Welcome to Hooked on Walking Holidays and our walking Holiday in a mountain range in central Spain not far from Madrid. This hiking vacation allows you to explore the Sierra de Gredos mountain range and is available as a seven night self guided walking tour The Sierra de Gredos marks the border between the vast and sober plains of Castille, where little villages are built in red brick around churches, and the more Mediterranean landscape of Caceres, with olive orchards, almond trees and white Moorish villages. Nature also has a totally different appearance on both sides. In the south, you’ll find woods of oaks and pines and a very aromatic vegetation. In the north, you’ll find moss and heather on the mountain slopes, and of course the Spanish mountain goat, Capra Hispanica, which lives between the high peaks and glacier lakes of Gredos.

Available daily 15th June to the 15th October ( Level 3 self guided tour )

Day 1 Arrival in El Arenal
Arrival at El Arenal, a Moorish village at 975 m which can be easily reached by taxi from Arenas de San Pedro (direct buses from Madrid)

Day 2 To Puerto la Cabrilla
Day-walk from El Arenal to Puerto la Cabrilla (5 hrs) and back. 7.1 miles 11.5km 380m up/down.

Day 3
Today you have two options, either a walk from the fortress of Mombeltran through vineyards and olive orchards to the monastery of San Pedro de Alcantara and back to El Arenal (5,5 -6 hours) or a rather strenuous climb to the most famous peaks of Gredos: Los Galayos (8 hours). Transfer to starting point. 9.3-14.3 miles 15-23km 530m-620m

Day 4 Navarredonda
After short transfer you go north to Navarredonda along an old footpath which is still used to move cattle in summer to green summer pastures (6 hours). 10.6 miles 17km 600m up 450m down

Day 5 Rest Day or circular walk
Rest day or easy circular walk in the open countryside around Navarredonda (5 hours) 8.5 miles 13.6km 340m up/down

Day 6 to the Mountain Hut
Short transfer to la Plataforma. From here it’s only 4 hours walking to the mountain hut Refugio Elola, located at 2000m near a tranquil glacier lake. From hear you can do a circular route and back to Navarredonda. 9.3 miles 15km 550m up/down

Day 7 Navarredonda
Today you walk via the Puerto de Candeleda (with splendid views over Extremadura and Castilla La Mancha) , then you walk back to la Plataforma. Transfer to Navarredonda 14.3 miles 23km 360m up/down

Day 8 Tour Complete
Your holiday is complete after breakfast. A taxi will take you back to El Arenal or the bus station in Arenas de San Pedro where you get travel back to Madrid

Difficulty: Day-walks of 4 to 8 hours, during which you usually climb and descend 500 m if you choose the easy walks or 700 m if you choose the more difficult ones. The long walk on day 3 is not suitable for people who are afraid of heights. Basic knowledge of orientation (map and compass) is necessary.

Accommodation: 7 nights in nice comfortable family hotels (rooms with en-suite bathrooms).

2010 Prices

How to get there : By Plane to Madrid then by bus or train to tour start which takes around 3 hours ( cost around 18€ )
Ideal Holiday Extensions : Madrid and Toledo
To view other walking holidays in Spain Picos 12 , Picos 8 , Catalonia , Majorca, Andalusia , St James Way,Tenerife , White Villages of Andalusia, Guided tour in Andalusia Costa Blanca , Pearl of the Balearic , Ordesa , Green coast of Asturias , Aragon

Click below to view our
Cycling Holidays in Spain

Photos by Marieke Knaapen , Peter van Damme

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