The Best Canyons & Gorges in Spain

Northern Spain

Cares Gorge lies in the Picos de Europa, a limestone gorge with walls rising over 1,000 meters above the Cares River. Visitors follow a narrow path cut along the rock, passing tunnels and bridges high above the water. La Hermida Gorge in Cantabria has limestone walls on both sides of the Deva River for over 20 kilometers. Most visitors drive, ride motorbikes or cycle through it, stopping at a viewpoint or the spa. Vero River Canyon near Alquézar is a deep, narrow gorge of ochre cliffs and meanders cut by the Vero River over about 8 km. Visitors walk metal boardwalks and footbridges above the water, and some do it as a canyoning descent.

Central Spain, Extremadura and Tenerife

Barranco de la Hoz near Corduente is a deep canyon of sandstone and conglomerate, with high cliffs and the Gallo River flowing below. Visitors climb stairs from the hermitage to rim viewpoints, or walk or cycle the road along the river to San Pedro Bridge. Garganta de los Infiernos in Jerte is a granite gorge with a river running between steep rock walls, some sections narrow. Visitors walk a trail up to natural pools carved in the rock, and some take a guided 4x4 tour. Masca Gorge on Tenerife has vertical rock walls closing in on a ravine that descends about 700 metres to the sea. Visitors walk down through the gorge and return by boat to Los Gigantes.