Hiking in Spain: the way to know a country

A paradise for hikers searching for landscape diversity and calm. Spain offers this and more, a pleasant climate almost all year round. Whether you are looking for the unique and universal Long Distance paths, such as the Way of Saint James or old, small nature filled paths, you will find them either in the Spanish peninsula or its islands.

Where would you like to do your walking? Are you dreaming of crossing Medieval bridges, Roman roads, magic valleys, walking along stone pathways on the bordering rivers, seeing castles or walking through vineyards? That’s no problem, Spain offers all this and much more. You don’t need to be a sports expert, hiking doesn’t require very much preparation and you can always choose from the various modalities (Long Distance, Short Distance, Local Paths, Urban Paths, Green Ways…) and difficulties available. Dare to combine sports, nature and culture.

In www.spain.info you can find all the information you need about Long Distance paths in all of Spain. Use our search engine to find a trajectory or the map to find the paths in each region. All the paths include the distance, how many stages it is divided into, recommendations, useful addresses, information about services and ample articles. The portal also offers weather forecasts to make you trip as good as possible.

Now it is up to you to decide where to go. The north awaits you with its Green Spain, perfect for nature lovers. This option allows you to enjoy many of the landscapes of the famous Way of Saint James, a trip through eight Spanish regions filled with intense cultural contrasts used by pilgrims to reach the Cathedral of Saint James of Compostela, in Galicia. The north also offers the rugged Picos de Europa in Asturias and Cantabria, with spectacular routes like the one that follows the Cares River; or the majestic valleys of the Pyrenees in Catalonia, Navarra and Aragon. Hiking surrounded by the beautiful vineyards of La Rioja or the Basque Country is another option that is difficult to turn down.

The Spanish interior also offers a variety of landscapes, both in Castilla y Leon (with the collosal peaks of their mountain ranges or their river canyons), and Madrid (whose routes will take you to monuments like the Monastery of El Escorial), Extremadura (through which passes the famous route called Way of Silver, with its well-known artistic heritage) and Castilla-La Mancha (whose plains allow the visitor to see the entire horizon and routes that cross the lands of the famous Don Quijote).

The entire Mediterranean coast is also a wonderful choice for hiking. You can choose from Andalusia (with interior routes like the Sierra Nevada route or routes near the beach), Murcia (with its typical vegetable garden landscapes) and the Autonomous Region of Valencia (with its multiple wetlands and large seaside lagoons). Along the coast there is also the option of choosing your favourite stage along the Augusta Way, ideal for those interested in the traces of the Roman Empire in Spain.

Another original and fun way to get to know the Iberian Peninsula is to cover its 1,500 kilometers of Green Ways. These are old railroads that have been restored (the rails have been removed) for cyclists and hikers to practice their favorite sport. The difficulty posed by these routes is very small, so why not try? Fancy a few more options? Spain has more. Discovering the Canary Islands on foot (where impressive volcanic landscapes await you) or the Balearic Islands (with their fantastic rural landscapes), are other possibilities. In addition, all these routes are perfectly marked.

Practical Advice

Before starting off on a trip through Spain, there are several recommendations that should be followed: use adequate clothing, such as a good pair of waterproof hiking boots, a raincoat and warm clothing (especially in winter); take appropriate equipment like a backpack, a water bottle, sun cream, a compass, a flashlight, first aid kit and a map of the area; avoid walking at the hottest time of day or leaving the marked paths; take food and water and stop whenever necessary to avoid exhaustion. As for the time of year, any time is ideal for hiking, although spring is ideal because of the mild weather.

From here on, you choose the route and destination. Spain awaits you with 14 National Parks, numerous Natural Parks and Biosphere Reserves, historic routes, World Heritage Cities, fishing towns or medieval towns to see while following the environmentally friendly paths in the surroundings. On our website you can also make online reservations for stays (many are rural houses) to spend the night in the midst of beautiful landscapes. Hear the sounds of nature, admire falls and volcanoes, contemplate the sunrise from a mountain height, discover the beauty of the fauna and flora of a country of contrasts. In a word, leave your footstep on the paths of Spain.

If you have found this article interesting, you can also go to:

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Nature to awaken the senses in the Autonomous Region of Valencia