Picos de Europa by Campervan with Kids: 5-Day Road Trip Itinerary

If you are looking for one of the most spectacular mountain road trips in Spain, the Picos de Europa are hard to beat. Rising between Cantabria, Asturias and Castilla y León, this compact mountain range combines dramatic limestone peaks, deep green valleys, traditional villages and some surprisingly easy family-friendly experiences.

We explored the Picos de Europa by campervan with our children as part of our longer Northern Spain campervan road trip. What we liked most was the variety: one day we were walking through the narrow streets of Potes, the next we were taking the cable car high above Fuente Dé, and a few days later we were standing beside the mountain lakes of Covadonga.

This 5-day Picos de Europa campervan itinerary brings together the places we would recommend most for a first family trip. It is deliberately not rushed. With small children, having time for a playground, a picnic, a pool or simply a slow morning can make the difference between an exhausting road trip and a memorable one.

Looking for a campervan rental for your trip? If you do not have your own van, CamperDays is useful for comparing professional rental companies, while Goboony offers many privately owned campervans and motorhomes. For more practical information, have a look at our guide to renting a campervan in Spain.

Why visit the Picos de Europa by campervan?

The Picos de Europa are particularly well suited to a campervan trip because the distances between the main highlights are manageable, yet every valley feels completely different. You can combine mountain scenery with small towns, short walks, cable-car rides and easy sightseeing without having to plan a demanding hiking holiday.

For families, that flexibility is one of the biggest advantages. We could adapt our days to the weather and to the children rather than following a rigid schedule. Some days were about exploring, others about simply enjoying the views, a picnic or a campground with a pool.

The roads are generally manageable in a campervan, although they can become narrow and winding as you move deeper into the mountains. We found it much more relaxing to avoid overloading each day and to stay two nights in the same area whenever possible.

Our 5-day Picos de Europa campervan itinerary

Day 1: Potes and the Liébana Valley

We would start the trip in Potes, one of the most attractive towns in the Picos de Europa. Surrounded by mountains and crossed by stone bridges, it has enough to keep you busy for several hours without feeling overwhelming with young children.

Take your time walking through the historic centre and along the river. The Torre del Infantado is the town’s most recognisable landmark and the views from the upper levels are a good introduction to the mountain landscape around Potes.

One of the reasons we liked Potes so much as a campervan base is its convenient campervan area close to the centre. It means you can park the van and explore the town on foot instead of worrying about finding another parking space.

If you arrive early enough, continue to the Monasterio de Santo Toribio de Liébana. It is only a short drive from Potes and sits in a peaceful setting surrounded by mountains. Even if you are not visiting for religious reasons, the monastery is worth seeing for the architecture and the location alone.

Family tip: Keep the first day intentionally easy. Potes is ideal after a driving day because you can explore without a long hike and still feel that you have properly arrived in the mountains.

Day 2: Fuente Dé cable car and an easy mountain walk

For us, Fuente Dé is one of the easiest ways to experience the high mountains of the Picos de Europa with children. The cable car takes you from the valley floor to the upper station at El Cable, at 1,823 metres, in just a few minutes.

The ride itself is part of the experience. As the cable car climbs, the valley suddenly opens below you and the scenery becomes increasingly dramatic. Once you reach the top, you do not need to attempt a long hike to enjoy the landscape. The viewpoints around the station are already impressive, and there are short walks that work well for families.

If you want an easy walk, the route towards Horcadina de Covarrobres is a good introduction to the mountain environment. Families with babies or toddlers should bring a baby carrier rather than relying on a stroller once they leave the immediate cable-car area.

There is a large parking area at Fuente Dé where campervans can park during the visit. Overnight stays are not permitted there, so you will need to return to a campground or another authorised overnight area afterward.

We stayed at Camping de la Isla Picos de Europa. For us, the pool made it especially convenient with children after a day in the mountains. Another option is Camping El Redondo, which is much closer to the cable car.

For more detail about the cable car, hikes and camping options, see our complete guide to Fuente Dé with kids.

Day 3: A slower day around Potes and Santo Toribio

It is tempting to fill every day in the Picos de Europa with a major sight, but we would deliberately keep one day slower. Mountain weather can also change quickly, so having some flexibility in the itinerary is useful.

If you did not visit Santo Toribio on the first day, this is a good moment to do it. You can also spend more time in Potes, enjoy the riverside, stop for lunch or simply use the facilities at your campground.

If your children are older and you are travelling in good weather, you could of course use this day for a longer hike. With very young children, however, we found that building a quiet day into the itinerary made the whole trip much more enjoyable.

Day 4: Travel to Covadonga and visit the sanctuary

The next part of the itinerary takes you from the Cantabrian side of the Picos towards Asturias and Covadonga. Rather than treating the drive as lost time, we would consider it part of the road trip. The landscape changes continuously as you travel around the mountain range.

