Spain is Europe's second most mountainous country, crossed by several mighty mountain ranges: the Cantabrian range, which crosses 'Green Spain' in the north, the Pyrenees, which separate Spain and France, the Sierra Nevada in the south, featuring the highest peak on the Spanish peninsula, the Central Mountain chain, which cuts from east to west through Castile, and the Iberian Mountains that begin in the Basque Country and end on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. So much mountainous terrain means there are many options for hiking and cycling both in the high mountains and the gentler foothills. The Tour de France cycling marathon includes some of Spain's mountainous regions on its route because of the variety and challenge they present.

Hiking and biking often follow similar paths. One popular route covers the foothills and idyllic valleys of the Pyrenees. The Picos de Europa in the regions of Asturias and Cantabria present exciting possibilities for rugged hiking in areas where no roads exist. The glorious Cares Gorge, for example, allows you to follow twelve kilometers of the gorge -a fairly long but not especially difficult trek- that follows the turquoise Cares River.

Hiking and biking in central Spain offer many less arduous possibilities that are no less scenically exciting and culturally rewarding and include areas as diverse as La Rioja wine country, Soria and its 'Black Lakes,' and the phantasmagorical scenery of Cuenca. Also in the central region are the beautiful mountains of Gredos, home of the rare Capra Hispanica, and the gentle valley of La Vera.

In southern Spain there are exhilarating adventures into the glorious Sierra Nevada, Las Alpujarras and its picturesque villages of Moorish flavor, or the forest-covered Cazorla and Segura mountains in northeastern Andalucía. Biking and hiking in Spain's Balearic Islands -especially the mountainous northern coast- and in the exotic volcanic terrain of the Canary Islands are other possibilities worth exploring.