Self guided walking vacations in Spain
There’s always a great story to be found on our self guided walking vacations in Spain.
On the Catalonian coast, chase the bright light that inspired Miro and Matisse. In Andalucia, wander whitewashed village squares designed for charlas al fresco, the outdoor chats that have kept mountain communities alive. In the Picos, follow the Cares Gorge trail, which was blown out of limestone cliffs to create what must be one of the world’s most spectacular dam maintenance paths.
Not only do you hike in these storied places – you hike there easily, thanks to itineraries supported by GPS maps and detailed route notes, all designed by our local experts who have known and loved their region for years.
“We love walking,” says Lucy who, with husband Angel, runs our walking vacations from their Andalucian mountain hotel Posada San Marcos. “I laugh at Angel – he always said he could never be a salesman, but he’s the best salesman for this place as he loves it.”
On the Catalonian coast, chase the bright light that inspired Miro and Matisse. In Andalucia, wander whitewashed village squares designed for charlas al fresco, the outdoor chats that have kept mountain communities alive. In the Picos, follow the Cares Gorge trail, which was blown out of limestone cliffs to create what must be one of the world’s most spectacular dam maintenance paths.
Not only do you hike in these storied places – you hike there easily, thanks to itineraries supported by GPS maps and detailed route notes, all designed by our local experts who have known and loved their region for years.
“We love walking,” says Lucy who, with husband Angel, runs our walking vacations from their Andalucian mountain hotel Posada San Marcos. “I laugh at Angel – he always said he could never be a salesman, but he’s the best salesman for this place as he loves it.”
Instead of worrying about the which-way-nexts and where-to-eats, enjoy strolling through sun-dappled oak forest or watch the waves from a viewpoint loved by Miro.![]()
Our self guided walking vacations in Spain are tailored to you, shaped with an eye and an ear for your interests and preferences, whether that’s pace or a passion for golden eagles. Our partners will also throw in a few unexpected treasures along the way – perhaps a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it taperia that serves the best Iberian ham platters in town.
These aren’t old routes found on a dusty hotel bookshelf. Our experts love walking as much as you do, testing paths regularly to check that cues are up to date, right down to seasonal adjustments – if a tree is in leaf or not, whether a church is open, or where to stop for the best seasonal treats.
And they’re not the only people checking the routes. Walking has long been a popular activity in Spain, with the Ministry of Industry and Tourism pouring funding into maintaining around 60,000km of official paths. Your interest in these ways helps keep them going, both for tourists and the local people who walk them daily.
These aren’t old routes found on a dusty hotel bookshelf. Our experts love walking as much as you do, testing paths regularly to check that cues are up to date, right down to seasonal adjustments – if a tree is in leaf or not, whether a church is open, or where to stop for the best seasonal treats.
And they’re not the only people checking the routes. Walking has long been a popular activity in Spain, with the Ministry of Industry and Tourism pouring funding into maintaining around 60,000km of official paths. Your interest in these ways helps keep them going, both for tourists and the local people who walk them daily.
Catalonia self guided walking vacations, Spain
Self-guided walking vacations in Catalonia
From
€973 to €1099
8 days
ex flights
Menorca walking vacation, Spain
Idyllic golden beaches, hidden coves and deep blue bays
From
£909 to £1159
8 days
ex flights
Sierra Nevada self guided hiking, Spain
Sierra Nevada and Las Alpujarras self guided hiking
From
€385 to €695
8 days
ex flights
Spanish Pyrenees self guided hiking vacation
Explore the spectacular Pyrenees & Ordesa National Park
From
€800 to €1250
7 days
ex flights
Catalonia walking vacation in Spain, self guided
Winding sandy paths of mainland Spain's loveliest coast
From
£1039 to £1359
7 days
ex flights
Picos de Europa self guided hiking vacation, Spain
Hike across the stunning Picos De Europa
From
€715
8 days
ex flights
Cultural connections: from beach barbecues to restored farmhouses
It’s not just the walks that reflect our local experts’ love of place – it’s the food, accommodation and people they can put you in touch with too. Some of our hotels offer homemade picnics of tortillas and empanadas, almond cakes, sweet pink tomato salads and fresh oranges still in leaf.
