Anillo de Picos hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

The Anillo de Picos (the Ring of the Picos) is a circular hut-to-hut trek through the Picos de Europa National Park in northern Spain, where Asturias, León and Cantabria meet. The full version, the Anillo Tres Macizos, links the staffed mountain refuges of all three limestone massifs: the western Cornión, the central Urrieles and the eastern Ándara. The official figures are about 110 km and 9,350 m of climbing. It is not a waymarked long-distance path with its own signs: it joins park paths, PR routes, cairned tracks across bare karst and a few exposed passages, and you need a map and a GPS track. Walkers can buy a passport (3 euros) at the refuges and collect a stamp at each one.

The route

This guide follows the eight refuge-to-refuge stages described on the official Anillo site, starting and ending at Refugio Vega de Ario, above the Lagos de Covadonga. The first two days cross the western massif: a pathless traverse by the Vega de Aliseda to Vegarredonda, then a long day under Peña Santa, past Vega Huerta and down the Canal del Perro to the beech woods of Vegabaño. Stage 3 drops into the Valdeón valley, passes Posada de Valdeón and Cordiñanes, and climbs the rock-cut path of La Rienda to Collado Jermoso, the oldest refuge in the Picos. A short stage leads over Tiro Casares to Cabaña Verónica, a tiny refuge made from an aircraft-carrier gun turret at 2,325 m. From there the ring descends to the green Puertos de Áliva, climbs the Canal de Jidiello into the eastern massif and reaches the old mining hut of Casetón de Ándara. Stage 6 goes down to Sotres, the highest village in the Picos, and up past La Terenosa and the Collado de Pandébano to Vega de Urriellu, at the foot of the Picu Urriellu (Naranjo de Bulnes). A short, rocky crossing of the Horcada Arenera leads to Jou de los Cabrones, one of the most remote refuges in Spain. The last day is the hardest: down to the Majada de Amuesa and the village of Bulnes, on to Poncebos, along the Cares gorge and up the 1,200 m of the Canal de Trea back to Vega de Ario.

This guide splits the ring into 8 stages, about 13.4 km each, measured on the route mapped on OpenStreetMap (about 107 km). Walking times on the stage pages allow for rough karst and steep ground.

Highlights

• Vega Huerta and Peña Santa: the wild heart of the western massif, with Peña Santa de Castilla (2,596 m) above the path
• La Rienda and Collado Jermoso: a ledge path cut into the rock, and sunsets over the Torre Santa from a balcony 1,200 m above Valdeón
• Cabaña Verónica: a refuge in a steel dome, among the highest peaks of the central massif
• The Ándara mines: old zinc workings and miners' tracks in the quiet eastern massif
• Picu Urriellu: the huge west face of the Naranjo de Bulnes, the symbol of the Picos
• Bulnes and the Cares gorge: a village with no road, and the famous path cut into the gorge walls

When to go

The official season runs from 1 June to 15 October. July to mid-September is the safest time. In June, hard snow can remain on passes above about 2,200 m and in north-facing gullies; in October days are short and the first snow can fall. Fog is common and very dangerous on the pathless karst, where cairns are the only guide; on stage 1 the official advice in poor visibility is to go round by the Lagos de Covadonga. Summer storms build in the afternoon, so start early. Water is scarce in the limestone, and often the only source is at the refuges.

How hard is it?

This is a demanding mountain trek for fit, experienced walkers. Days are long, with up to 1,700 m of climbing, steep scree, short scrambles (the Argayo Congosto below Collado Jermoso, the Corona del Raso above Urriellu) and exposed sections with fixed ropes below Jou de los Cabrones. Much of the route has no path, only cairns and old paint marks. If you are not sure of your mountain skills, the official site recommends hiring a mountain guide. Stage 8 (10 to 11 hours) can be split at Bulnes, and stage 3 at Posada de Valdeón.

Booking the refuges

No permit is needed, but book every night. In 2026 the refuges took bookings through the central booking site reservarefugios.com, which opened in January; Casetón de Ándara, La Terenosa and Cabaña Verónica are booked by phone. The official site advises booking more than 15 days ahead, and earlier for July and August. Refuges serve dinner at about 8 pm, breakfast and a packed lunch on request. In 2026 a bed cost about 15 euros for mountain-federation members and 20 euros for others, and dinner about 19 euros. A sleeping-bag liner is compulsory. Cabaña Verónica has only about six places and you may not get a bed: the official alternatives are the Fuente Dé cable car down to Fuente Dé and Espinama, or walking on. Hotel Áliva is closed for refurbishment until summer 2027.

Camping

The new park management plan (PRUG) approved in 2026 allows bivouac only as part of mountaineering, above 1,800 m and for at most three nights; tents only in bad weather, from an hour before sunset to an hour after sunrise. Camping by the refuges is allowed only in an emergency. Fires and drones are forbidden, and dogs must be on a lead.

Getting there and away

The usual start is the Lagos de Covadonga, 3 hours below Vega de Ario. The lakes road is closed to private cars on most days from spring to autumn; buses run from Cangas de Onís, which has buses from Oviedo. Asturias and Santander are the nearest airports. You can also join the ring at Posada de Valdeón, Sotres, Bulnes or Poncebos, or by the Fuente Dé cable car.

Money, phone and supplies

Carry cash, as card payment does not always work in the refuges. There are no shops on the high route; Posada de Valdeón, Sotres, Bulnes and Poncebos have bars or small shops. Phone signal is patchy in the high karst. Pack a map and GPS track, a helmet for the Cares and the rocky stages, warm and waterproof layers, a sleeping-bag liner, a headtorch and at least 2 litres of water.

Safety

In an emergency call 112 in all three regions. The refuge wardens have radios and can call for help. Check the weather every day and turn back in fog on the pathless sections. After the August 2025 wildfire the Cares path and the Canal de Trea were closed for months, and in July 2026 a rockfall on the Cares injured two walkers: check park notices before the last stage.