The 10 best routes you can't miss in autumn in Spain

There is a great variety of Autumn routes in Spain to enjoy hiking. This discipline, which is widespread throughout the world, has one of its most favourable moments in the autumn season. The temperatures are milder than in summer and less cold than in winter.

In addition, nature has a unique beauty. Forests and mountains are covered by beautiful ochre, orange and yellow tones which give them a special appearance. Precisely in this sense, natural parks and other protected areas are ideal for autumn routes in Spain. Below, we present ten of the best.

Routes through the Irati Forest

First of all, we travel to Navarra to offer you routes through the incomparable Irati Forest, one of the largest beech and fir forests in Europe. It also contains nature reserves of incalculable value. For example, that of Lizardoia, declared a World Heritage Site.

There are many tours that you can take in this magical place, both for its Aézcoa Valley as for that of SalazarThe first one is accessed by Orbaicete and offers you routes like that of the granaries, which starts from Lusarreta and allows you to see 15 of these constructions, or the one that reaches the imposing Zamariain viewpoint.

For its part, the second one is entered through ochagavia. And you have paths like the so-called Walk of the Senses, which passes by the hermitage of the Virgen de las Nieves; the one that goes from the top of las Nieves to the Goñiburu viewpoint or that of Kakueta Gorges, already in the French zone.

The Cares Gorge, another of the best autumn routes in Spain

We now travel to Asturias to show you another of the most beautiful autumn routes in Spain. Located in the Picos de Europa, that of Cares, also called «divine throat», is a wonder that follows the course of the river that gives it its name to connect the towns of Cain in Leon and Poncebos In asturias.

In total, there are about twelve kilometers that pass through an impressive defile with large precipices and sections carved into the rock itself. As if that were not enough, in autumn, the ochre or reddish tones of the vegetation contrast with the colour of the limestone walls, giving the whole an extraordinary beauty.

As a curiosity, we will tell you that the road along which this route runs is modern. Specifically, it was created at the beginning of the 20th century to maintain the water channel that supplied the Poncebos hydroelectric power station. Shortly afterwards it was used as a communication route between the latter town and Cain. Until then, getting from one to the other involved a journey of one hundred kilometres through the surrounding mountains.

Tours of Fuentes del Narcea

We do not leave Asturias, although we are going to its western part in order to propose other great autumn routes in Spain. These are the ones you can do through the Fuentes del Narcea, Degaña and Ibias Natural Park, declared a Biosphere Reserve.

It is precisely in the autumn season when it reaches its maximum beauty, with the characteristic golden tones of its trees and vegetation. In this sense, we advise you to visit the Forest of Muniellos, considered the largest oak forest in all of Spain. The path through the Cueto Árbas Partial Nature Reserve.

However, there are many other routes through this natural wonder. For example, the Moal forest, the Tixileiras lagoons, the Moura Trail or the one that goes from Cueva da Osa to the Bustelín gorge.

Tejera Negra beech forest

We now travel to the province of Guadalajara, more specifically to Sierra Norte Natural Park, to show you this other spectacular place. It is considered the last beech forest in southern Europe and is fed by the Zarzas and Lillas rivers, which, in turn, originate in the imposing Buitrera glacier.

It is a beautiful forest located between two rocky promontories and declared a World Heritage Site. Among the many routes that the area offers, the most notable is the Cart path, which is circular in nature. It is six kilometres long, of moderate difficulty and takes an estimated three hours to complete. In return, you will witness a wonderful spectacle of autumn landscapes.

Route around the Piedra Monastery

We scroll up Aragon to propose other great autumn routes in Spain. These are those around the magical monastery of Piedra, located in the Nuévalos Natural ParkYou will visit this ancient monastery of the Cistercian order, which is a Gothic jewel and a national monument.

But you can also enjoy a quiet five-kilometre walk around it. It is perfect for almost everyone and passes by waterfalls such as the Horse tail and gardens in which the reddish colours of the time are striking. Likewise, there is no shortage of different caves in the area and even the so-called Mirror Lake.