Others stick to breakfast so you have the freedom to try any eateries en route. This is your chance to really get a taste for the environment – chestnut soup cooked with ingredients from thousand-year-old forests; Pyrenean mountain towns serving fideua noodle paella; chiringuito stalls barbecuing sardines right on the beach.
Airbnb is more of a bane than a boon in Spain. Our vacations offer a better alternative: small hotels and guest houses that are part of the communities you walk through, owned and staffed by local people who know the walking paths well. It might be a farmhouse in a hamlet of shepherding families or a boutique hotel by the sea. It’s also another thing you don’t have to plan.
Others stick to breakfast so you have the freedom to try any eateries en route. This is your chance to really get a taste for the environment – chestnut soup cooked with ingredients from thousand-year-old forests; Pyrenean mountain towns serving fideua noodle paella; chiringuito stalls barbecuing sardines right on the beach.
Airbnb is more of a bane than a boon in Spain. Our vacations offer a better alternative: small hotels and guest houses that are part of the communities you walk through, owned and staffed by local people who know the walking paths well. It might be a farmhouse in a hamlet of shepherding families or a boutique hotel by the sea. It’s also another thing you don’t have to plan.
Walking when everything is planned gives you a lot of peace of mind – and that’s the whole idea.
“There is nothing that can destroy a hiking trip more than getting tired and not being able to find accommodation,” says Rasmus Pederson, from our Camino de Santiago experts Spain is More. “Walking when everything is planned gives you a lot of peace of mind – and that’s the whole idea. Then you can leave your phone in your pocket.”
Beyond walking, our self guided trips offer a raft of cultural connections to choose from. Our accommodation owners might invite a local band over for the evening or introduce you to their neighbours. They can recommend their favorite vineyards and tune you into local festivals well under the tourist radar.
Even on the Camino de Santiago, which by nature is a well-worn route from A to B, you’ll be invited to add activities that give you a glimpse of the place beyond the pilgrimage. “It was important to us, being able to offer other things than walking,” says Rasmus, “like stopping for a day to surf, canoeing and other activities.”
Beyond walking, our self guided trips offer a raft of cultural connections to choose from. Our accommodation owners might invite a local band over for the evening or introduce you to their neighbours. They can recommend their favorite vineyards and tune you into local festivals well under the tourist radar.
Even on the Camino de Santiago, which by nature is a well-worn route from A to B, you’ll be invited to add activities that give you a glimpse of the place beyond the pilgrimage. “It was important to us, being able to offer other things than walking,” says Rasmus, “like stopping for a day to surf, canoeing and other activities.”
Bonus: add-on guided walks & activities
A welcome meeting is standard for many of our self guided walking vacations so you can chat through routes and ask any questions.
“Sometimes it’s just 20 minutes,” says Steve Clifford, from our Catalonia self guided walking experts Catalan Adventures. “But sometimes it can be an hour. Sometimes we get on really well and we’re the ones keeping guests up, chatting to them, asking about where they’re from... At the end, we have so many invites to all over the world, staying with people. Maybe one day we’ll take them all up on their offers.”
“Sometimes it’s just 20 minutes,” says Steve Clifford, from our Catalonia self guided walking experts Catalan Adventures. “But sometimes it can be an hour. Sometimes we get on really well and we’re the ones keeping guests up, chatting to them, asking about where they’re from... At the end, we have so many invites to all over the world, staying with people. Maybe one day we’ll take them all up on their offers.”
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Our top 5 places for self guided walking in Spain
Costa Brava, Catalonia
“The light all along the coast is absolutely incredible,” says Steve. “One of the things Dali loved about this area was the light; it seems to lift people’s spirits.” Combine the light with our walks, and you’ll practically be skipping from sail-white seaside towns to rugged trails with sculptural rock formations. Once you’ve had your fill of sun and sea, the mountain towns of the Catalan Pyrenees are just up the (very windy) road.
