Skip to content

Hard Hiking Trails in Spain

1,634 routes in Spain qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 45.9 km and 1,117 m (3,665 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 961 km.

That is 33 percent of the 4,951 routes we map in Spain. They run noticeably longer than average for the area, 45.9 km against 20.4 km, so budget more daylight than a typical outing here. The climbing is steeper too: 1,117 m (3,665 ft) on average versus 507 m (1,663 ft) across the wider area.

Hard routes mean sustained ascent, long descents and a real need to watch the clock and the forecast. These lean toward the demanding end, so plan for a full day and check the forecast before you commit.

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
Ermita de la Virgen de Pineta
Hard

Senda Pirenaica - E24

Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park · Aragon

Distance
14.9 km
/ 9.3 mi
Elevation gain
2,028 m
Typical duration
6 hr 9 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Pyrenean Chamois Rupicapra pyrenaica pyrenaica , Circo de Cotatuero, Torla-Ordesa, Huesca, Spain.
Expert

Senda Pirenaica - E25

Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park · Aragon

Distance
24.7 km
/ 15.3 mi
Elevation gain
2,335 m
Typical duration
8 hr 56 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Estany de Travessani, la Vall de Boí, Alta Ribagorça, Catalonia
Expert

Encantats

Parc Nacional d'Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici · Aragon

Distance
98.0 km
/ 60.9 mi
Elevation gain
4,444 m
Typical duration
29 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Al Oeste del Guadarrama
Expert

Camino Natural del Tajo

Aragon · Spain

Distance
961 km
/ 597 mi
Elevation gain
4,596 m
Typical duration
235 hr
  • River
  • Mountain
  • Pilgrimage route
Jasa
Expert

Aragonese Way

Aragon · Spain

Distance
72.9 km
/ 45.3 mi
Elevation gain
409 m
Typical duration
17 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Leache (Navarra)
Expert

Aragonese Way

Aragon · Spain

Distance
90.1 km
/ 56.0 mi
Elevation gain
1,422 m
Typical duration
23 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Bierge, Huesca, Spain
Expert

Camino de Santiago por Huesca

Aragon · Spain

Distance
246 km
/ 153 mi
Elevation gain
2,196 m
Typical duration
61 hr
  • Mountain
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
Cerro de Medinaceli (Soria).
Expert

Camino del Cid (Senderista)

Aragon · Spain

Distance
923 km
/ 574 mi
Elevation gain
3,883 m
Typical duration
225 hr
  • Mountain
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Camino Natural Anaga-Chasna

Teide National Park · Canary Islands

Distance
84.5 km
/ 52.5 mi
Elevation gain
1,860 m
Typical duration
22 hr
  • Volcano
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
Oliete, Teruel.
Expert

Sendero del Río Martín

Aragon · Spain

Distance
83.5 km
/ 51.9 mi
Elevation gain
1,342 m
Typical duration
21 hr
  • River
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
The River Isabena near to La Puebla de Roda (Huesca - Aragon - Spain)
Expert

Senderos de La Ribagorza

Aragon · Spain

Distance
139 km
/ 86.7 mi
Elevation gain
3,930 m
Typical duration
38 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
aubiske
Expert

Voie d'Ossau

Aragon · Spain

Distance
50.4 km
/ 31.3 mi
Elevation gain
1,987 m
Typical duration
14 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Basa de la Mora This is a photograph of a Special Area of Conservation in Spain with the ID: ES2410053. Natura2000 entry , EEA entry
Expert

Etapa 3: Seira – Saravillo

Aragon · Spain

Distance
25.4 km
/ 15.8 mi
Elevation gain
1,591 m
Typical duration
7 hr 59 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Used, Zaragoza, Spain
Expert

Camino de Santiago de Sagunto

Aragon · Spain

Distance
296 km
/ 184 mi
Elevation gain
1,211 m
Typical duration
71 hr
  • Mountain
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
Gaintza (Nafarroa) Martikone bidetik
Expert

Euskal Herriko ibilaldia

Aragon · Spain

Distance
329 km
/ 204 mi
Elevation gain
5,962 m
Typical duration
86 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Pico d'Aneto viewed from Medium Ibon de Coronas, 2005-07-25 in the morning. Mountain, Pyrenees, Aragon, Spain
Expert

Senda Pirenaica - E20

Aragon · Spain

Distance
27.0 km
/ 16.8 mi
Elevation gain
1,434 m
Typical duration
8 hr 8 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Imatge
Hard

Senda Pirenaica - E27

Aragon · Spain

Distance
23.9 km
/ 14.9 mi
Elevation gain
1,544 m
Typical duration
7 hr 34 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Ibon de les Alforges - España
Hard

