I have driven through Asturias and Cantabria many times, on my way to Galicia and Portugal, but I had never found the time or the weather conditions to explore the Picos de Europa National Park. In June 2025, I finally seized the moment, during my last trip to Northern Spain, starting with a beautiful hike to the Vega de Urriellu Refuge, under the famous Naranjo de Bulnes.

Vega de Urriellu Refuge, at Naranjo de Bulnes (Picos de Europa)

Entering the Park, leaving the coast on the Ocean, was spectacular in itself. A pleasant countryside of hills was replaced first by a wide valley, from which at a certain point I could admire the rocky monolith of Naranjo de Bulnes, the iconic peak of the park; then, from Arenas de Cabrales to Poncebos, I drove through a deep rocky gorge, crossed only by the road and the Cares stream, and then an increasingly wild and typically high-altitude panorama, with a dolomitic appearance (the rocks here also emerged from the sea millions of years ago, and are of limestone nature).

I should have arrived and slept at Collado Pandèbano, from where to start the excursion to the Refuge the day after, but the ruts of the initial stretch of the dirt road (and the love for my camperized van) made me give up.

So I stationed myself with the van, alone, in one of the first clearings at the beginning of the road, near the Invernales del Texu (see my map below), in a wild environment, and I started cooking, at the last light of the evening, consulting the internet to find out about the animals present in the park..... (there are wolves, bears, as well as chamois, deer, eagles, etc.). In reality, I later discovered that I was not so alone... In addition to some guys camped in a tent in a meadow on the banks of the stream, near me, to whom I gave a light for the fire, the next morning I discovered that along the dirt road up to the Collado Pandebano, there were many vans camped, whose owners had fewer worries traveling the bumpy road.

The next morning, I woke up at around 6:30, and at 8,00 I set off, still in the cool air, to walk the 3.5 kms to Collado, and then take the path to the Vega de Urriellu refuge.

Click here, for photos of the excursion to Rifugio Vega de Urriellu

The lower part of these valleys and mountains immediately struck me. They are less populated and wilder mountains than those I am usually used to seeing in Italy. And they are incredibly green: the rains poured here by the ocean air make lush vegetation grow. The rest is done by warm and sunny days like the one of my hike. Part of the woods, though, have been cut down to make room for pastures, occupied by numerous herds of cows and bulls.

Following the dirt road I easily reached Collado Pandèbano, in about 30-40 minutes. From here, I took the path to the refuge, following the signs. Shortly after, after passing the pretty Refuge de la Terenosa, I continued to climb, on a slope exposed to the north, up to a small rocky saddle (Collado Valleju), from which you can see the Vega de Urriellu refuge in the distance; you will not see it again until the arrival.

From here, the trail makes a long loop, first to the South, and then to the South-West, entering the head of the valley that descends from the Naranjo de Bulnes (or Pico de Urriellu, 2518 m), and all the other towers of the Picos de Europa massif. The Naranjo is an imposing rocky monolith that can be glimpsed from the Collado Pandèbano, but which then appears increasingly evident near the refuge. Wisely, I made the excursion taking advantage of the early hours of the morning, because, as already mentioned, the altitude has only partially mitigated the intense heat of the summer day. How much I have missed, here, the refreshment guaranteed by the ocean, on the coast!

The last part of the trail climbs steeply among scree, without the destination being visible, which, finally, appears behind a last rocky bastion. I arrived at the Hut after 3 hours and 40 minutes of walking, and about 1100 meters of altitude difference. I immediately enjoyed a good Cerveza, and then layed down on a flat meadow near the refuge, to eat, relax, and contemplate the wall of Naranjo in front of me. The area is worth exploring. From the Refuge, the paths continue towards the other peaks and passes, that lead to the other refuges.

At around 1:00 pm, I set off again to go down, meeting many other hikers on my way, who were going up in the central hours, including a group of Asians (Japanese?), who, probably attracted by the usual Instagram pictures, were trying to reach the refuge with 32 degrees.... I saw them, later, retracing their steps, without having reached the destination..... On the way back, I also met an Iberian Viper, which, unfortunately, I didn't have time to photograph.

I returned to the van after almost 3 hours of descent, and I had the immense pleasure of taking a nice cool shower, on the spot, to bring down the temperature a bit. The pleasures of vanlife......

Have a good hike. Fabio

Click here, for photos of the excursion to Rifugio Vega de Urriellu