Spain

Best walks, hikes and treks in Spain [View list of walks]

About Spain

A long and contorted history has left Spain a rich but confusing and centrifugal place. One of the Roman Empire's wealthiest regions and the homeland of many emperors, it was the occupied by the Moors for centuries, leaving some glorious relics of a vigorous mozarabic culture such as Granada's Alhambra and the flamenco tradition.

The Christian reconquista, vast new world riches then centuries of cruelly enforced, ultra-pious slumber shaped Spain's mindset and left it backward and eccentric, ready meat for a bad 20th Century with a terrible civil war as its centrepiece. The at times weird takes of El Greco, Velazquez, Goya and Dali perhaps sum up the strands. And Spain boasts some of Europe's greatest cathedrals, castles galore and perfect renaissance towns.

As we write, the economy is appalling and the Basques and Catalans want independence, but there is reason for long-term hope: this is a beautiful and fascinating country with kind, friendly inhabitants.

Spain can perhaps be summed up - a bit unfairly perhaps - as a high and dullish central plateau fringed with some natural marvels: the Pyrenees and Picos de Europe to the north, the dry mountains of Andalusia to the south. A half century of development means most of the coast is wrecked, but the good stuff can start a few kilometres inland, where you are suddenly in a different world.

Spain's greatest natural wonders, though, are not in mainland Europe at all: the Canary Islands suffer from an image of mass tourism, but contain thrilling and at times incredible volcanic scenery, not to be missed by any serious walker.

So, Spain has things to fascinate everyone, children included. The variety of travel and tours you can make in Spain is as a result huge.

Walking, hiking and trekking in Spain

Spain has some of the world’s best walks, hikes and treks, ranging from famous mountain hiking and trekking in areas such as the Picos de Europa and the Pyrenees  to geological absurdities like Las Canadas in Tenerife and the Great Volcanic Ridge in La Palma to historic pilgrimage routes (take a bow, the Camino de Santiago, Europe's and possibly the world's most famous of its kind) to unmissably atmospheric cities such as Toledo.  

So, walking, hiking and trekking tours and holidays in Spain are so varied that everyone's taste and energy levels can be met. Walking in Spain isn't just for hard-nuts, although there is plenty to get their juices flowing. The lazy and youngsters alike will be enthralled by what it offers: Spain walking, trekking and hiking holidays and tours really can be for everyone.

See below a (currently incomplete - please give us your ideas!) list of the best walks, treks and hikes in Spain. Various of these are in our world’s Top 100 list.

Walks in Spain, a lovely walking site, here.

Famous walking regions include:

Famous walking, hiking and trekking regions include:

- the Picos de Europa, dramatic, harshly beautiful Dolomitic limestone peaks, cliffs and formations but without the crowds of their more famous Italian counterparts

- the Pyrenees: the drier side of this glorious range

- the varied beauties of ancient Andalusia

- the  geological absurdities of the volcanic Canary Islands: all are fascinating, but have a look at our Tenerife and La Palma pages.

We intend that our walk pages contain detail and photos on walking, hiking or trekking routes, including books, best times and weather, how to get there, possible problems, walking, trekking and hiking firms, organisers and guides in Spain, accommodation in Spain and useful links. But this takes a lot of research, so if they are not “there” yet, please give us any suggestions you may have.

We intend that our walk pages contain detail and photos on walking, hiking or trekking routes, including books, best times and weather, how to get there, possible problems, walking, trekking and hiking firms, organisers and guides in Spain, accommodation in Spain and useful links. But this takes a lot of research, so if they are not "there" yet, please give us any suggestions you may have.

Guajara
Las Canadas rim - © William Mackesy Posets Massif
© flickr user Manuel Gomez Via de la Plata (Seville to Santiago)
Via de la Plata, Cacares Province - © By Flickr user Cotallo-Nonocot

Best walks, hikes and treks in Spain

You can sort the walks by category by clicking on the category titles.

(The rating of walks marked * is currently provisional.)

Region Walk Name Walkopedia Rating Difficulty Day Walk
Possible?

