Special places
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Charming fishing ports, mountain villages untouched by time, monumental cities, Belle Epoque seaside resorts - northern Spain has a wealth special places to visit each of which with its own distinctive character. Tourism is still a secondary activity here so wherever you go you'll find real communities and an authentic taste of the real Spain. These are just a selection of our favourites....
Holiday Themes...
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A Coruña, with its lovely glass fronted houses looking out over the harbour and port is a city not to be missed. There is plenty to do for a great day out - excellent town beaches, superb seafood and fish, ...{more}
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If you'd like to have an idea of what the Costa Dorada was like before the arrival of mass tourism and tower block hotels then there's no better place than Altafulla. There's a nice castle, the church ...{more}
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Said to be the oldest village in Cantabria and according to some, the whole of Spain, Barcena Mayor is certainly one of the best preserved examples of the Cantabrian rural life, nowadays popular with tourists ...{more}
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In north-west Navarra, where the Pyrenees come down to meet the coast at the border with France lie the verdant valleys of Baztan and Bidasoa. Here the impeccably kept towns and villages and indeed life ...{more}
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Now world famous for its Guggenheim museum, Bilbao has much, much more to offer. This formerly industrial city has undergone a real renaissance without loosing touch with its maritime history. There is ...{more}
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Burgos, once the capital of the Kingdom of Castile and an important centre for the commerce between the Bay of Biscay and the interior of Spain is one of the main stops on the Camino de Santiago. Its magnificent ...{more}
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The busy little market town of Cabezon de la Sal, at the gateway to the Saja Valley Nature Park yet just a short distance from Comillas on the coast, is well worth a visit to see the workings of a genuine ...{more}
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On the coast between the O Grove peninsular and the Isla Arousa, Cambados is well placed for a typical seaside holiday with a difference. Apart from its well kept old town what really makes Cambados special ...{more}
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Cangas de Onis, once the the first court of the Asturian kings and the first capital of reconquered Spain, boasts a beautiful medieval stone bridge at the entrance to the town. It is a busy and popular ...{more}
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A little gem of a village, beautifully preserved and a great place to stop off for lunch or just a wander about. Carmona is strategically placed half way round the Saja - Nansa route (see below), a circular ...{more}
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Beween Bilbao and Santander, although now rather developed, the town, set on a cliff by the sea, once called Flavióbriga by the Romans, preserves a fine old quarter with a lovely harbour dominated by the ...{more}
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Formerly the capital of Portugal, in the 12th century, Coimbra has a rich history dating back to Roman times and having changed hands over the century between the Moors, the Spanish and the native Portugese. ...{more}
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Historic Comillas, set on a lovely bay with a nice sandy beach and little, protected fishing harbour is surely one of Cantabria´s most beautiful towns. Favoured by royalty in the 'Belle Epoque' Comillas ...{more}
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The prototype Asturian fishing village with colourful cottages huddled in a protected cove, vertical paths leading maze-like up between them and, at the water's edge, a cluster of seafood restaurants with ...{more}
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El Bierzo, a very special, yet little known region, in the west of the province of León with Ponferrada and its magnificent Castle of the Templars as its capital and historic Villafranca del Bierzo, at ...{more}
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At the mouth of the Rio Bidasoa which forms the natural border with France at the Bay of Biscay Hondarribia, also know as Fuenterrabia, must be one of the Basque Country’s best kept secrets. Both the walled ...{more}
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Protected by the craggy south face of the Sierra Toloño to the north and bounded by the Rio Ebro to the south, the Rioja Alavesa enjoys a priveledged micro-climate for wine growing. Here you will find ...{more}
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At the heart of the Rioja Alavesa the medieval walled town of Laguardia is a great base to discover the region. Cars are not permitted within the walls of the town as the whole town is undermined by cellars ...{more}
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Nestled at the foot of the Sierra del Sueve, reaching over 1100m, the still-active fishing port of Lastres has a charm all of its own, not yet dominated by the influence of tourism. Chosen as the setting ...{more}
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The lively city of León is the crossroads of two major historical routes, the Camino de Santiago and the Ruta de la Plata. Medieval pilgrims sought refuge in its hospices, notably in the Hostal de San ...{more}
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Llanes sits on the craggy coastline at the eastern end of the Asturian ‘Costa Verde’ nestled beneath the mountains of the Sierra de Cuera. A traditional fishing town, with some parts untouched since medieval ...{more}
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Luarca is perhaps the most genuine and least touristic of the Asturian fishing villages but has a charm all of its own which will have you coming back for more. Here the brightly painted fishing boats, ...{more}
