Pembes: Hiking with a forest route and guided park tours

When planning a hike in Pembes, the key details to consider are duration, elevation gain, route, and, for guided tours, seasonal dates. The PR-PNPE 26 passes through oak and beech forest; Peña Oviedo is a guided route with an explicit age recommendation. The Camino de los Puertos can be assessed by its approximate length and its connection to two named trails. This lets you compare routes based on specific details rather than choosing by name alone.

The Ruta Hayedo de las Ilces

The PR-PNPE 26 “Ruta Hayedo de las Ilces” is a 10.4-kilometre circular route of moderate difficulty. It runs through dense oak and beech forest crossed by streams from the Cantabrian Mountains. The route is listed as taking four and a half hours, with 400 metres of ascent and 400 metres of descent. The forest, streams, and elevation profile give this route a different character from a guided tour with a designated starting point at the entrance to the village.

Along the way, the route reaches a flatter track coming from Pembes and follows it for about two kilometres. This route detail adds a specific section to the information about distance and elevation gain. Check local conditions before setting out, as they may change.

Peña Oviedo and the guided routes

The guided Peña Oviedo route starts at the entrance to Pembes. In the 2026 programme, Pembes is listed as one of the starting points for guided routes in the Picos de Europa National Park. Peña Oviedo is listed as taking four and a half hours, with 400 metres of ascent and a moderate difficulty level. The route is not recommended for children under eight.

The National Park’s seasonal guided-tour programme offers free tours in Spanish, led and interpreted by the park’s own guides. Language and seasonal dates are therefore important planning considerations if you are thinking of joining a tour. Check the programme dates for your travel period; route details in the 2026 programme should also be checked again if they change.

Comparing it with the Hayedo loop makes the similarities and differences clear: both routes are listed as taking four and a half hours and as being of moderate difficulty. The Hayedo loop is listed with 400 metres each of ascent and descent; Peña Oviedo is listed with 400 metres of ascent. The additional age recommendation applies to Peña Oviedo and should be taken into account when planning with children.

The Camino de los Puertos de Pembes

The Camino de los Puertos de Pembes is about 15.5 kilometres long and takes approximately four and a half hours. Its estimated duration is close to the four and a half hours for the other two routes, but it is longer than the 10.4-kilometre Hayedo loop. Both figures for this trail are explicitly approximate.

The route is also described in greater detail: its first section follows the PR-S2, the Camino de Áliva. Its second section follows the PR-S8, the Camino del Duje. If you are planning this trail, check the signposting before setting out. This will help you take the named sections into account for navigation without combining the two trails under a single route name.

A regional festival date

Pembes’s cultural connections include the festival of the Virgen de la Salud in Áliva, which is particularly associated with Espinama and Pembes. It takes place on 2 July. In 1998, the event was recognised as a festival of regional tourist interest. The date therefore provides an additional seasonal reference point alongside planning hikes and guided tours.

Discover more destinations: Pido, Lon, Espinama, Turieno, Cosgaya, Fuente Dé.

View the main travel overview: Camaleño.