{"id":13863,"date":"2026-04-29T11:24:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T11:24:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/13863\/"},"modified":"2026-04-29T11:24:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T11:24:14","slug":"7-of-the-best-national-parks-in-spain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/13863\/","title":{"rendered":"7 of the best national parks in Spain"},"content":{"rendered":"

Travelers flock to Spain<\/a> for its manmade wonders: towering cathedrals, ancient art, and avant-garde Michelin cuisine. But before workers laid cobblestone streets, Spain\u2019s natural landscapes helped its inhabitants thrive\u2014mountains protected them from invaders, thick oak forests provided shelter, and oceans supplied bounties of edible fish.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Today, the country preserves its natural beauty and rich biodiversity through 16 national parks.\u00a0\u201cThe National Parks Network looks to ensure that ecosystems of the varied Spanish diversity are represented,” says Dolores Roll\u00e1n Monedero, the head of Spain\u2019s National Parks Network Management Area.\u00a0\u201cThis makes each park in the network unique.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Along with scenic trails and ski slopes, parks give refuge to one of the largest migratory bird populations in the world, and wildflowers bloom heavily throughout. More than 60 species of wild orchids thrive in the Pyrenees mountain range.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

David Gomez and Jeremy Dack, founders of Pyrenees and More<\/a>, an adventure travel agency, note that part of the parks\u2019 singularity lies in how they\u2019ve organically integrated with the populations who have lived there for thousands of years. \u201c[The parks] are a part of our life in this sense,\u201d says Gomez. A visit to a national park facilitates encounters with both history and tradition, from remote shepherd huts to enchanting villages. This also means most parks are open year-round and free to visitors\u2014funded by taxpayers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

To make the most of your experience, Roll\u00e1n highly recommends stopping at the visitor center\u2014or\u00a0centro de interpretaci\u00f3n\u2014before entering. Here, visitors can get a better appreciation and respect for the varied ecological systems within the parks.\u00a0Here are seven of the best national parks in Spain.\u00a0<\/p>\n

(Here’s our essential guide to visiting Spain<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Straddling the provinces of Asturias, Cantabria, and Castilla y Le\u00f3n autonomous communities, the Picos de Europa National Park is the country\u2019s first national park (est. 1918). Visitors can hit the Desceceso de Sella, a kayaking route along the Gue\u00f1a River, hopping off at riverside shacks for bottles of local cider along the way. Or take a bus ride up to the Lakes of Covadonga and the nearby holy sanctuary where\u00a0Spain\u2019s Reconquista<\/a>\u00a0is said to have begun. This park is also home to some of the best climbing walls in the country, like the south face of Pe\u00f1a Santa. Along with summits around the Fuente D\u00e9\u00a0gondola, hikers can\u2019t miss the Ruta de Cares, a 15-mile in-and-out route that takes hikers from Asturias to Castilla y Le\u00f3n.\u00a0<\/p>\n

(Spain\u2019s most decadent foodie town isn\u2019t where you think it is<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Welcome to the heart of the Spanish Pyrenees. Four valleys make up the park: Ordesa, Pineta, A\u00f1isclo, and Escua\u00edn. Meanwhile, Mount Perdido\u2019s 11,000 feet of limestone towers over the Spanish border at the center of the park like a protective barrier. This park\u2014recognized as a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 1997\u2014features geological landforms and pastoral landscapes preserving a unique way of agricultural life and society. Well-marked trails abound\u2014the Cola de Caballo hike (12 miles\/19.7 km) can be busy in the summer but is no less stunning. Gomez and Dack recommend hiking the road less traveled via the five-hour Faja Rac\u00f3n circular trail (7 miles\/11 km) along the canyon\u2019s ledge.\u00a0<\/p>\n

