Cares Trail, Hiking trail in Picos de Europa National Park, Spain.
Cares Trail is a hiking trail in Picos de Europa National Park that follows a twelve-kilometer gorge between Poncebos in Asturias and Caín de Valdeón in León. The path passes through seventy tunnels carved into rock faces and crosses several bridges as it traces the line of an old canal channel.
The path was carved into limestone cliffs between 1945 and 1950 to maintain a hydroelectric canal. Eleven workers died during the construction.
Shepherds once relied on this route as their only link between remote settlements when deep snow blocked other passages. Stone markers and narrow recesses along the way still show where travelers paused to shelter from wind and rain.
The full route requires about six hours for the round trip, so starting early in the day is advisable. The path is mostly narrow, with sections running close to rock walls that can become slippery when wet.
The path holds a steady elevation of 530 meters (1,740 ft) throughout most of its length, except for the initial two-kilometer (1.2 mi) climb from Poncebos. This constant level allows a steady pace through the entire gorge without further ascents.
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