DURATION
6 nights
LOCATION
Spain
ANNUAL LEAVE
5 days off work
SEASON
Jun-Sep
GROUP SIZE
Up to 14 people
MEETING POINT
Asturias Airport, Oviedo
ACCOMMODATION
Comfort
Hotel
OVERALL RATING
0.0
DIFFICULTY
Moderate
You'll need good fitness and a love of wild places, but this is a very accessible trip that mixes up which muscles you use each day!
Kayak down the stunning Río Deva and SUP along the dramatic cliffs and secluded bays of the Atlantic Coast
Slip and slide your way through the Picos de Europa, tackling natural water slides, abseiling down waterfalls and jumping into clear pools
Hit the trails of the spectacular Cares Gorge, hiking through rocky tunnels in the shadow of imposing peaks
Pedal a coastal section of the iconic Camino de Santiago, before cooling off in the pool at your base on the Costa Verde
Day 1
Welcome to Asturias!
Your host will meet you on arrival at Bilbao Airport and transfer you to Llanes, a charming port town nestled on the rugged Costa Verde. Meet up with the rest of your group for a dinner and chat through the adventure ahead with your host.
Day 2
Kayak down the Rio Deva
Kayaking
3-4hrs · 12km
Kickstart your adventure with a kayak descent of the spectacular River Deva, set to a stunning mountainous backdrop beneath the jagged jaws of the Picos de Europa mountain range. Tackle the exciting but manageable rapids in twin sit-on-top kayaks, with some easygoing paddling needed on the calmer stretches. Tuck into a picnic on the banks of the river and grab a dip if you're brave enough - the water has come straight from the Picos and is rather fresh! Enjoy dinner back in Llanes.
Day 3
SUP the Atlantic coast and go caving
Stand Up Paddleboarding
3hrs
Caving
2hrs
Swap the river for the sea today, heading along the coast near Llanes on a paddleboard. This stretch of shoreline is home to a series of cliffs giving way to scallop-shaped sandy beaches. Sea conditions will dictate where you head to find the calm waters - your guides know all the best spots and will provide instruction to anyone who hasn't been paddleboarding before. Tuck into a picnic lunch on the beach and enjoy a swim in the sea before going underground in the afternoon, as your guide leads you into some of the best limestone caves in Spain. Hike and crawl through a subterranean world, past amazing rock formations.
Day 4
The Cares Gorge path
Hiking
3-4hrs · 13km · 250m up · 150m down
Tick off an iconic and famous hike today. The Cares Gorge Trail is a spectacular path cut into the limestone of an imposing ravine, perched 300m above the Río Cares and surrounded by 2000m+ peaks. Drive into the heart of the Picos de Europa, finding the trailhead at Caín to set off on the narrow trail. Wind through small tunnels carved out of the rock and across bridges that hang over the abyss, while the river rages below and mountain goats watch from above. Finish up this memorable hike at Poncebos.
Day 5
Bike along the Camino de Santiago
Cycling
3-4hrs · 20km
Hop on a mountain bike at the small village of Buelna to pedal along the coast, discovering wonderful beaches, reaching clifftop lookouts and witnessing the spectacular Bufones de Pria - a natural phenomenon unique to this area, jets of seawater spout from holes and cracks eroded in limestone cliffs. You'll cycle along a section of the famous Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route, passing pilgrims on their way. Finish up in Llanes for another post-adventure dinner and maybe a drop of rioja or a cold sidre.
Day 6
Canyoning in the Picos
Canyoning
4-5hrs
Your final day of adventuring is a barnstorming one: head back into the Picos de Europa to explore this unique landscape from a totally different angle. Slip on a wetsuit, clip into your helmet in and spend the day leaping into natural wells and pools, slaloming along carved rock water slides, whizzing along zip-lines and abseiling down waterfalls. Your guides will instruct you and keep everyone safe along the way. Cap off a memorable day and toast an epic week of wild adventures with a visit to a local cider brewery for a typical Asturian dinner, washed down by plentiful amounts of sidre - the region's most famous tipple.
Day 7
Adios Asturias
The adventure comes to an end today as your host drives you back to Bilbao Airport in time for your onward flight home. If you are lingering longer in Spain, the Asturian and Cantabrian coastlines have some incredible beaches, good surf and laid back bars and cafes to discover.
