If one excursion defines the Costa Verde Express, it is the climb into the Picos de Europa — Spain's first national park (1918), a wall of limestone peaks rising over 2,600 metres barely 20 km from the sea.
The Sanctuary of Covadonga
The basilica and the holy cave of Covadonga mark the legendary start of the Reconquista — a place of pilgrimage set against sheer mountain walls.
The Lakes of Covadonga
Higher still lie the glacial lakes of Enol and Ercina, ringed by alpine pasture where cattle graze and the famed Cabrales blue cheese is made in mountain caves. On a clear day the views run back to the distant coast.