Senda Pirenaica - E21

Aragon · Spain

Distance
20.6 km
/ 12.8 mi
Elevation gain
948 m
Typical duration
5 hr 53 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
This is a a photo of a natural area in Catalonia, Spain, with id:
Expert

Sender Històric: Catalunya

Aragon · Spain

Distance
390 km
/ 242 mi
Elevation gain
5,472 m
Typical duration
100 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
The West face of the Vignemale from the lake "Ibón de los Batans"
Hard

Senda Pirenaica - E26

Aragon · Spain

Distance
20.4 km
/ 12.7 mi
Elevation gain
1,053 m
Typical duration
5 hr 59 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Imatge
Hard

Senda Pirenaica - E22

Aragon · Spain

Distance
21.8 km
/ 13.5 mi
Elevation gain
1,449 m
Typical duration
6 hr 55 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
les labasses et le lavoir du chemin des genets à Guchen .- Hautes-Pyrénées Occitanie
Expert

Senderos del Sobrarbe

Aragon · Spain

Distance
78.7 km
/ 48.9 mi
Elevation gain
2,888 m
Typical duration
22 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Sierra de Arrigorrieta y Peña Ezkaurre
Hard

Variante de Ezkaurre

Aragon · Spain

Distance
12.5 km
/ 7.7 mi
Elevation gain
1,197 m
Typical duration
4 hr 24 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Túnel de Cotefablo
Expert

Etapa 8: Broto – Biescas

Aragon · Spain

Distance
25.3 km
/ 15.7 mi
Elevation gain
1,631 m
Typical duration
8 hr 2 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Panorama du lac d'Estaens avec pic du Midi d'Ossau en fond.
Expert

Senda Pirenaica - E29

Aragon · Spain

Distance
37.6 km
/ 23.3 mi
Elevation gain
1,989 m
Typical duration
11 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Ejulve
Expert

Variante GR 8.1

Aragon · Spain

Distance
93.7 km
/ 58.2 mi
Elevation gain
2,268 m
Typical duration
25 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
El Bocal -Fontellas.Navarra.
Expert

Camino Jacobeo del Ebro

Aragon · Spain

Distance
231 km
/ 143 mi
Elevation gain
480 m
Typical duration
55 hr
  • Mountain
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
Velilla de Cinca - Ermita de San Valero (románico)
Expert

Camí Català per Lleida

Aragon · Spain

Distance
170 km
/ 105 mi
Elevation gain
955 m
Typical duration
41 hr
  • Mountain
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
Refugio de Barrosa
Hard

Senda Pirenaica - E23

Aragon · Spain

Distance
17.2 km
/ 10.7 mi
Elevation gain
1,129 m
Typical duration
5 hr 21 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Old border post on French-Spanish border
Hard

Senda Pirenaica - E28

Aragon · Spain

Distance
24.5 km
/ 15.2 mi
Elevation gain
1,184 m
Typical duration
7 hr 10 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
La Franqueta, Parc Natural Els Ports, Catalunya
Expert

Estels del Sud

Aragon · Spain

Distance
102 km
/ 63.5 mi
Elevation gain
2,688 m
Typical duration
27 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
The River Isabena near to La Puebla de Roda (Huesca - Aragon - Spain)
Expert

Senderos de La Ribagorza

Aragon · Spain

Distance
86.5 km
/ 53.8 mi
Elevation gain
2,269 m
Typical duration
23 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Houses in Isun de Basa
Hard

Senderos del Serrablo

Aragon · Spain

Distance
14.7 km
/ 9.1 mi
Elevation gain
962 m
Typical duration
4 hr 30 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path

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
Senda Pirenaica - E24Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park14.9 km2,028 m6 hr 9 minHardJuly to September
Senda Pirenaica - E25Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park24.7 km2,335 m8 hr 56 minExpertJune to October
Aran Pirineos. Camino de SantiagoAragon245 km4,295 m64 hrExpertJune to October
EncantatsParc Nacional d'Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici98.0 km4,444 m29 hrExpertJuly to September
Via Sancti Martini - Zaragoza's RouteAragon912 km3,982 m222 hrExpertJune to October
Camino Natural del TajoAragon961 km4,596 m235 hrExpertJune to October
Aragonese WayAragon72.9 km409 m17 hrExpertJune to October
El Camí IT6TR4 El Camí Central: de Castelló de la Plana a MontserratAragon196 km2,786 m50 hrExpertApril to October
Viejo Camino de Santiago por el Valle de Hecho - Calzada del Summo PyreneoAragon51.1 km781 m12 hrExpertJune to October

If you only have time for one, start with Variante Faja de las Olas, Senda Pirenaica - E25, Senda Pirenaica - E24. 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

Related guides

Other shortlists covering the same area or the same kind of terrain.

People also search for