Included
Guides
Expert, English-speaking activity guides
Accommodation
6 nights in a 4-star hotel in Llanes
Meals
6 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 2 dinners
Transfers
Airport transfers and everything in between
Equipment
Kayaks, SUPs, bikes, canyoning gear and all safety equipment
Not Included
Travel insurance
Flights to and from the meeting point
Personal expenses
Some meals as described
Tips for your guides
Visas where required
Day 1
Hotel · Twin share
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 2 – Day 5
Hotel · Twin share
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 6
Hotel · Twin share
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 7
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
What is the food like?
Breakfast at the hotel in Llanes is a sumptuous buffet that always gets rave reviews. Breads, pastries, baked treats, cereals, fruit, meats and cheeses. Lunches will be sandwiches and snacks to be enjoyed on beaches, riverbanks, clifftops and mountainsides, depending on the day of the trip. You'll have a traditional Asturian dinner on your first and last day with an array of local dishes to choose from. The other four dinners have been left out of the trip price to allow you to explore the bountiful food options in Llanes - which is particularly renowned for its seafood and pinchos (northern Spain's version of tapas).
What is the accommodation like?
Hotel Finca La Mansión
You have a single base for your whole trip, allowing you to settle in and enjoy downtime at the end of each of your big adventure days. You'll be staying at the 4-star Hotel Finca La Mansión in Llanes, a picturesque port town on the Asturian coast surrounded by beaches and blessed with history, culture, great seafood and a mountainous backdrop. The hotel has traditional rustic decor, an outdoor pool, garden and sun terrace. There are mountain views from many of the rooms, and the breakfast buffet is brilliant. You'll stay in twin-share rooms with en-suite bathroom.
Upgrades
For solo travellers looking for their own space, an optional private room can be booked for an extra charge, see Optional Extras for the price. Please request this at the time of booking.
The Area
Logistics
Starts
Bilbao Airport
13:00 on Day 1
Ends
Bilbao Airport
12:00 on Day 7
Transfers
Please arrive at Bilbao airport by 13:00 on Day 1 in order to join the group transfer from Bilbao Airport to Llanes for your first night. On Day 7, your host will provide a group transfer from Llanes back to Bilbao airport, dropping you off at approximately midday.
If you are arriving/departing at different times, on different days or flying to/from alternative airports (Asturias Airport or Santander Airport) your host can arrange private airport transfers for an additional charge, subject to availability. Please see Optional Extras for prices.
Travel options
Bilbao Airport is accessible via various direct flights from the UK and mainland Europe. Flights from outside of Europe are typically indirect.
Bilbao, Asturias and Santander airports are all an hour or two away from Llanes and have public transport options between them.
UK travellers with a bit more time (and possibly a vehicle) on their hands can travel to Asturias using the popular Portsmouth-Santander ferry route. Rail travellers can get to the start of this trip via Bilbao's main railway station - Bilbao Abando - which is well connected to various major cities in Spain. It is possible to travel from the UK to Llanes all the way by train, transiting through Paris and Hendaye in France, and Bilbao.
Enjoy 12.5% Off Outdoor Gear
In need of a few more items? All bookings receive a 12.5% discount to use at Cotswold Outdoor, Snow + Rock and Runner's Need.
What's included?
- Tandem sit-on-top kayaks and paddles
- Inflatable stand-up paddleboard, paddle and lifevest
- All your canyoning gear
- Front suspension 'hardtail' mountain bike & helmet
What do I need to bring?
BAGS
Main bag: duffel, rucksack or suitcase to be kept at base in Llanes
Daypack (15-30 litres)
Waterproof liner for daypack
Small drybags if you want to take your phone with you on the water-based activities
CLOTHES
Lightweight waterproof and windproof jacket
Fleece jacket or similar
Buff or neck scarf
Lightweight trousers/shorts/skirts
T-shirts
Underwear and socks
Swimwear - multiple sets for both the hotel pool and the water activities
Sunglasses with leash
Sunhat
Hiking boots or trail runners (worn-in)
Old trainers/trail runners for the canyoning
OTHER
Universal travel plug adapter
Passports (and visas)
Travel insurance documents
Suncream
Personal first-aid kit (inc. blister treatment)
Personal items (biodegradable toiletries, sanitary wear etc)
Quick-dry towel
Alcohol hand-gel
Face mask
Two reusable water bottles x1 litre
OPTIONAL
Earplugs
Energy bars and snacks
Single room in July & August
Payable Before Departure
Single room in July & August
… Per Night
Single room in June/September/October
Payable Before Departure
Single room in June/September/October
… Per Night
Twin/double room in July & August
Payable Before Departure
Twin/double room in July & August
… Per Night
Twin/double room in June/September/October
Payable Before Departure
Twin/double room in June/September/October
… Per Night
Optional Private Room Upgrade - July & August
Payable Before Departure
Optional Private Room Upgrade - July & August
…
Optional Private Room Upgrade - June & September
Payable Before Departure
Optional Private Room Upgrade - June & September
…
Private Transfer Bilbao Airport to Llanes (1-8 people)
Payable Before Departure
Private Transfer Bilbao Airport to Llanes (1-8 people)
…
Private Transfer Asturias or Santander Airport to Cangas de Onis (1-8 people)
Payable Before Departure
Private Transfer Asturias or Santander Airport to Cangas de Onis (1-8 people)
…
We’re still waiting to collect any reviews from other travellers on this trip. However, all our hosts go through an extensive vetting process to ensure that your adventure is awesome.
