Picos de Europa

Spread across the provinces of Asturias, Cantabria and León, the Picos de Europa National Park is a perfect example of an Atlantic ecosystem. Packed with oak and beech groves, the park takes its name from the impressive rock formations here. It is also home to two of the most emblematic animals to live in Spain: the brown bear and the Iberian wolf... but there is more than that.

The Picos is Spain’s second-largest national park, and its highest peak sits at an elevation of 2650 m—known as Torre de Cerredo.

At the bottom of the Picos de Europa National Park, in the heart of Asturias, the village of Covadonga is known for its national shrine, one of Spain’s most visited pilgrimage sites.

Even as you climb the mountain roads, you can spot the Covadonga Shrine with its Disney-like basilica with two spires towering above you. The complex, which consists of a basilica, a cave carved into a rock with an altar with a figure of Jonfru, a museum and a hotel, is beautifully situated at the foot of Mount Ausea with spectacular views of the landscape.