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Best Forest Hikes in Spain

526 routes in Spain qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 11.8 km and 346 m (1,135 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 166 km.

That is 8 percent of the 6,426 routes we map in Spain. They are shorter than the local average, 11.8 km against 17.4 km, which is what makes this a practical shortlist for a half day.

Forest trails are the dependable choice: shade when it is hot, shelter when it is not, and a completely different character once the leaves turn. The mix is broad: 191 are rated easy and 100 are hard or harder, so there is something here whether you have two hours or a full day.

Trails

Ermita de la Virgen de Pineta
Hard

Variante Faja de las Olas

Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park · Aragon

Distance
15.8 km
/ 9.8 mi
Elevation gain
1,811 m
Typical duration
6 hr 3 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Hard

El Burgo - Ronda

Parque Natural de la Sierra de las Nieves · Andalusia

Distance
23.6 km
/ 14.6 mi
Elevation gain
518 m
Typical duration
5 hr 57 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Los Sauces-Pico de La Cruz

Las Nieves Nature Park · Canary Islands

Distance
14.4 km
/ 8.9 mi
Elevation gain
316 m
Typical duration
3 hr 28 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Forest
Moderate

Les Fonts del Desert

Parc Natural del Desert de les Palmes · Valencian Community

Distance
13.4 km
/ 8.3 mi
Elevation gain
295 m
Typical duration
3 hr 14 min
  • Forest
  • Desert
  • Castle and ruins
Moderate

Barranco de la Madera

Las Nieves Nature Park · Canary Islands

Distance
10.3 km
/ 6.4 mi
Elevation gain
226 m
Typical duration
2 hr 29 min
  • Canyon and gorge
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Las Cascadas

Parque Natural de la Sierra de las Nieves · Andalusia

Distance
9.8 km
/ 6.1 mi
Elevation gain
216 m
Typical duration
2 hr 22 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

PR-A 351 Puerto Saucillo - Torrecilla

Parque Natural de la Sierra de las Nieves · Andalusia

Distance
9.5 km
/ 5.9 mi
Elevation gain
210 m
Typical duration
2 hr 18 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Solidario El Avión

Parque Nacional de Sierra Nevada · Andalusia

Distance
11.9 km
/ 7.4 mi
Elevation gain
1,203 m
Typical duration
4 hr 18 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Ruta 10: Cañada de Jorge

Garajonay National Park · Canary Islands

Distance
3.1 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
69 m
Typical duration
45 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Forest
Moderate

Senda de la Ermita del Casuar

Parque Natural de las Hoces del Río Riaza · Castile and León

Distance
10.2 km
/ 6.3 mi
Elevation gain
425 m
Typical duration
2 hr 45 min
  • River
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Senda del Río

Parque Natural de las Hoces del Río Riaza · Castile and León

Distance
11.6 km
/ 7.2 mi
Elevation gain
212 m
Typical duration
2 hr 44 min
  • River
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Hayedo de Las Ilces

Picos de Europa National Park · Cantabria

Distance
9.8 km
/ 6.1 mi
Elevation gain
215 m
Typical duration
2 hr 21 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Caucón - Peñón de los Enamorados

Parque Natural de la Sierra de las Nieves · Andalusia

Distance
6.9 km
/ 4.3 mi
Elevation gain
152 m
Typical duration
1 hr 40 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Caucón - Tajo de la Caína

Parque Natural de la Sierra de las Nieves · Andalusia

Distance
4.2 km
/ 2.6 mi
Elevation gain
93 m
Typical duration
1 hr 1 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Charco de la Virgen

Parque Natural de la Sierra de las Nieves · Andalusia

Distance
2.4 km
/ 1.5 mi
Elevation gain
53 m
Typical duration
35 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Conejeras

Parque Natural de la Sierra de las Nieves · Andalusia

Distance
2.5 km
/ 1.5 mi
Elevation gain
54 m
Typical duration
36 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

