Spain to Spain
Across northern Spain to the mountains most drivers overlook, via the Pyrenees if you have the time.
Direct
830 km
515.7 mi
Scenic route
1010 km
627.6 mi
Days
3
about 8.7 hr direct
Tolls
£45
one way, per car
The drive
Barcelona to the Picos is about 830 km, and the direct route across the meseta is quick but dull. Going along the Pyrenean foothills adds a couple of hundred kilometres and transforms the drive.
The Picos themselves are compact and steep, with the Lagos de Covadonga climb and the Desfiladero de los Beyos gorge road within an hour of each other.
Northern Spain is wet. Pack for it and the roads will be empty.
May to October. Spring brings green hills and less coastal fog.
Worth the detour
Where to break the drive
Zaragoza or Huesca
First night, with Pyrenean roads within reach.
Burgos
Halfway and worth the cathedral stop.
Cangas de Onís
The gateway village for Covadonga.
Questions
About 830 km, roughly 515.7 miles, by the most direct route. The scenic version described here runs closer to 1010 km.
Around 8.7 hours of driving on the direct route, which most people split over two days. The scenic route takes 3 days without rushing.
Budget about £45 one way per car in tolls, vignettes and crossings, before fuel and hotels.
May to October. Spring brings green hills and less coastal fog.
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