European walk operator, On Foot Holidays, now offers 38 self-guided walking holidays across Europe following the launch of a new, week-long hiking route amongst the dramatic peaks, quaint villages and storied monasteries of the Cantabrian mountains in northern Spain. Bookings are now open for walks this September and October and for the European spring and early summer of 2026.
The new 90km walk in the wild and pristine Picos de Europa (Peaks of Europe) region is On Foot Holidays’ ninth hiking holiday in Spain.
Available in the European spring and autumn each year (April to October excluding July and August), the just-released, seven-night, ‘slow travel’ hiking trip along age-old pilgrimage routes, farm tracks and wilderness trails covers 9-20km per day and is graded easy to medium in effort, with luggage transferred between hotels each day so walkers carry just a day pack along the entire route.
Low in carbon footprint and high in cultural immersion, the hike has been curated for independent hikers who will stay at a series of wayside inns, family-run B&Bs and character-filled hotels, enjoying authentic Spanish cuisine and beverages along the way such as traditional lebaniego stew and orujo (pomace brandy).
The new ‘Foothills of the Picos de Europa’ route has been curated exclusively for On Foot Holidays by Aznar Fernandez de Pinedo, who has designed several other Spanish hikes for On Foot Holidays. He says: “When creating this route I wanted to avoid the popular trails in the mountains that have become overcrowded. My route visits totally off-the-beaten-track valleys and towns that no other tour operators have considered. It skips the uneven paths at high elevation where the weather is unpredictable and instead follows winding trails that are easier underfoot but still beautifully scenic.”
The seven-night ‘Foothills of the Picos de Europa’ walk starts in the green foothills around La Lastra before venturing west to the higher wilderness via the medieval hamlets of Pejanda, Pesaguero and also Fuente De where a cable car can whisk walkers up to lofty alpine pastures on top of massive cliffs. The route then descends through glorious wooded hillsides and meadows before ending in the pretty village of Espinama for a celebratory dinner to finish the beautiful Cantabrian traverse.
The Picos de Europa walk includes seven nights’ B&B and inn accommodation along the route, daily breakfasts, two dinners, all luggage transfers between hotels, taxi transfer to the start of the walk, and all directions, information and maps – printed or in digital version on On Foot Holidays’ new Companion App. The holiday costs from £975 per person, twin-share (about A$2005 depending on exchange rates).
* On Foot Holidays offers a 10 per cent saving when two of its hikes are booked at the same time for the one European holiday (discount applies to the cheaper holiday only). Conditions apply. A discount of £40 per room is also offered for walkers opting to use a digital walking guide on their phones without printed materials.
Visit www.onfootholidays.co.uk/
On Foot Holidays offers 38 self-guided walking tours in 11 countries across Europe. Accommodation and information packs are provided for all the routes. Walkers select their departure dates, luggage is transferred between hotels and all routes are designed by locals and tested by staff from On Foot Holidays.