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The fine old city of Lugo, the capital of the province of the same name, in Galicia, has long been a detour for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela and boasts the best ancient walls in Spain, ...{more}
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Valença do Minho, on the border, is extraordinarily picturesque, and its Wednesday market held outside the old walls is a rich hunting ground for Portuguese textiles and pottery. If you are prepared to ...{more}
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With its old town clustered around a fairytale castle looking out over the vineyards Olite is well worth a visit. The castle, or more correctly palace, constructed as it was to house the Kings of Navarra, ...{more}
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Rightly famous for the fortified wines to which it lends its name, a visit to Portugal’s second city Oporto should form part of any visit to the region. The historic old town was declared a UNESCO World ...{more}
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The provincial capital of Ourense on the banks of the impressive River Miño, named by the Romans from the word oro - gold - because of its ancient gold mines and for its amazing unusual steaming hot springs ...{more}
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At one time the capital of Christian Spain, the last bastion against the Moorish invasion, the grand old city of Oviedo boasts a rich architectural history including a magnificent cathedral and some of ...{more}
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Known the world over for the running of the bulls in the San Fermin fiestas in early July, Pamplona is well worth a visit whatever time of year. A wealthy city of great parks, most notably that inside ...{more}
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Ponte de Lima and nearby Ponte de Barca are both lovely old towns on the Lima. Life here is lived at a gentle pace evocative of days gone by but you’ll find all the necessary shops, several restaurants ...{more}
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At the heart of the Valle de Liebana, Picos de Europa, lies medieval Potes which, to this day, serves as the cultural and commercial centre for the area. The town lies at the crossroads of the three natural ...{more}
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One of the first important staging posts on the Camino de Santiago (French Way) as it comes down from the Pyrenees, Puente la Reina, named after its famous roman bridge over the Rio Arga is a real step ...{more}
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Set among the rising foothills of the Pyrenees where northern Navarra borders with the French Pais Basque, Roncesvalles, or Orreaga to give it its Basque name is the start point for many setting off on ...{more}
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Known as La Ciudad Dorada, the golden city, Salamanca is home to one of Spain’s most important and ancient universities, founded in 1218. The enormous Plaza Mayor (capacity for 20,000 people!) is considered ...{more}
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On the 8th of September pilgrims from all over Galicia head to San Andrés de Teixido on the Costa Lucence, a pilgrimage centre dating back centuries, perched on the highest cliffs in Europe, because as ...{more}
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San Sebastian set on its beautiful conch shaped bay with its 'belle epoque' architecture and lovely old town should be on any visit to the Basque country. There's always something going on in San Sebastian; ...{more}
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The active fishing port of San Vicente de la Barquera sits at the gateway to the Oyambre Nature Park and with the Picos de Europa as a backdrop. For centuries San Vicente de la Barquera has been an important ...{more}
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At the heart of Cantabria the beautiful bay of Santander not only offers a natural harbour but lovely sheltered beaches right beside the city centre. Favoured by the royals at the turn of the century the ...{more}
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Santiago de Compostela, for centuries Europe’s most important pilgrim destination, is a ‘must-see’ for visitors to Galicia. There’s so much to see in the old town alone that a walking tour is an absolute ...{more}
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Santillana del Mar, one of the highlights of any visit to Cantabria, is a beautiful village of grand old mansions the highlight being the Colegiata de Santillana del Mar at the top of the town. A short ...{more}
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Perhaps best known for its film festival, its flambouyant carnival or for being among Europe's top gay tourist spots, the small seaside city of Sitges is oozes cosmopolitan creativity - 35% of its inhabitants ...{more}
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Once the capital of the Roman province of Iberia Tarraconensis, one of three provinces covering the peninsula, the city of Tarragona still has substantial roman remains which have earned it the status ...{more}
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Atlantic-facing Vigo is Europe's largest fishing port and a lively place to explore at any time of the year. Whilst not perhaps picturesque, it has a nice old town and good shopping or you can just watch ...{more}
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At the heart of the Cava region of Alt Penedés Vilafranca is a bustling small city with all the facilities. Here you will find fine examples of Catalan architecture both medieval and from the modernist ...{more}
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Villafranca del Bierzo in the heart of the El Bierzo region in the province of León, sitting on the confluence of the rivers Burbia and Valcarcél is a gem of a town not to be missed on the pilgrims' route ...{more}
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The medieval town of Viveiro, situated on the largest estuary in Galicia, is often referred to as the small "Coruña" because of its houses with glass fronted galleries. Its old quarter is still one of ...{more}
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