Arenas de Cabrales go to Poncebos and Tielve on the AS-264.
How to get to the Covadonga Lakes
During the high season (July to September) the access road to the Covadonga Lakes is closed to private vehicle traffic. The Basilica of Covadonga can be reached by car but there you will find the road closed and only people with a permit, taxi drivers or public transport can continue going up. The bus company ALSA offers shuttles from the bus station in Cangas de Onís or from the bus stop in Soto de Cangas.
How to get to Poncebos/Ruta del Cares or Bulnes
Reaching the start of the Cares Route is complicated in the summer months due to the large number of hikers. From Arenas de Cabrales, you can find parking in Poncebos or in the Ovar car park, but it can fill up very quickly in high season. In these cases, it is advisable to use the bus that connects Arenas with Poncebos, Tielve and Sotres during July and August.
Taxis in Picos de Europa
Should you wish to visit Covadonga-Lagos, Oseja-Soto de Sajambre or Desfiladero del Cares, many taxi drivers will take you there. Furthermore, some of them offer tours of the Picos with a 4×4 taxi.
Taxitur
33550 Cangas de Onís (ASTURIAS).
+34 985 848 797
Taxis 4×4 Ven a Picos
33550 Cangas de Onís (ASTURIAS).
+34 659 488 823
Taxis Picos de Europa
24915 Posada de Valdeón (LEÓN).
+34 679 592 950
El Portal de Picos
Fuente Dé (CANTABRIA).
+34 665 360 241
www.elportaldepicos.com
Taxis Pidal
Poo de Cabrales (ASTURIAS).
+34 985 845 177
www.taxiscabrales.com
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 9:00am – 6:00pm (CET)
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 9:00am – 6:00pm (CET)