Click any day to expand the full plan. Weather and tide information is included for each day.
- Land 3:45pm; pick up rental car at Bilbao airport
- Drive west to Barro via A-8 coastal motorway (~2h 30min, ~170km); arrive early evening
- Check in; short walk to settle in
- Dinner in Llanes (10 min from Barro) — first Asturian cider experience at a sidrería
⚑ Gulpiyuri best at high tide — arrive before 10am. Cuevas del Mar cave walk at 4:40 PM low tide.
A day dedicated to the Asturian coast — the landscape that makes this region different from anywhere in Central Europe.
Senda Costera (Llanes area): Cliff-top coastal path connecting coves and viewpoints east of Llanes. Walk to Playa de Andrín or Playa de Troenzo (8–12km round trip, easy-moderate, ~3h).
Highlights for the day (pick by mood and tide):
- Bufones de Pria: Natural blowholes on the clifftop east of Llanes — sea caves that shoot jets of water in rough conditions. Best with Atlantic swell. ~30–45 min.
- Playa de Gulpiyuri: Inland sea beach — a tiny cove in a grassy field, connected to the Atlantic by a hidden cave tunnel. One of the most unusual beaches in Europe; best at high tide.
- Playa de Cuevas del Mar: Beaches framed by sea caves and rock arches carved into red sandstone cliffs. Cave walk at low tide is a highlight.
- Playa de Torimbia: Wild, clothing-optional crescent cove backed by 100m cliffs. Park above, 20-min walk down. One of the most beautiful beaches on the Cantabrian coast.
- Playa de San Antolín: Long sandy beach near Llanes, easier access, reliable waves.
Llanes is the natural anchor: medieval walls, fortified harbour, painted cubos de la memoria sculpture installation. Lunch at the harbour — merluza a la sidra and percebes if available.
Evening: sidrería dinner — chorizo a la sidra, fabada, Asturian steak, Cabrales cheese board (~€25–35/person).
⛰ Mountain day — PM rain showers possible at altitude; pack a layer.
A more remote, less-crowded Picos day — highlights away from the main tourist flow.
- Depart 7:30am → Funicular de Bulnes at Poncebos (~8:30am). Arrive early — car park fills by 10am in August.
- Bulnes funicular: Underground cable car to the car-free village of Bulnes (€8 return). Only ~40 permanent residents; no roads reach it.
- Walk between upper (La Villa) and lower (El Castillo) parts of the village
- From Bulnes upper village: hike to Pandébano (~1h 30min, 400m ascent) for views of Naranjo de Bulnes (Picu Urriellu) — the iconic orange limestone monolith. Turn back at Pandébano or continue to the base (~another 1h).
- Return to Poncebos; afternoon stop at Arenas de Cabrales for Cabrales cheese — taste and buy at the village shop
- Evening: cider house dinner in Llanes
Alternative A — Sotres instead of Bulnes:
A more authentic, crowd-free Picos experience. Sotres is the highest permanently inhabited village in Asturias (~1,050m) — stone houses, working shepherds, Cabrales made at the source, and views deep into the eastern massif. No funicular, no queues.
- Drive from Barro to Arenas de Cabrales (~1h), then take the narrow mountain road through Tielve up to Sotres (~40 min, 15km — single-track with passing places and steep drops, requires a confident driver).
- Park in the village (small lot, doesn't fill like Poncebos).
- Walk the ridges above the village toward Jou de los Cabrones or simply explore the high pastures — the Picos massif is right above you.
- Stop in Arenas de Cabrales on the way back for cheese.
- Check before the trip: the Sotres road may have seasonal traffic restrictions in August — worth verifying.
Alternative B — Cares Gorge (done right):
The gorge walk is genuinely spectacular — 12km of path carved into vertical limestone walls above a turquoise river. The crowd problem is real (2,000+ people/day in August from the Poncebos end) but solvable:
- Start from Caín (León side) rather than Poncebos. This requires driving around the massif (~1.5h from Barro via Cangas de Onís and Posada de Valdeón) but the Caín end sees a fraction of the traffic. Walk as far as you like and turn back — you don't need to do the full 24km return.
- Or start very early from Poncebos: arrive by 7:30am before the coach parties. The gorge before 9am is a different experience.
- The scenery — sheer 500m walls, the river threading below, the path blasted into the rock face — is unlike anything in Central Europe despite the crowds.
Alternative C — Asiegu:
A tiny, largely forgotten hilltop village in the Cabrales municipality — no funicular, no tour coaches. Accessible by a scenic mountain road from Arenas de Cabrales (~20 min). Stone houses, old granaries (hórreos), sweeping views across the eastern Picos massif. Good for a quiet morning walk among the high meadows above the village before heading down to Arenas for Cabrales cheese. Works well if the Bulnes funicular queue feels like too much of a commitment.
