The Natural Park of Montana de Covadonga was created in 1918. It is one of Spain's first national parks. It is 230,000 acres big, making it the largest national park in Europe. Covadonga is in the Picos de Europa, a limestone mountain range along Spain's north Atlantic coast.
Activities:
The first stop in the park is usually the shrine commemorating the Battle of 722. From the shrine, you can a wonderful view on two stunning alpine lakes and a view all the way to the ocean. There are many choices for hiking, from short ambles to treks lasting several days. A popular hike is to the Mirador de Ordiales, which is relatively easy and offers incredible views. If you want something more challenging and strenuous, you can hike along the main ridge of the Cornmon massif to the Vega Huera refugio, where you can stay overnight. This is a half-day in and a half-day back -- but probably not on the same day.
Times to Visit:
Late summer is probably the best time to visit Covadonga National Park. November through April are cold and snowy, and even May and June can be stormy. September is hot and more crowded than usual. The temperature becomes cooler in October, and the weather more unpredictable.
If you want to learn more about that park and plan an excursion over there, go and visit that website:
http://gorp.away.com/index.html