(Seven lesser known Spanish towns that welcome visitors<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Along the Catalan<\/a> side of the Pyrenees, the jagged peaks and glacial lakes of Aig\u00fcestortes boast year-round activity. In the winter, slopes open on the park\u2019s periphery in Val d\u2019Aran. Fall is a vibrant explosion of fiery auburn forests; wild orchids blossom in the alpine meadows in the spring. Come summer, buses operate around the circumference of Aig\u00fcestortes.\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s possible to traverse from one side of the park to the other and use the bus to return to your start point,\u201d says Dack. For families, he recommends starting in Espot and taking 4×4 taxis up to the Sant Maurici Lake.\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s a good base for hikes or simply a good mountain experience.\u201d More advanced hikers opt for the multi-day hut-to-hut hike on the Ruta de Carros de Foc.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Aig\u00fcestortes<\/p>\n

Parkgoers can visit Lake Sant Maurici at Aig\u00fcestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park for stunning views of Els Encantats\u2019 twin peaks. This is a popular hiking area with dramatic scenery near 200 glacial lakes.<\/p>\n

Manel Vinuesa, Adobe Stock<\/p>\n

About an hour\u2019s drive from Madrid, Guadarrama appeases winter ski buffs and summer trekkers. Gomez, a native of the area, notes that the lower altitude allows for year-round exploration and features\u00a0\u201csome of the best rock-climbing areas in Spain.\u201d With such proximity to the capital and historical cities like Segovia, weekends can be crowded, but accessibility is part of its charm. He also recommends the Puerto de Navacerrada Trail. Hike up to the Bola del Mundo, and then down, following the Manzanares River, and ending up at the rare geological formations of La Pedriza.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Northwest in Galicia, Las Islas Cies\u2014part of Islas At\u00e1nticas National Park\u2014form an untouched archipelago of oceanside trails, virgin beaches, and lush forests. Hike between Monteagudo Island and Do Faro Island, connected by shoreline, and spend the afternoon lounging on the beach. While the white sands and turquoise waters look warm like the Caribbean, the shockingly frigid water proves otherwise. The park is open only for self-guided visits from June to late September and during the week of Easter. It is easily reachable by a 45-minute ferry ride from the town of Vigo. Both the\u00a0ferry<\/a>\u00a0(with\u00a0more ferry options<\/a>) and the park entrance\u00a0authorization<\/a>\u00a0must be secured in advance. There are no accommodations on the island, but campsites are available for overnight stays.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Landscape<\/p>\n

Easily viewed from a viewpoint like Alto do Principe or Faro, the Islas C\u00edes is a protected archipelago off the coast of Galicia, Spain, and features three rugged islands with white sand beaches, such as Playa de Rodas.<\/p>\n

Jose Antonio Caravaca, Getty Images<\/p>\n

With snowcapped peaks as its namesake (Sierra Nevada means\u00a0\u201csnowy mountains\u201d), this national park is the go-to ski destination in Southern Spain. Skiers and snowboarders heading about a 45-minute drive out from Granada can snag a day pass for $78 (67 euros) and race down roughly 70 miles of slopes from December to April or May. During the rest of the year, take the strenuous trek up to mainland Spain\u2019s highest and second-highest peaks, Mulhac\u00e9n (11,427 feet) and Pico de Veleta (11,125 feet). According to Ra\u00fal Lora del Cerro, the president of Spain\u2019s Association of Mountain Guides, summit on an extra-clear day to catch a glimpse of Africa in the distance.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0Birders will never tire of Spain\u2019s national parks, but Monfrag\u00fce in the midwestern region of Extremadura has become a global reference for ornithologists. The Salto de Gitano is the most popular viewpoint for observing native species such as the cinereous vulture and the Spanish imperial eagle. Non-birders can enjoy the cliffside angles along the Tagus River while hiking along the Ruta Roja Trail, and see the remaining 9th-century Moorish towers of the Castillo de Monfrag\u00fce located across from a lookout point with 360-degree bird\u2019s-eye views of the park.<\/p>\n

Megan Lloyd<\/a>\u00a0is a food and travel journalist based in Spain whose work has appeared in\u00a0Cond\u00e9 Nast Traveler,\u00a0Hemispheres,\u00a0Bon App\u00e9tit,\u00a0Outside, Fodor\u2019s, Rough Guides, and more. Follow her on\u00a0Instagram<\/a>.