Overview
This unique walking tour will take you from the Green Coast of Spain to the mountain area of Picos de Europa. Going past fishing villages, historical monuments, churches and ancient hamlets, you will follow the Camino Lebaniego. The trail follows a pilgrimage route that started in the 8th century to worship the Lignum Crucis (“True Cross”), located in the monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana, the final destination of this tour.
- Beautiful coastal and mountainous landscapes
- A mixture of pilgrimage route and mountain trek following a branch of the Camino de Santiago
- The Monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana from 12th c.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in San Vicente de la Barquera
After arrival at Santander or Bilbao airport, take the bus to the city centre of Santander and then a direct bus to San Vicente (3 to 4 buses a day, in July and August up to 9; duration is 75 min). If you have time after arrival, you can stroll in the old town and the port of this beautiful historic fishing town.
- Accommodation: in San Vicente de la Barquera (Hotel Faro de San Vicente or similar). In high season (August), a total of min. 3 nights are required!
Day 2: San Vicente de la Barquera to Puentenansa | 13-17.5km
To avoid a steep and uninteresting section, a transfer takes you up to the village of Serdio. Here, you see the route signs for the Camino Lebaniego, the branch from the Camino de Santiago to the pre-Romanesque monastery of Santo Toribio, which was quite popular among pilgrims in medieval times because of a Lignum Crucis relic. Next, your route takes you down to the river Nansa, then southward along its shore. Transfer at the end of the walk to Puentenansa for an overnight.
- Walking for the day: 13-17.5km, 4-5.5h, ↑300m ↓285m
- Accommodation: in Puentenansa (Posada de Fidel or similar)
Day 3: Puentenansa to Lebeña | 13-17.5km
Taxi transfer in the morning takes you to the small remote hamlet La Fuente. Then, a steep surfaced tractor road takes you uphill to the pass Collada de la Hoz (at 665m), from where you look down upon the Cicera valley and the limestone wall of the Picos de Europa at the back. The rest of the walk is a step back into history as you traverse the rural hinterland, first down to the village of Cicera (465m; the only bar on the entire route), then up again to the Arceón pass (845m) and down again to Lebeña. You can visit the unique Mozarabic church Santa Maria de la Lebeña and admire the Gothic statue of Mother Mary before a taxi drives you to your cosy and comfortable rural hotel.
- Walking for the day: 13km, 5.5h, ↑750m ↓800m; longer option extension from Lebeña to Castro Cillórigo: +4.5km, +2h, +↑250m ↓200m
- Accommodation: in Tama (Hotel El Corcal de Liébana or similar)
Day 4: Allende to Santo Toribio | 12-15km
After a 10min transfer to Allende, you rejoin the Camino Lebaniego on its last section. First, 340m uphill to Cabañes – a small hamlet with beautiful views of the valley – then through an old chestnut wood via Pendes and back to Tama. From here, continue to the nearby medieval town of Potes. Take some time to prepare for the spiritual climax of the pilgrim´s route: the last 3km along the sidewalk of the main road and then up and down to the monastery of Santo Toribio. At the end of the day, transfer back to the hotel.
- Walking for the day: 12km, 5h, ↑530m ↓450m; 1h extra to go to the monastery (3km, ↑225m ↓225m)
- Accommodation: in Tama (Hotel El Corcal de Liébana or similar)
Day 5: Departure or Extension Picos de Europa
The tour ends after breakfast. Take a bus back to Santander or Bilbao. An extra night in Tama is highly recommended and mandatory in August, as the accommodations require a minimum stay of three nights. You might want to spend this day in the high part of the Picos de Europa, taking the cable car at Fuente Dé and starting at the upper cable car station (1,835m), walking down to Espinama via the high pastures of Aliva. There are public buses that can take you there and back.
- Walking for the day (optional): 10km, 5h, ↑500m ↓500m
- No overnight included; it can be booked on request. In high season (August), an extra night in El Corcal de Liebana is compulsory
What to expect
Accommodation
The hotels on this trip have been carefully selected for their location, atmosphere and/or unique services. All rooms are en-suite. Extra nights can be booked at any of the accommodations along the way. Please note that the hotels in San Vicente and Tama require a min. of 3 nights to be booked in August and Easter.
Click to view default hotels
- Hotel Faro de San Vicente (San Vicente)
- Posada de Fidel (Puentenansa)
- El Corcal de Liébana (Tama)
*Hotels are subject to availability. In case a particular hotel is fully booked for your desired dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal or higher value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included on all days, as well as the dinners in Tama. When no restaurant is available on the route, lunches and snacks should either be bought from local shops, or packed lunches can be pre-ordered from your hotel the night before. Where no dinner is included, most places serve hearty menus – you can get a 3-course dinner including wine and water for GBP 15-25.
Difficulty and terrain
This itinerary includes moderate walks of 4-6h per day on average (read more about difficulty grades) and long, but technically easy, routes at the beginning of the week and then more mountainous and off-the-beaten-track as you get closer to the Picos de Europa. You will follow a mixture of countryside roads, footpaths through the rural hinterland, minor roads and some busier roads close to bigger towns and cities. The routes are waymarked, and the itinerary is easy to follow. The route is marked with yellow painted arrows. We strongly advise you to follow only marked trails and never try to shorten the path through the unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed road notes and maps, and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed info on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This trip is available from the beginning of April until mid-October. July and August are considered high season and the best time for hiking. The flexibility of self-guided walking holidays means that there are no fixed dates and you can start your trip on any date during the season.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By train or bus
Arrival in San Vicente de la Barquera: From Santander or Bilbao Airport, take the bus to the city centre of Santander. There are 3 -4 direct buses a day from Santander to San Vicente and up to 9 in July and August; duration is 75min; time schedules at: www.lacantabrica.net and https://www.transportedecantabria.es/web/ctl. There are also ALSA buses, bookable online at www.alsa.es
Departure from Tama: The bus runs from Potes to Santander, stopping in Tama, Unquera and San Vicente de la Barquera on the way. Time schedules at https://www.transportedecantabria.es/web/ctl. From Santander, you can take an ALSA bus to Bilbao; time schedules at www.alsa.es
Inclusions
Included
- 4 nights in hotels and country inns in private en-suite rooms
- 4 breakfasts and 2 dinners on days 3 & 4
- Detailed digital holiday information pack including GPS-checked and regularly updated route descriptions, road notes and maps. Please note that the info pack is emailed to you prior to departure, and no printed documents are mailed or provided on-site.
- Luggage transfers from hotel to hotel on all walking days (1 piece per person up to 20kg per person)
- Private transfers according to the programme – days 2, 3 and 4 – in the morning and in the afternoon
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches and 2 dinners, drinks and snacks
- The obligatory extra nights in summer
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable on the spot)
- Any items not explicitly listed as included
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own
- This holiday is available for solo travellers; a supplement will be charged as accommodation and luggage transfer costs are not shared (we never mix and match – solo travellers will be accommodated in single rooms)
- Mandatory extra nights in San Vicente and Tama in August
- Extra nights
- Airport transfers
Spain’s legal requirement for personal information
Please note: in December 2024, the Spanish government introduced a new law making it a legal obligation for all visitors to Spain to share personal details with their accommodations and car rental companies. Consequently, as we book your accommodation for you, we are obliged to pass these on to our local partners on the ground. After booking your holiday, we will send you a form to complete requesting all the legally-required information, including: name, nationality, gender, passport number, DOB, address, phone numbers and email address. This applies to all travellers aged 14 and over. If you are travelling with people under 14 years old, you need to declare your relationship to them. We apologise for any inconvenience. For more information, see here.
