Last minute outdoor adventures can often be the best. You start mentally planning on Monday for a weekend of exploration and adventure, making the working week fly past.

When we wanted some gravel adventure last summer, we decided to head to the Picos de Europa mountains - so called as they were the first peaks that navigators discovered when they first landed in the northern part of Spain.

"Without hesitation we packed our gravel bikes."

Although it was the end of July, we monitored the weather forecast carefully.  It is a mountainous area with several passes close to 2,000m. Storms threatened, which caused us some uncertainty, but not enough to stop us. Without hesitation we packed our gravel bikes.

The main plan was to cross the Central Massif and to enjoy several days of incredible and almost unexplored landscapes on a gravel bike. We wanted to tour the national park to the fullest, enjoying its surroundings and open vistas. We had a route in mind with some asphalt, but the vast majority contained magical sections of gravel.

The tracks guided us up and down the mountain every day to show us all the beauty of the National Park. Letting the exploration begin. Riding from sunrise to sunset. Making the most of the area. Enjoying the most beautiful trail options that we could find. Using up every minute of the daylight hours before Autumn closes in.

We stayed in hostels, rural houses and mountain shelters. Synonymous with harmony with nature. Spending free time in the open air and being immersed in a rural environment, rich in culture and abundant with high quality local produce. These are lovely places to stay, at a good price.

Our trip focused on the Picos de Europa National Park. We found a route that ran through its entire circuit, going up and down the mountain (although not up to the peaks…) on a mixture of paved and unpaved roads.

• Location - Picos de Europa, Spain.
• Stages - Three
• Total distance ridden - 200 km
• Accumulated metres of ascent - 6,600 m

The best time to do this route is in summer, since in spring and autumn you can find snow in the highest passes since they are around 2,000m in several points. With its high altitude and the thermal influence of the mountains, cloud formation can occur rapidly. Be prepared for all weather conditions if you plan on riding here.

As a minimum, I would recommend 40mm tyres. There are very steep climbs, so bring your climbing gears (or your climbing legs…)

"The tracks guided us up and down the mountain every day to show us all the beauty of the National Park"