Walking in Spain on Your Own: Coast, Forest, Good Company

The clifftop path from San Vicente is dusty underfoot, the Atlantic is glittering on your right and the green hills of Cantabria are stacked up on your left. Up front, a chatty group is setting a gentle pace with Jen. A few keener walkers have pushed on ahead with Jim. In a couple of hours everyone will meet again on the sand at Playa de Oyambre, and tonight you will all be back at the house for dinner, comparing notes on who found the best view.

That is the shape of a walking week at Casa Agara: all ages and every pace welcome, and company that comes with the boots. A brilliant walking holiday for a solo traveller comes down to three things. Great routes, a pace that suits you, and good people to share them with.

Solo walking is booming

According to ABTA's Holiday Habits 2025-26 survey of 2,001 UK adults, 19% of UK holidaymakers took a solo holiday in the last 12 months, the highest level this decade and up two percentage points on the year before. Most of those trips were city breaks. A walking week takes a little more organising on your own: routes, maps, transport to trailheads, and someone to share the last couple of miles with. A hosted week hands you all of that, ready to go.

Pick your walk, pick your pace

Cantabria gives you real choice from one base. Jen and Jim Holgan, who host the walking on the Cantabrian Walking Week, have scouted every route themselves. A taste of their list:

• A level beach circuit of 4.3 km, with the sea for company.
• San Vicente to Playa de Oyambre: 7.6 km of coast with 100 m of ascent.
• The Bárcena Mayor valley: an 8 km river walk out and back, or a 9.3 km circular climbing 183 m.
• The Alto de la Guarda circuit: 8.5 km with 650 m of climbing, for walkers who want real height.

Jen keeps a sociable, leisurely pace. Jim is very happy to push on faster for anyone who wants more. They are volunteer hosts who have taken Spice members walking in Scotland for almost 20 years, so you are invited along for the walk rather than marched round a route. Nobody is racing, and the picnic lunch comes with you, so there is never a reason to rush back.

For the bigger picture of what is on the doorstep, see the best walks near Casa Agara and our guide to Bárcena Mayor. If pace is the deciding factor, read how to find a walking holiday in Spain that suits solo travellers.

The house at the end of the trail

Casa Agara is an 18th-century stone casona in Fresneda de Cabuérniga, inside the Saja-Besaya reserve and a short walk from the river Saja, about an hour from Santander airport. Every meal is included: breakfast, a light lunch carried as a picnic on walking days, and a home-cooked dinner with vegetables from the kitchen garden. Dinner changes nightly, from tapas and cava round the fire to a Cantabrian mountain stew of pork and butter beans or a joint of Tudanca beef from the local breed. The bar is free too, with house wine, beer and spirits on the house and a charge only for premium brands.

The week is fully catered rather than all-inclusive. Flights (an add-on on some weeks), travel insurance, optional excursions and a restaurant lunch if the group fancies one are extra. Pack waterproofs: Cantabria is Green Spain, and the rain is what keeps those beech woods so lush.

Beyond the boots

Rest days are just as good. The surf and the Cantabrian coast are under an hour away, there is horse riding on mountain trails and beaches, quiet mountain roads for cyclists, and the Picos de Europa make a big day out about an hour and a half by car. Minibus transport during the week is included, and optional excursions are paid as extras.

Coming solo, the easy way

There is no forced single supplement. Solo guests twin-share at no extra charge, or take a room of their own as an optional extra. Couples and friends come on the same weeks, so the walking groups are a lively mix every time.

Questions people ask

Is the walking week open to everyone?

Yes. All ages and every pace are welcome. What you need is a willingness to walk a few miles on most days, proper boots, and an appetite for dinner in good company.

Do I have to walk with the group every day?

No. Jen and Jim lead a scouted route on walking days, with a slower and a faster option, and the picnic lunch comes with you. If you fancy a day by the river or in the garden instead, take it.

How hard is the walking?

Your call, every day. Routes run from a level 4.3 km beach circuit to an 8.5 km hill circuit climbing 650 m, so you choose how far to push. Good boots and a waterproof jacket are all the kit you really need.

How do I book?

Every scheduled week at Casa Agara, including the Cantabrian Walking Week, is booked through Spice Escapes, our exclusive booking partner (ATOL 9046), who have run hosted group holidays for over 40 years. They can talk you through rooms and flights.

Lace up and come walking

Choose your week on the scheduled holidays page and come and walk Cantabria in great company. If you run a walking club or rambling group, enquire about bringing your group: Rob replies personally with dates and how a week could work.