Alternative D — Carreña de Cabrales:
The main village of Cabrales municipality, sitting at the confluence of the Cares and Casaño rivers (~45 min from Barro). Quieter than Arenas de Cabrales but still a solid base for the area — this is the heartland of Cabrales cheese production and has a more working-village feel. Use as a gentle day: walk the river valley paths, visit a cheese cellar, have lunch, and explore the surrounding hamlets without the pressure of a long hike. A good fallback if energy is low after Day 2.
⚑ Best day of the trip weatherwise — clear morning ideal for Naranco site and city walking.
A city and architecture day — the regional capital plus the finest pre-Romanesque buildings in Spain.
- Depart Barro ~9:00am; arrive Oviedo ~9:45am
- Santa María del Naranco + San Miguel de Lillo: Drive to the hillside site above the city (~10 min from centre). Naranco (842 AD, originally a royal hall, open loggias, views over the city and mountains) and Lillo (outstanding 9th-century carved stonework). Allow 1.5–2h.
- Oviedo old town: Gothic Cathedral (Cámara Santa contains pre-Romanesque relics and the Cross of Angels), arcaded Plaza del Fontán, medieval streets. ~1.5h at a relaxed pace.
- Mercado El Fontán: Covered market next to the plaza — best place in Asturias to buy Cabrales, Gamonéu, smoked chorizos, and local produce to bring home.
- Lunch in Oviedo: good value compared to the coast; try fabada or cachopo.
- Afternoon: drive back to Barro (~45 min); beach or coastal walk if energy allows
- Evening: dinner in Llanes or cook at home with market produce
⚑ Clear morning with building afternoon high — good beach day.
A slower day — revisit favourites from Day 2 or explore the coast further east and west.
- Ribadesella (45 min east of Barro): Beautiful estuary town with a long sandy beach; optional visit to Cueva de Tito Bustillo (Palaeolithic cave art — book ahead).
- Lastres (1h west): Fishing village stacked on steep cliffs above the harbour; best seafood restaurants in the area.
- Or simply a beach day at Torimbia, San Antolín, or whichever spot from Day 2 deserves a second visit.
Evening: sidrería dinner or cook at home.
⚑ Wettest and windiest day — Covadonga basilica/cave shrine is sheltered. Pack waterproofs for the lakes.
A UNESCO-listed combination of national shrine and high-altitude glacial scenery.
- Morning: drive to Covadonga (1h from Barro) — pink basilica built into a cliff face above a holy cave; site of the 722 Reconquista battle. 30–45 min to explore.
- Drive the mountain road (15km) up to the Lagos de Covadonga — two glacial lakes (Enol and Ercina) at 1,100m surrounded by the Picos massif
- Hike the circuit around both lakes (~2h, easy-moderate) or ascend further toward the ridgeline
- Parking note: In August the road to the lakes is often closed to private cars in peak hours (9am–8pm) — check current restrictions and consider the shuttle bus from Covadonga.
- Afternoon: stop in Cangas de Onís for the Roman bridge and hórreos (grain stores on stilts)
- Evening: last Asturian cider house dinner
Alternative — Ribadesella or Lastres if Covadonga is not appealing:
Ribadesella (45 min east) — long sandy beach, Cueva de Tito Bustillo (Palaeolithic cave art). Or Lastres (1h west) — fishing village on steep cliffs, best seafood in the area.
Alternative — Cangas de Onís as the day's anchor:
Skip the Covadonga basilica and use Cangas de Onís (~50 min from Barro) as a slower, less-crowded Picos day. The town sits at the confluence of the Sella and Güeña rivers and is famous for its arched medieval bridge; it also has good restaurants and serves as the western gateway to the Picos. Pair it with a walk in the surrounding river valley (Ruta del Sella) or a short drive up toward the Lagos de Covadonga by shuttle bus without committing to the full shrine visit. Good option if the Covadonga crowds or weather feel discouraging.
⚑ Good weather for a city day — clear morning for the Guggenheim exterior walk and Nervión riverfront.
Departure flight is at 8pm, which gives a full day in Bilbao before the airport.
- Depart Barro early morning (~8:00–8:30am)
- Drive to Bilbao (~2h 30min) — arrive ~11:00am
- Guggenheim Bilbao: Book timed entry online in advance; allow 2–2.5h inside. Walk the Nervión riverfront after. (~€16/person; book at guggenheim-bilbao.eus)
- Lunch: pintxos in the Casco Viejo (30–45 min walk from museum) — the old town bar-hop is the classic Bilbao midday experience
- Afternoon free in Bilbao: Casco Viejo streets, Ribera market, Nervión waterfront, or simply sit at a bar terrace
- Head to airport ~5:30–6:00pm; return car; check in; depart 8pm