  Via de la Plata (Seville to Santiago)
89*
Variable Yes
 Andalucia Cabo de Gata
84*
Variable Yes
 Andalucia Camino del Rey
84*
Strenuous Yes
 Canary Islands El Golfo, El Hierro
84*
Strenuous Yes
 Canary Islands: Gran Canaria Altavista Ridge
86
Strenuous Yes
 Canary Islands: Gran Canaria Cruz Grande to the Nieves Ridge
89*
Variable Yes
 Canary Islands: Gran Canaria Gran Canaria
90
Variable Yes
 Canary Islands: Gran Canaria Inagua
89
Strenuous Yes
 Canary Islands: Gran Canaria Pico de las Nieves
86
Variable Yes
 Canary Islands: Gran Canaria Roque Nublo
83*
Variable Yes
 Canary Islands: La Palma Barranco de Herradura
81*
Strenuous Yes
 Canary Islands: La Palma Caldeira de Taburiente
86
Variable Yes
 Canary Islands: La Palma Great Volcanic Ridge
88
Strenuous Yes
 Canary Islands: La Palma La Palma
88
Strenuous Yes
 Canary Islands: La Palma Los Tilos
83
Variable Yes
 Canary Islands: La Palma Route of the Volcanoes
87.5
Strenuous Yes
 Canary Islands: La Palma Ruta de la Cresteria
88
Strenuous Yes
 Canary Islands: Lanzarote Above Teguise
87
Moderate Yes
 Canary Islands: Lanzarote Caldera Blanca
88
Strenuous Yes
 Canary Islands: Lanzarote Femes area
81
Variable Yes
 Canary Islands: Lanzarote Isla Graciosa
82.5
Moderate Yes
 Canary Islands: Lanzarote La Geria; Montana Tinasoria
94.5
Strenuous Yes
 Canary Islands: Lanzarote Lanzarote
95
Variable Yes
 Canary Islands: Lanzarote Los Helechos and West of Maguez
95
Moderate Yes
 Canary Islands: Lanzarote Maguez Area
95
Variable Yes
 Canary Islands: Lanzarote Montana Corona
89.5
Moderate Yes
 Canary Islands: Lanzarote Risco cliffs
87
Strenuous Yes
 Canary Islands: Lanzarote Termesana Route
88
Moderate Yes
 Canary Islands: Lanzarote Valleys West of Haria
85
Moderate Yes
 Canary Islands: Tenerife Anaga Peninsula
82
Variable Yes
 Canary Islands: Tenerife El Portillo down into La Orotava
82
Variable Yes
 Canary Islands: Tenerife El Teide and Pico Viejo
86
Difficult Yes
 Canary Islands: Tenerife Guajara
86
Strenuous Yes
 Canary Islands: Tenerife La Orotava
82
Variable Yes
 Canary Islands: Tenerife Las Canadas and El Tiede
88
Variable Yes
 Canary Islands: Tenerife Roques de Garcia
82
Moderate Yes
 Canary Islands: Tenerife Samara
82
Moderate Yes
 Canary Islands: Tenerife Tenerife
86
Variable Yes
 Catalonia Catalan Hills
86.5*
Variable Yes
 Central Sierra de Madrid
81.5*
Variable Yes
 Galicia Camino dos Faros
87*
Yes
 Mallorca Tramuntana Traverse
75*
No
 North, The Camino Camino Portugues
87*
Variable Yes
 NW, Galicia O Cebreiro
89.5
Variable Yes
 NW, Galicia O Vello Lugo Agrario
87
Moderate Yes
 NW, Picos de Europa Aliva Circuit
92
Strenuous Yes
 NW, Picos de Europa Cares Gorge (Garganta del Cares)
96
Moderate Yes
 NW, Picos de Europa Central Picos Traverse
92
Strenuous No
 NW, Picos de Europa Jermoso Traverse
90
Strenuous No
 NW, Picos de Europa Monfechu
88.5
Variable Yes
 NW, Picos de Europa Picos de Europa
91
Variable Yes
 NW, Picos de Europa Valle del Dudje
90
Moderate Yes
 NW, The Camino Camino de Santiago
89*
Variable Yes
 NW, The Camino Camino del Norte (Camino de Santiago alternative route)
92*
Variable Yes
 NW, The Camino Camino Frances (Camino de Santiago)
92*
Variable Yes
 Picos de Europa Lago de la Ercina
86
Variable Yes
 Pyrenees Aigues Tortes
84*
Variable Yes
 Pyrenees Anisclo Canyon
88*
Difficult Yes
 Pyrenees Breche de Roland
91
Strenuous No
 Pyrenees Gavarnie-Ordesa Circuit
91
Variable No
 Pyrenees GR11
85*
Strenuous Yes
 Pyrenees Ibon de Estanes
0*
Yes
 Pyrenees Maladeta Massif
88*
Variable Yes
 Pyrenees Ordesa Canyon
90
Variable Yes
 Pyrenees Ordesa/Monte Perdido NP
90
Variable Yes
 Pyrenees Pineta Valley
86*
Variable Yes
 Pyrenees Posets Massif
82*
Variable Yes
 Pyrenees Spanish Pyrenees
90
Variable Yes
 Pyrenees Valle de Tena
0*
Yes
 Pyrenees Vignemale and Vallee de Gaube
86
Variable Yes
 South-east Montserrat
84*
Variable Yes


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