In Pictures: Gray Day at the Peaks of Europe (Los Picos de Europa) in the North of Spain. . . with Kids (Day 5)

Onwards, northwards. . . to Los Picos de Europa (the Peaks of Europe) in the mountains of Cantabria and Asturia in northern Spain. They say, these mountain peaks were the first sign of Europe that people travelling on ships from America would see. This was our main destination and reason for an waverly route on our second summer camping road trip to Poland (and back) (this was of course before the coronavirus/covid-19 pandemic). Here it is, in pictures.

As the story goes, in the old days, when people used to cross the Atlantic by ship, Los Picos de Europa (or the peaks of Europe) were the first things they saw from afar, before reaching the Old Continent.

This highest spot in Spain is nature’s masterpiece. Located in the north of the country in the Province of Cantabria, it is wild, not too touristy and so picturesque that you could just sit and enjoy the panoramic views for hours on end (unless you have kids of course and you don’t want them to fall off that cliff).

Lots of fantastic hiking and mountain biking opportunities, again, not for us because of our young kids (…it is the “official” excuse, the unofficial is that we are just not quite fit enough. . . maybe a littlelot lazy too).

Be mindful though if you drive there. The serpentine roads could get very narrow and, with a huge truck in front of you and speedy-gonzales cars in the back, you’ll just have to play that chill-out music into your music player and just let go. Keep safe!

We only had one-and-half day so we hit the two places that seemed very unique to us: Teleforica de Fuente De Cantabria. Haven’t I mentioned already that I am not fit enough to be climbing mountains? : ) For people like me they invented cable cars that bring you close to the peak of a mountain without having to sweat a drop. Highly recommended.

The views from up there are breathtaking! Lots of hiking paths if you wish to climb even higher and touch the snow–yes, snow (probably even the remnants of some ancient glacier), even in the summer!

You can also choose to trek with your kiddos on the easier routes. This was a very memorable trip for us. If you want to test your muscles, you may want to go down on foot.

Initially, we thought we could do it.

But 14 kilometers of wild mountain paths knocked some sense into our heads. So we decided to catch the cable car down instead.

Los Picos de Europa is definitely an attractive destination, not only for the trekkers and hiking lovers, but also for the just-mountain-view-and-cable-car-lovers. . . even on a gray cloudy day, like in the pictures. Its proximity to the Cantabrian Sea is definitely a plus.

It also does rain sometimes in the mountains! Sometimes? Yeah!? We got caught up in the rain and could not make it to our planned destination and ended up at La Viorna camping site.

It still rained, but we decided to brave it and show the kids that we can be real campers and set up the tent in the pouring rain. Yeah man! Yes we can and yes we did–wet and shivering as skinny puppies–but we did it!

La Viorna camping site was very well run. The staff was relaxed and helpful. They spoke multiple foreign languages and would answer all of your questions.

Since it is in the mountains, the pitch areas are elevated enabling the campers to wake up to beautiful mountain views.

There is a kiddie pool (Kaj loved it), very small playground and another play area with billiards and table football. One can never be too young to learn to play billiards. Kaj and Karol really enjoyed playing their version of it.

La Viorna is located near a charming town of Potes–worth a stop for coffee or “orujo“–some kind of firewater (aguardente) or clear liquor common in northern Spain that can have an alcohol level of up to 50 percent!

Look for a **** souvenir store with a Polish lady working there. She will let you taste all kinds of good stuff before you purchase anything. Poles really are everywhere!

In the area there are many attractions that could keep you busy for a couple of weeks.