Covadonga combines history and nature in a way that works particularly well for families. Start with the Sanctuary of Covadonga, where you can visit the basilica and the cave set into the rock above the waterfall.

The visit does not require a long walk, which makes it a good activity after the transfer from Potes. There are designated parking areas suitable for campervans lower down the valley, including P1 and P3, which are useful when access restrictions are in place.

Our separate Covadonga guide covers the sanctuary, lakes, parking and family practicalities in more detail.

Day 5: Lakes of Covadonga

Save the most iconic scenery for the final day: the Lakes of Covadonga. Lake Enol and Lake Ercina sit high above the valley, surrounded by green slopes and limestone peaks. The landscape feels very different from Fuente Dé, even though both are part of the same national park.

During busy periods, private vehicle access to the lakes is restricted and visitors use the shuttle bus system from the lower parking areas. We recommend checking the current access arrangements before your visit, especially in summer and during holiday periods.

Once at the lakes, you can keep the day very simple and enjoy the viewpoints, or walk part or all of the circular route around the lakes. With young children, the freedom to turn around whenever necessary is one of the advantages of visiting independently.

Family tip: The weather around the lakes can change surprisingly quickly. Even in summer, take an extra layer and rain protection for the children.

Where to stay with a campervan in the Picos de Europa

For the western part of the itinerary, Potes and the Liébana Valley make an excellent base. Potes has a convenient campervan area close to the centre, while the surrounding valley has several campgrounds if you prefer showers, electricity, a playground or a swimming pool.

For Fuente Dé, remember that the large cable-car parking area is useful during the day but is not an overnight stop. Camping El Redondo is the closest campground, while Camping de la Isla Picos de Europa and Camping San Pelayo are alternatives for families looking for more facilities.

On the Asturias side, we would choose a legal overnight option around Cangas de Onís or one of the designated areas serving Covadonga.

Driving the Picos de Europa in a campervan

Driving a campervan in the Picos de Europa is very manageable if you are comfortable with mountain roads. The main routes are paved, but some sections are narrow and winding, and driving is naturally slower than on the coast.

We would avoid planning too many kilometres in a single day. The attraction of this region is precisely that you can stop often, enjoy the views and let the children have a break. In summer, starting early also makes parking easier at the most popular attractions.

For finding campervan areas and checking recent reviews, we use apps such as Park4Night. You can find more of our favourites in our guide to the best apps for campervan travel in Spain.

Is the Picos de Europa a good destination with young children?

Yes. You do not need to be a serious hiking family to enjoy the Picos de Europa. Fuente Dé gives you access to spectacular high-mountain scenery without a strenuous climb, Covadonga combines an easy cultural visit with nature, and towns such as Potes provide relaxed stops between mountain excursions.

With babies and toddlers, a good child carrier is much more useful than a stroller once you are on mountain paths. We would also choose a campground with a pool or playground for at least part of the stay. Those simple breaks made our own trip much easier with children.

How many days do you need in the Picos de Europa?

Five days is a very comfortable amount of time for a first family campervan trip. It lets you explore both the Potes and Fuente Dé side and the Covadonga side without turning every day into a long drive.

If you have only three days, we would choose either Potes and Fuente Dé or Covadonga and the lakes rather than trying to see everything. With a full week, you can add longer hikes, extra villages and more time simply enjoying the valleys.

Best time for a Picos de Europa campervan trip

Late spring to early autumn is the easiest period for a family campervan trip, although conditions in the mountains can be very different from the Spanish coast. Summer gives you the best chance of using the cable car and high-level walking routes comfortably, but July and August are also the busiest months.

If you travel in high season, book campgrounds and key activities ahead when possible and arrive early at popular locations. Outside the peak summer period, you can expect a quieter experience, but you should be prepared for more variable mountain weather.

How this itinerary fits into a Northern Spain road trip

The Picos de Europa work particularly well as the mountain section of a longer road trip through Asturias and Cantabria. We combined the region with the northern coast, including Santander, Santillana del Mar, Llanes and Comillas.

If you have around two weeks, have a look at our complete Northern Spain campervan itinerary. It shows how we combined beaches, towns and the Picos de Europa in one trip.

Final thoughts

The Picos de Europa were one of the highlights of our Northern Spain road trip. What makes the region so special is that you can experience genuinely dramatic mountain landscapes without needing to organise a difficult trekking holiday.

For families travelling by campervan, the combination of Potes, Fuente Dé and Covadonga works especially well. Each stop offers something different, the scenery changes constantly and there are enough campgrounds and practical stops to keep the trip comfortable with children.

If we planned the trip again, we would still choose a slow 5-day itinerary. The Picos de Europa are not a place to rush through. Give yourself time to enjoy the roads, the villages and the mountain views, and they may well become one of your favourite parts of Spain too.

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