Our top trip: Catalonia self guided walking vacation
Read more: Catalonia walking guide
Insider tip: Dali is one of Catalonia’s most notorious sons but do look beyond. This coast also inspired the likes of Surrealist artist Joan Miro, painter Matisse and photographer Colita. Barcelona has a bottomless rotation of exhibitions in its events calendar.
Our top trip: Catalonia self guided walking vacation
Read more: Catalonia walking guide
Insider tip: Dali is one of Catalonia’s most notorious sons but do look beyond. This coast also inspired the likes of Surrealist artist Joan Miro, painter Matisse and photographer Colita. Barcelona has a bottomless rotation of exhibitions in its events calendar.
Picos de Europa National Park
Formed in 1918, the Picos de Europa was the first national park in Spain, protecting sharp-toothed mountains formed by glaciers and the Atlantic weather. Small-scale farmers and winemakers live in limestone villages, alongside Cantabrian brown bears, Iberian wolves, rebeco chamois, deer and gold-bellied bearded vultures. Our self guided walks stick to the lower footpaths that don’t need expertise or equipment, including the 12km-long Cares Gorge trail. It’s not the climb that’ll get your heart racing there, but the chasm-crossing bridges and spectacular sheer cliffs.Our top trip: Picos de Europa self guided walking vacation
Read more: Picos de Europa travel guide
Insider tip: The popular Cares Gorge walk gets very busy in July and August, so visit outside these months if you fancy trekking it in peace and taking the pressure off the well-worn trail.
Sierra de Aracena & Picos de Aroche, Andalucia
Cork and holm oaks, sweet chestnuts, olive groves, hawthorn and juniper… The Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche offer what much of Andalucia does not: green, shady sweeps of forests more akin to the Basque Country and Costa Verde. Which makes sense, as many of these trees were brought by settlers from the north. Valleys keep gorges and rivers secluded and cool, sheltering Europe’s biggest colony of black vultures, as well as deer, snuffling boars and mongoose-like genets with leopard-print coats.Our top trip: Southern Spain self guided walking tour
Read more: Sierra de Aracena walking guide and Andalucia walking guide
Insider tip: “The Spanish like the area in autumn. You get the autumn colours; you get the sweet chestnuts,” says Lucy. “For me personally, I love the spring – the colour of the sweet chestnut when it comes out is so vibrant and you get the wild peonies growing underneath. They are gorgeous… in the spring the flowers and birdlife are absolutely amazing.”
Camino de Santiago, Northern Spain
The Camino is the most famous pilgrimage path in Europe. Go for the classic: the French Way, which leads pilgrims from the French border to the holy cathedral at Santiago de Compostela. Or take the quieter English or Portuguese Way. These paths are well-trod by pilgrims from all over the world, so signage is clear and informative along the whole route. Just look out for the scallop symbols that adorn Camino signs – the shells were traditionally used as talismans and water cups.
Our top trip: French Way walking vacation
Read more: Camino de Santiago travel guide
Insider tip: Book more time than you need so you can indulge in diversions. “The region is famous for dinosaur footsteps,” says Rasmus. “You can visit an interesting dinosaur museum or see ancient cave paintings. Plus, you have really nice beaches.”
Our top trip: French Way walking vacation
Read more: Camino de Santiago travel guide
Insider tip: Book more time than you need so you can indulge in diversions. “The region is famous for dinosaur footsteps,” says Rasmus. “You can visit an interesting dinosaur museum or see ancient cave paintings. Plus, you have really nice beaches.”
Ordesa & Monte Perdido National Park, Aragon
The high Pyrenees offer something completely different – snow-capped 3,000m-plus peaks and sleepy ski villages just a stone’s throw away from the French border. Deep valleys shelter different ecosystems, from pine forests and wildflower meadows to glaciers and karst formations. Plus, villages scatter the valleys that, due to the rugged terrain, are tiny and far and few between, living off farming and tourism. We base you in a restored 17th-century farmhouse to embrace the Pyrenean peace – and the paths from the doorstep.Our top trip: Spanish Pyrenees self guided walking vacation
Read more: Spanish Pyrenees walking guide
Insider tip: If you see an elongated shadow skimming across the ground, look up – it’s probably a bearded vulture, which has seen numbers boosted by a successful conservation project that our vacations support.
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