El Burgo - Puerto de la Mujer

Parque Natural de la Sierra de las Nieves · Andalusia

Distance
6.0 km
/ 3.7 mi
Elevation gain
132 m
Typical duration
1 hr 27 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

La Rejía

Parque Natural de la Sierra de las Nieves · Andalusia

Distance
4.8 km
/ 3.0 mi
Elevation gain
106 m
Typical duration
1 hr 10 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Las Escaleretas

Parque Natural de la Sierra de las Nieves · Andalusia

Distance
2.1 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
45 m
Typical duration
30 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Ruta 4: Los Barranquillos

Garajonay National Park · Canary Islands

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
13 m
Typical duration
9 min
  • Lake
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Ruta 6: Laguna Grande II

Garajonay National Park · Canary Islands

Distance
3.9 km
/ 2.4 mi
Elevation gain
86 m
Typical duration
57 min
  • Lake
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Camino de Las Merindades

Castile and León · Spain

Distance
135 km
/ 83.7 mi
Elevation gain
2,962 m
Typical duration
36 hr
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Pilgrimage route
2019-11-16 PR-TE 1 Bezas - Guadalaviar a Tramacastilla
Easy

Barranco de las Cuevas

Aragon · Spain

Distance
5.0 km
/ 3.1 mi
Elevation gain
165 m
Typical duration
1 hr 17 min
  • Canyon and gorge
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Etapa 02: Vinuesa – Soria

Castile and León · Spain

Distance
46.2 km
/ 28.7 mi
Elevation gain
236 m
Typical duration
10 hr
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Ruta de las Peregrinaciones

Asturias · Spain

Distance
106 km
/ 66.0 mi
Elevation gain
2,335 m
Typical duration
28 hr
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Ruta de les vint ermites

Catalonia · Spain

Distance
83.2 km
/ 51.7 mi
Elevation gain
1,830 m
Typical duration
22 hr
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Ruta de los Sentidos

Castile and León · Spain

Distance
166 km
/ 103 mi
Elevation gain
3,643 m
Typical duration
44 hr
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Variant Estanys de la Pera

Catalonia · Spain

Distance
30.1 km
/ 18.7 mi
Elevation gain
3,489 m
Typical duration
11 hr
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Volta al Cadí-Moixeró

Catalonia · Spain

Distance
152 km
/ 94.2 mi
Elevation gain
3,333 m
Typical duration
40 hr
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Variante Faja de las OlasOrdesa y Monte Perdido National Park15.8 km1,811 m6 hr 3 minHardJuly to September
Etapa 09: Arcos de las Salinas - Camarena de la SierraAragon23.6 km975 m6 hr 39 minHardJune to October
El Burgo - RondaParque Natural de la Sierra de las Nieves23.6 km518 m5 hr 57 minHardOctober to May
Los Sauces-Pico de La CruzLas Nieves Nature Park14.4 km316 m3 hr 28 minModerateOctober to May
Pico de La Nieve - Santa Cruz de La PalmaLas Nieves Nature Park13.5 km298 m3 hr 16 minModerateOctober to May
Degollada de Guajara - Parador de las Cañadas del TeideTeide National Park3.6 km79 m52 minEasyOctober to May
Sendero Teide-Pico Viejo–Mirador de las Narices del TeideTeide National Park9.5 km209 m2 hr 17 minModerateOctober to May
Les Fonts del DesertParc Natural del Desert de les Palmes13.4 km295 m3 hr 14 minModerateOctober to May
Etapa 08: Abejuela - Arcos de las SalinasAragon22.1 km557 m5 hr 39 minHardApril to October
Barranco de la MaderaLas Nieves Nature Park10.3 km226 m2 hr 29 minModerateOctober to May

If you only have time for one, start with Variante Faja de las Olas, Etapa 09: Arcos de las Salinas - Camarena de la Sierra, El Burgo - Ronda. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

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