Guías Cantábricos

We decided to call the company “Compañía Guías de la Cordillera Cantábrica” (Cantabrian Mountain Guide Company) because we discovered that, although not particularly commercial, it is the name that defines us best: three mountain guides whose area of work focuses mainly on the Cantabrian Mountains, which we know very well.

We are called a Guide Company because we not only have a professional relationship but also a great friendship, forged while we were in training and strengthened over many hours of working alongside one other in the mountains. It is also because good company is the maxim we try to apply in each and every one of the guided activities we offer. The more formal aspect, Company, is because we try to cover all the requests we receive in such a way that there will always be a guide available to run an activity.

We offer a range of ecotourism activities:

Interpretive hiking trails
Ethnography-based hike
Culture-based hike

We also offer other, more sports-based activities:

Mountaineering (with summit ascents)
Hiking
Snowshoeing activities
Training courses

Since we began, we have put a significant effort into promoting the guiding profession. We have been working for years to dispel the idea that a “guide” is someone who leads a group and who everyone follows. We try to be “in” the group, showing the empathy needed to get to know each person on the trip and cater to their specific needs, with the knowledge and seriousness to guarantee safety and a friendly attitude to ensure everybody has fun. We also use our extensive knowledge of the landscape and local people to conclude an experience that we hope will be fulfilling. Our slogan: off to the mountains, in the best company.

Equipment

We only offer equipment to clients for snowshoeing activities, in which we provide:

Snowshoes
Poles
Gaiters, if necessary

Activity area

The whole of the Cantabrian Mountains, paying special attention to Asturias’ protected areas, including:

Redes Natural Park

Accesibility

We offer guided activities for people who are blind or with functional diversity
Our base is perfectly adapted for people with limited mobility.

Price

Snowshoes: from €35/person
Hiking: from €20/person

Languages

English

Quality and/or sustainability practices & awards

Company certified by the Ecotourism Club in Spain

Company’s commitment to conservation of biodiversity and local development

At Guías Cantábricos, we are fully aware of the importance of conserving biodiversity and local development, so:

We consider how to have the least impact on the environment when designing our activities and have stopped offering certain activities which, although permitted, we consider overcrowded, such as watching deer rutting in the autumn.
We collaborate with local organisations, offering guided tours of little-known areas and elements of their heritage so as to increase their value and reduce the number of people visiting more popular areas. We collaborate with local organisations to raise awareness of lesser-known areas.
When we are not guiding tours, we teach and work on the land. We have a 1-hectare farm where we implement an agro-ecological model, encouraging biodiversity and self-regulation. We collect and impart traditional knowledge, reproduce native seeds, organise training for sharing knowledge, and above all, we try to teach values. The farm is located in a municipality adjacent to those of the Redes natural park.