June 6, 2020
Picos Mixed Activity Week
from $1,879.00
An active week immersed in the pristine nature of Spain’s first national park
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Reviews 7 Reviews5/5
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Vacation Style Holiday Type
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Canoeing
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Cultural
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Activity Level Moderate
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Group Size Small Group
All about the Picos Mixed Activity Week.
Spain’s first national park offers some of the finest, most dramatic mountain scenery in the country. With lush valleys, wide rivers, deep rocky gorges, huge cave systems and cliffs that have long been a mecca for climbers, the Picos de Europa provides the perfect location for a mixed activity week. Based in a small family-run hotel at the foot of the high Picos, we try a new, adrenaline-powered activity every day. Previous experience is not required as full instruction will be given, but those who have experience will also be catered for.
The tour package inclusions and exclusions at a glance
What is included in this tour?Items that are included in the cost of tour price.
* All breakfasts, 5 picnic lunches and 6 dinners
* All accommodation
* Airport transfers (at designated times)
Tour leader throughout.
What is not included in this tour?
- Flights
- Single Accommodation (available on request, inquire for supplement)
Highlights
- Canyoning in the Rubo Gorge
- Canoe on the spectacular Sella River
- Trek through the famous Cares Gorge
- Cycle on the coastal paths of the old Camino de Santiago
- Stay at the foot of the Picos de Europa mountains
- 7 nights at the family-run Hotel Torrecerredo
- 5 days of mixed activities and 1 free day
- Group normally 4 to 16, plus local leader. Min age 16yrs
- No previous experience necessary but must be able to swim
- Day 1 Start Arena de Cabrales
- Day 2 Day of canyoning in the Rubo Gorge with optional water slides, jumps and abseils.
- Day 3 Classic Cares Gorge walk, one of the most popular walks in Spain.
- Day 4 Canoeing along the famous River Sella, renowned for its annual canoe competitions.
- Day 5 Free day to relax at the hotel, take a trip to the coast or choose from optional activities including climbing and caving.
- Day 6 Spectacular ride on Fuente Dé cable car; afternoon walk and visit to the mediaeval village of Potes.
- Day 7 Mountain biking along the coastal paths of the old Camino de Santiago; free time at the beach (seasonal).
- Day 8 End Arena de Cabrales.
Where you stay
Hotel Torrecerredo
Our base for the week is the lovely Hotel Torrecerredo, a small family-run hotel in Arenas de Cabrales, It has a pleasant garden terrace attached to the café bar and the panoramic restaurant gives views right up to the mountains peaks. All rooms have en-suite facilities along with TV and Wi-Fi. The hotel is situated in a rural setting, five minutes’ walk from the centre of the village, which is well serviced with banks, cafes and shops. The hotel’s restaurant serves delicious meals all cooked with locally sourced ingredients.
Single supplements are available (on request).
Eating and Drinking
All breakfasts, 5 picnic lunches and 6 dinners are included.
The region has several delicious specialities for you to try while you are staying here. The area is famous for its gold-medal-winning blue cheese, Queso Cabrales, which is matured in some of the thousands of deep limestone caves that dot the hills. Lesser known, but equally appealing is the local lamb Cordero al la Menta and a wholesome bean stew, Fabada Asturiana. Fresh fish comes from the coast at Llanes and Ribadesella, half an hour’s drive away. The local wine is very drinkable, though a glass of local cider can be more refreshing.
Breakfast:Â Fruit juice, tea, freshly ground coffee, cereals, bread, cold meats, cheeses and a selection of local fruit (depending on season) offered buffet-style. There are also eggs cooked to order, sponge and Anis cake.
Lunch:Â Generally includes a large bread roll, with a choice of fillings daily, chocolates and fresh fruit.
Dinner:Â Homemade three-course meal usually consists of soup or salad for the first course, a choice of 3 main courses, with meat, fish, or vegetarian, followed by a homemade dessert.
Wine:Â To accompany the evening meal, the hotel has a reasonably comprehensive wine list available.
Over the years, the hotel has developed tasty vegetarian alternatives. Please let us know in advance if you are vegetarian or have any other special dietary requirements.
This trip is a Mixed Activity trip and Activity Level: 3 (Moderate).
