Hiking vacations in Spain

Spain is a breathtaking country full of history, culture and nature. Hidden Trails is currently offering 3 self-guided hiking and walking tours in the northern part of the mainland and on the Balearen Island of Menorca. More hikes and walks will be added over the next months, so do come back and check with us.
North of Barcelona we explore the Mediterranean Coastal Hike into Catalonia -  This is a Walking Holiday in Catalonia crossing the border between France and Spain, where the foothills of the Pyrenees fall into the Mediterranean sea. Further to the east in northern Spain we explore a pristine nature inside the Picos de Europa national park.
Over on the Balearen island of Menorca we offer the Island Explorer Menorca – Camí dels Cavalls. Menorca is the greenest and most authentic of the Balearic Islands and the perfect place to get acquainted with the true beauty of life in the Mediterranean: deep blue bays, white sand beaches, spectacular cliffs, rolling hills, quiet farmland, historical towns, and ports full of tiny boats and seafood restaurants.
One of the most famous hiking routes in Spain is the Camino de Santiago - French Route . The El Camino de Santiago has existed for over a thousand years! Inspiring pathways through the pristine Spanish countryside combined with carefully selected and comfortable rural accommodations, tasty and traditional meals and no worries about carrying your own luggage around - make this one of the top self-guided (guided  option available) walking holidays throughout Europ

"Europe was formed on the road to Santiago" — Goethe

The Way of St. James or St. James' Way (Spanish name: El Camino de Santiago), is the pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where legend has it that the remains of the apostle, Saint James the Great, are buried.



The Way of St James has existed for over a thousand years. It was one of the most important Christian pilgrimages during medieval times. It was considered one of three pilgrimages on which a plenary indulgence could be earned (the others are the Via Francigena to Rome and the pilgrimage to Jerusalem).

Legend has is that St. James' remains were carried by boat from Jerusalem to northern Spain where they were buried on the site of what is now the city of Santiago de Compostela. There are some, however, who claim that the remains at Santiago belong to Priscillian, the fourth-century Galician leader of an ascetic Christian sect, Priscillianism, who was one of the first Christian heretics to be executed.

There is no single route on the Way of St. James. In fact, there are a number of pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela. However, some of these routes are perhaps better known than others. Santiago is considered to be an important pilgrimage destination because of its association with James the Great. During the Middle Ages, the route was highly traveled, but the Black Plague, the Protestant Reformation and political unrest in 16th-century Europe resulted in a usage decline. By the 1980s, only a few pilgrims arrived in Santiago annually. However, since then, the route has attracted a growing number of modern-day pilgrims from around the globe. The route was declared the first European Cultural Route by the Council of Europe in October 1987; it was also named one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites in 1993.

Our self-guided and guided hiking trip focus mainly on the French Route - starting in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France and ending after 8 sections in Santiago de Compostela.