We've crunched the numbers to work out the total carbon footprint of this trip, and plant enough trees to suck 2x as much back out the atmosphere.
What's the number?
It works out on average at 153kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.
The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal for 2023 to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.
But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:
- Driving 1000miles/1609km would be approx. 281kg of CO2 in an average car (or 140.5kg per person if there was 2 of you in it).
- A return economy class flight London - New York would be approx. 1,619kg (1.66 tonnes) per person.
- 10 trees in a temperate forest are estimated to remove approx. 250kg of CO2 from the air in a period of 5-10 years.
What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. For every person booked with us since 2016 we’re planting enough trees to suck at least 2x more carbon out the atmosphere than is emitted by their trips. All native trees, as part of amazing projects that are re-foresting degraded land, tackling the biodiversity crisis and supporting local communities at the same time. We go further than that too, also funding re-wilding projects worldwide to help protect important keystone species from extinction. See the reforestation and re-wilding schemes we support. See our carbon action plan.
Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.
All of the activities on this trip can be done without any previous experience - you'll have expert guides to show you the ropes and help you navigate the kayaking, canyoning and SUPing. The cycle ride along the Camino de Santiago is best enjoyed if you feel comfortable riding a bike off-road, though no technical mountain biking skills are needed. The hike along the Cares Gorge walk is an easy one - it's mostly flat, so it's manageable by anyone who can handle walking for a few hours. The trail is narrow in parts with a steep drop on one side, so those with an extreme fear of heights should be wary, but it's really quite a relaxed hike managed by people of all ages and fitness levels.
Sure can! Over 50% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
Tips are not included in the trip cost. These are entirely at your discretion and are non-compulsory on this trip. Of course, if you feel that your guides provided an exceptional experience then you are welcome to tip as much as you feel is appropriate. You should factor in tipping 10% on top of the bill in any bars and restaurants during the trip.
The water in the Picos is safe to drink and you are able to fill up freely at your hotel base and at stops along the way in the Picos and along the coastal stretches of the trip. Make sure to bring a couple of 1-litre reusable drinking bottles or a bladder.
The weather in this part of Spain can be very changeable, so be sure to pack for all weathers. Mainly it tends to be dry and sunny on the south face of the Picos (where you'll be doing the Cares Gorge hike and the canyoning). June and September are cooler months to visit, while temperatures i July and August can rise above 30°C/85°F.
Yes, you can leave your main pack and any other luggage in the hotel in Llanes throughout the adventure, just taking a daypack with you for each day out.
For current advice about travelling in Spain, have a read of the UK Foreign Office pages here.
Our recommended travel insurance provider is Campbell Irvine.
Travel insurance is compulsory on all of our adventures. Your insurance should include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment and the specific activities involved on your adventure.
Your insurance policy should also include specific Covid-19 cover, including cancellation and curtailment cover if you, your travel companion or a close relative are diagnosed with Covid-19.
We fully endorse Campbell Irvine as their insurance offers all of the above, so get in touch with them or call on 020 7938 1734 to get your insurance sorted. We suggest that you book travel insurance as soon as you book your adventure, just to cover you for any last minute life changes. We know you’re an active lot and injuries do happen!
We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.
If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.
All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. Children can be accommodated on some private departures.
You're in good company. Our adventures are typically made up of a mix of solo travellers and small groups of two or three friends who simply love adventure, pushing themselves and meeting awesome like-minded people. See here for more info about our lovely bunch of Much Better Adventurers.
Want to book a private trip? Just tap ‘Private Group’ in the dates and prices tab.
Your trip is led by carefully curated local hosts and expert guides. See here for more info about the guides we work with.
Pay In Installments
You can choose to pay for this trip in as many installments as you like, with no interest or fees.
Full Financial Protection
Your money is safe. Every booking is fully financially protected.