This is an exciting and adventurous holiday designed to put a smile on your face as well as have your pulse racing. There is the chance to go canoeing and canyoning, in addition to mountain biking and walking. As with all of our mixed activity trips, no experience is required to sign up for this holiday and those that have experience will still be entertained as there are a wide range of levels and grades to suit all. To enjoy this trip to the full, a decent level of fitness and agility is required. Please note that each activity leader is fully qualified to instruct in their field and reserves the right to refuse participation of any client on any activities if they feel this will compromise the safety and enjoyment of the group.
Overall Rating
5/5
A fantastic week!
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The canyoning day was amazing, especially abseiling down waterfalls and jumping into deep pools.What did you think of your group leader?
Mike was a fantastic group leader. He was friendly and professional but still retained a wonderful sense of fun and good humour. We had so many laughs with him. He was extremely knowledgeable and confident about all of the activities we did and he was very supportive on the gorge walking day, as due to the weather the gorge heated up like an oven!Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Everyone in the group coped with all the activities but they were fairly challenging, especially in the hot weather we experienced. Make sure you are prepared for all types of weather, from rain to very high temperatures. We experienced both rain and 36 degrees in the shade within days of each other.Is there anything else you would like to add?
Hotel Torrecerredo is a family run business. The rooms were rustic and quaint and very clean and comfortable. The food was exceptional. We have done lots of exodus trips and it was by far the best food we have ever had. We don't think you could have eaten better in a 5* restaurant. Jim and Pilar were very friendly and really made us feel comfortable and welcome throughout our stay. The bar was cheap!!!Fantastic - amazing experience
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
All the activities were enjoyable, highlights for me were the gorge walk and the 35km bike ride (in the pouring rain, but it was warm rain and we all had a lot of fun regardless).What did you think of your group leader?
Excellent, very experienced and we felt very confident with him in charge.Is there anything else you would like to add?
Just booked my 4th Exodus trip, hoping it will be as good as the others I've taken.Picos mixed activity
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Walking through the rubo gorge in mist and rain.What did you think of your group leader?
Nacho was amazing, patient, encouraging and looked after us all.Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
A good holiday for lone travellers or friends but need to be active if not that fit.Picos in August
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The walk along the Cares Gorge was probably the highlight, as I am not good with heights. So it was a challenge. And 24k in warm weather is a good workout. Canyoning is always a favourite of mine and did not disappoint.What did you think of your group leader?
Javi was excellent. He has an excellent sense of humour and fun, and went out of his way to make the trip memorable. He also switched the schedule around to make the most of the weather.Picos Mixed Activity week
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
I'm not sure there was one inspirational moment but what really made it was a fantastic group of people. The hotel was great and the food well... 4 course meals everyday! My personal favourite 3 dishes were the local trout, seabass and the surprise winner was Jim's carrot and coriander soup! It was like being on Masterchef guessing the ingredients! I enjoyed all the activities too, although I think I needed a rest after the week. The canyoning was great. I was a bit scared of jumping but you felt really looked after, it was made fun and jumps were not obligatory. Canoeing in the sun was lovely and I spend the free day with a group walking by the coast and swimming in the sea which was great. I think we all particularly enjoyed the cable car and walking day - despite the rain! Felt like being in the Lakes! The pace of the trip was just right with fairly leisurely starts but then really full days. A great balance of activities.What did you think of your group leader?
Javier was great! He soon entered into the group sense of humour! (He had no choice with our group!) Always professional but fun, he added an extra dimension to the trip and was always willing to go that step further to ensure things were ok for everyone. He adapted the programme of activities to the weather which maximised the enjoyment gained from each one.Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Make sure you bring a wide range of clothes. Don't expect wall to wall sunshine. The weather was just right for most of the activities but being in the mountains means we did have some rain. You will need trainers/walking boots for canyoning and canoeing and they WILL get wet! The drying room at the hotel was good but I was glad I had taken a range of footwear and trousers/shorts.Is there anything else you would like to add?
You need to be relatively fit for the activities as some of the walks are fairly long (although not too difficult). However, no activity is obligitory and people were able to go at their own pace. If you are in any doubt - book it - I'm sure you won't regret it!