Spanish Trails

October 2, 2009 10:55 AM

What are your favorite running/hiking routes in Spain?

I am dying to get out on a good run. I currently live in Salamanca, Spain, but am used to running in the Rockies back stateside.

What are some must-run (hike) routes/trails in Spain [b]that I could conceivably do in a weekend's time?[/b]

If it is a smaller/lesser-known place [b](which I would prefer)[/b], I would extremely appreciate some help in knowing how I could get there.

Thanks a lot! Hopefully afterward I can get some pictures linked to my profile here!

posted by PaulingL to Travel & Transportation around Spain (2 answers total)

have you walked the camino de santiago yet? the camino frances (main route) has two stages with particularly strenuous elevation gains: crossing the pyrenees from st jean pied de port in france to roncesvalles in spain, and the stage which enters galicia at the town of O Cebreiro. It takes a month to walk from the border of france to Santiago, but even a few days, if you pick the right spot, would offer a good experience. my favorite portion was the portion from burgos (amazing cathedral) to castrojeriz or boadilla del camino. depending on your starting and stopping points it would take 2-3 days. walking across the flat flat meseta is an intense and almost creepy experience... that gets boring after a few days, but would be good for a weekend. all along the camino, the path is ridiculously well-marked.

i never saw anyone running, because most people carry 10 kg packs, but i'm sure it would be possible. the frances should be quiet by this time of year, but is extremely crowded in the summer (and particularly in 2010, a jubillee year). there are other camino paths-- just google camino de santiago.
posted by acidic at 11:56 AM on October 2, 2009

Have you heard about el camino del rey?
posted by Hypnotic Chick at 12:00 PM on October 2, 2009