The chestnut grove of El Tremblo

In the province of Ávila You have another of the most popular places to visit in autumn. Specifically, it is located about ninety kilometers from Madrid, in the middle of Sierra de Gredos and within the Iruelas Valley Natural ReserveAs its name suggests, this is a small chestnut forest with some centuries-old specimens.

The route that runs through it is approximately four kilometres long and also allows you to see holly, pine and oak trees with their characteristic autumnal tones. But you can also extend your walk and continue to other equally beautiful places. For example, the Yedra gorge, the Alto del Mirlo, the Cruz del Tornero or the very same Pedriza hill.

Gorbea Natural Park

With an area of ​​more than twenty thousand hectares and dominated by the mountain that gives it its name, this park is the largest in the the Basque CountryIt is located between the provinces of Vizcaya and Álava and, as you can imagine, there are many autumn routes that this magical place offers you.

You can do them not only on foot, but also on horseback and even by bicycle. Either way, you will enjoy wonderful beech, oak or willow forests imprinted with the colours of the autumn routes in Spain. In addition, you will be able to see deer, wild cats and other animals that inhabit the area.

Among the most notable routes, you have those that take you to the unique and magical Otzarreta beech forest or Karst of the Itxina massif. But also those that include the Gujuli waterfall, the Saldropo wetland or the Mairuelegorreta cave.

Bosques del Ambroz, the mountain of Cáceres among the autumn routes in Spain

Located in the north of the province of Caceres, the Ambroz valley is formed by mountains that exceed two thousand meters in altitude. Among these, the Pinajarro or Valdeamor, which are combined with wide pastures, gorges and rivers. But also with lush forests of chestnut trees in the highest areas and plum or cherry trees in the lower areas.

In this historic territory, you can take some of the best autumn routes in Spain. For example, the one that passes through the so-called Hell's Gorge Trail, which is approximately 16 kilometres long, allows you to enjoy a unique experience, combining diverse landscapes, waterfalls and natural pools with impressive tranquility.

Jorda beech forest

We moved to the Girona region of The Garrotxa to tell you about this other magical place to visit in autumn. In addition, it is a beech forest with unique features within Spain. To begin with, it grows on volcanic soil, specifically, on the cooled lava flow of the croscatIn addition, it has developed on relatively flat ground and at an unusual height for this type of tree, as it is located approximately 550 metres above sea level.

The forest covers an area of ​​almost five square kilometres and contributes to giving it an even more curious air. existence of coughs among the trees. This name is given to lava protuberances on the ground that can reach up to 20 metres in height.

In this beech forest you have some of the best autumn routes in Spain. The trees take on golden or ochre tones that give the place enormous beauty. In addition, you can take tours of the area both on foot and on horseback. Among them, we recommend, for example, the route that links the forest with the volcanoes of Santa margarida and the aforementioned croscat.

Urbión Black Lagoon

We finish our proposal for autumn routes in Spain by telling you about this wonderful natural space located in the north of the province of SoriaSpecifically, it is part of the Laguna Negra Natural Park and the Glacier Circuses of UrbiónTherefore, it is a lake of glacial origin located at an altitude of 1753 metres.

As expected, several legends have been created around it. The most popular one says that it has no bottom and that it is directly connected to the distant sea through underground caves. However, it must not be deeper than 12 metres.

The waters are also surrounded by rocky ridges and beech and pine forests that combine with waterfalls. There are also magnificent hiking routes in the area. For example, we recommend the circular route that goes up to the top of Urbión peak and is about 13 kilometers long.

In conclusion, we have proposed ten of the best Autumn routes in Spain. But we could mention others like those that pass through the Hunters' Trail and the Horsetail Waterfall en Huesca or those of Hayedo de Montejo en Madrid. Any of them will allow you to enjoy unique landscapes bordered by the reddish, golden and ochre colours of autumn in nature. Go ahead and visit these places.