VAN-COMPARATOR Guide
The Picos de Europa by motorhome: green Spain from Bilbao
From Bilbao, 5 days of campervan in the Picos de Europa: the Covadonga lakes, Fuente Dé, Potes and the Cantabrian coast — regulated access, stages and budget.
By Clément Lacaille, editor of Van-Comparator · updated
Two hours from Bilbao, the Picos de Europa throw limestone walls 2,600 metres into the sky, barely twenty kilometres from the Atlantic. This is green Spain: mists, high pastures, fierce cheeses and mountain roads made for a compact van.
The itinerary
From Bilbao, head for Santillana del Mar and San Vicente de la Barquera, then enter the massif from the Asturian side: Covadonga and its lakes (Enol and Ercina), the emblematic heart of the park. Swing round via the Cares gorge to the Cantabrian side: Potes, a medieval town deep in the Liébana valley, and the Fuente Dé cable car, which lifts you to 1,823 metres in 4 minutes. Total loop: about 500 kilometres over 5 days. Bring layers whatever the month: this is Atlantic mountain weather, and ten degrees can separate the coast from Fuente Dé.
Regulated access: know before you go
In high season the Covadonga lakes road is closed to private vehicles for much of the day: mandatory shuttles run from Cangas de Onís — actually an advantage in a van, which you park without stress. Inside the national park, overnight parking is banned; the áreas and campsites of Cangas, Potes and Arenas de Cabrales take over (€8-18 a night).
Which vehicle, what budget
A campervan or converted van under 6.5 metres (€75-160/day): the gorges and village approaches are tight. Five days from Bilbao: €400-700 rental, €80 of fuel, €40-70 of overnight fees. On timing, see off-season motorhome rental: June and September are magic here.
Insider tip
Weather is everything: the southern side (Potes) often sits in sunshine while Covadonga is buried in cloud. Check the park webcams in the morning and reverse the loop without a second thought — that is the luxury of travelling by van.
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