Many people tend to associate Spain with beach holidays in the Costas and city breaks in the great cities like Barcelona, Granada, Seville and Madrid.

But for people who like to walk, cycle or just generally explore the countryside, there is so much more.  Impressive Mountain ranges.  Unspoiled stretches of coastline.  Desert landscapes.  Traditional white villages.  Mediterranean vistas.

Matt and I have had many Walking holidays in Spain – both on the mainland and on some of the islands.  Here is a very brief review of a few of our favourite areas, based on the places we have visited.

Cabo de Gata

This is our favourite area, and we have returned several times.  The stark emptiness really appeals to us, though it may not suit everyone.

Cabo de Gata is situated in the southeast of the country, and can be easily reached by car from Alicante, Almeira, Granada, Murcia or Malaga airports.

The Cabo de Gata-Nijar Natural Park consists of a desert landscape and completely unspoiled coastline.  There are some great walks and deserted beaches for strolling or swimming.   You can explore fascinating deserted mines and a botanical garden at Rodalquilar.  There are attractive and uncrowded coastal villages with restaurants on the beach.  And you can see flocks of wild flamingos at the Salinas salt lagoon.

Watch out for a more detailed post coming soon.

Picos de Europa

The Picos are a small but very impressive mountain range situated in Northern Spain.  The most convenient airport is Bilbao, though they can also be reached from Madrid.

The range is characterised by deep gorges and limestone pinnacles with impressive paths, some of which need a head for heights.  We stayed at the Hotel Picos de Europa in Arenas de Cabrales.  This made a very comfortable and convenient base.   Potes would be another great place to stay.

For a wide choice of accommodation in the area see booking.com.  For ideas for walks see the Sunflower Guide: Picos de Europa.

Alicante Province

Most people passing through Alicante Airport are heading for the Costa Blanca, and are unaware of the beautiful mountain landscapes a very short distance inland.  There are lovely traditional villages linked by networks of ancient trails, perfect for walking.

Accommodation can be found in numerous small towns and villages.  Look out for a more detailed post coming soon.

Andalucia

We have had several holidays in this lovely area.  You don’t need to go far from Malaga or Granada airports to be in fantastic walking country.

There are many towns and villages that make great bases for walking.  We particularly recommend Grazalema and Ronda, though there are very many more.

The area contains the cities of Seville, Malaga, Granada and Cordoba, the Sierra Nevada mountain range and of course miles of coastline including the Costa del Sol.

Watch out for a more detailed post coming soon.

Mallorca

We have had three walking holidays in Mallorca, and stayed in Port de Soller each time because we like it so much.

The Tramuntana mountain range is a great area for walking, and there are also many lovely unspoiled coastal paths.

Watch out for a more detailed post coming soon.

Gran Canaria

Matt and I had our first foray to the Canary Islands this year (see Gran Canaria, Maspalomas and San Bartolome.)  We didn’t manage to do much walking, but we saw enough to convince us that we need to return, and also visit some of the other islands.  Watch out for future updates!

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