Cares Gorge

The Ruta del Cares — the Cares Route or Cares Gorge — is the standout day hike of Picos de Europa, the limestone massif in the Cantabrian Mountains of northern Spain. The 12 km path is carved into the wall of the Cares river gorge, an irrigation canal built in the 1940s to service a hydroelectric power station and later repurposed as one of the most spectacular hiking routes in Europe. The walls rise 1,500 m above the river; at its narrowest, the gorge is only 30 m across, and the trail threads through some 70 short tunnels chipped through the rock.

The route is walked in either direction, but most hikers start at Poncebos in the north — the bigger climb (about 300 m) is concentrated in the first kilometre, and the rest is mostly flat along the canal. The path is 1.5–2 m wide for most of its length but unprotected: vertical drops to the river on the right side, no railings, with vultures circling overhead and occasional sections where the trail crosses metal bridges over side gorges. Caín at the southern end is a small village with restaurants and parking, but no road continues north — to return to Poncebos you either walk back (24 km round trip) or arrange a long taxi via the Beón pass.

The Cares is open year-round but the trail is at its best from late spring (May) to early autumn (October). Summer brings crowds and heat — start at dawn from Poncebos in July or August. Winter occasionally closes the route for ice or rockfall; check Picos de Europa National Park's status before driving. Sturdy shoes are essential, both because the polished limestone is slippery when wet and because the cliff exposure leaves no margin for slips. There is no entrance fee. Carry water; the springs along the route are not reliable in summer.