Peak experience: The Picos de Europa serve up some of Spain's best hiking (TURESPANA)

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Located south of the Bay of Biscay and swept by its humid winds, the valleys of the Picos de Europa teem with trippers in summer. Crowds are slimmer in the upland reaches, but there's no question that this is the place to trek. Of its three massifs, you'll find the Macizo Occidental and Macizo Central the most exhilarating. Stretch your legs with demanding day walks, or take on a challenging circuit such as a four-day route from the base of the cabin lift at Fuente Di or a nine-day trip starting and finishing at Lago de la Ercina. Unmissable highlights include the seven-and-a-half-mile Garganta del Cares gorge and the Vega de Liordes valley, hemmed in by sawtooth peaks. Refugios (mountain huts) are well spaced. Otherwise, drop down to find accommodations in the villages sprinkling the valley bottoms.