Enjoy northern Spain. This part of Spain offers fantastic, yet affordable accommodation and amazing local cuisine. This road trip itinerary guide for northern Spain provides lots of hints and recommendations to discover the north of Spain by visiting elegant cities such as San Sebastian, Santander, and Oviedo, and small fishing villages, all with their traditional architecture. You will also discover amazing mountain landscapes, fantastic beaches, and welcoming local people…This road trip itinerary has been selected as one of Spain’s best holidays by The Times
7 to 12 nights to get the most out of it (minimum recommended is 4 nights / 5 days with nights in such case in Bilbao or San Sebastian (2 nights), 1 night in Oviedo and 1 night in Santiago de Compostela)
End of March, April, May, June and first 2 weeks of July. September and october are also good months.
Bilbao or San Sebastian to Santiago de Compostela
2 days recommended
The famous Guggenheim Museum is Bilbao´s main highlight. You will find the tourism office where you can ask about the local events/activities taking place on this day. We recommend making your way to the Casco Viejo (old quarters) by taking a lovely walk along the river.
In front of the Museum, you will find Puppy (Jeff Koons), or Mother (a huge spider sculpture); both are children´s favorites.
Teatro Arriaga. Oldest theatre in town, still operating. Interesting neo-baroque style.
Ensanche . An old town called Abando, it became part of Bilbao in 1870. The Ensanche is the Business center and dynamic area of Bilbao. Its main boulevard is Gran Via.
Market La Ribera . An exciting and massive local market. Art deco style
Museo de Bellas Artes ; essential collection from artists like Goya, El Greco, Francis Bacon, Gaugin, Chillida…
Funicular to Mount Artxanda. The funicular from 1912 is not only a fantastic architectural example but also allows you to enjoy incredible views of Bilbao.
You can find more information on this post wit the best things to do in Bilbao in 1 day
Best things to do near Bilbao and top excursions
Getxo. An upmarket destination, Getxo is famous for its architecture (with a clear British influence) and summer houses. Its famous bridge over the Nervion River connects with Portugalete, a working-class town that grew to provide services to the harbor.
San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. Just a 40-minute drive from Bilbao, you will find San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. A fantastic church on top of a small island with breathtaking views. Bear in mind that you will need approx. 3 hours to walk to the church and return to the parking lot. Another option is to enjoy one of the boat excursions that depart from Bermeo
1 day recommended (2 or 3 if ou are a foodie)
San Sebastian (Donostia in Basque language) began its tourism in the 19th century when Queen Isabella II. She chose the city as a holiday resort making it fashionable for other aristocrats in the same way as other important cities in France like Biarritz.
San Sebastian is one of the most elegant and beautiful cities of Spain. La Playa de la Concha(la Concha beach) is the heart of this city and the gastronomic capital of Spain. The Old Town (Parte Vieja) is well known for having the highest concentration of bars in the world. These bars offer a great variety of local pintxos (Basque tapas)
You will find hundreds of options to enjoy pintxos in San Sebastian. Many of them are crowded, and despite it may not be very convenient it indicates you will find something tasty inside…
La Mejillonera – a Very typical bar that serves, as its name indicates, mussels. They are prepared in many different ways.
A Fuego Negro –more avant-garde than traditional pintxos
Néstor – Its specialty pintxo is the tortilla. You should arrive before lunch or dinner to try it or otherwise, it will be gone
La Cuchara de San Telmo – One of our favorites, great pintxos
Gambara – If you enjoy mushrooms this is your place. Great selection of wines too.
La Viña – Their cheesecake is their main highlight. It is very tasty but too many people have found out…
San Sebastian holds more Michelin starred restaurants than any other city in the world. Expensive tasting menus… but sometimes a life time experience.
Nineu. Located at the beautiful Kursal building, Nineu is not a Michelin starred restaurant and your wallet will not get empty here. You can, however, enjoy high-quality gastronomy in a chic atmosphere.
Restaurante Kokotxa – Fantastic tasting menus and top quality since it got its 1st star in 2007.
Mirador de Ulía –innovative cuisine with a nod to its Basque roots. Its terrace offers a great atmosphere, especially during summer.
Arzak – A legend and the name behind a real revolution in Basque gastronomy
Akelarre –3 stars like Arzak. Located just 10 minutes from the center and with amazing views
1 day recommended or 2 if you would like to explore the Franch Basque coast from here (Saint Jean de Luz, Biarritz, Bayonne...)
“Hondarribia” in the Basque language, known as “Fuenterrabía” in Castilian Spanish, is divided into 2 neighborhoods. The Casco Viejo and Barrio de la Marina are both of great interest and with totally different characters
A border village with France, its history is strongly tied to this fact and its fishing nature.
There is a beach in Hondarribia though most locals prefer to go «to the other side» as they call neighboring Hendaye in France which is hone to an impressive beach, a delight for local surfers.
El Barrio de la Marina is the place for pintxos in Hondarribia. This area is the busiest part of the city and reminds us of the seaport of Fuenterrabia. You will find many bars with terraces and a great local atmosphere. They can get very crowded though.
We recommend Ardoka (with a wider selection of wines) , Gran Sol or Sardara.
If you are looking for a fine dining option instead of tapas, Alameda is a Michelin starred restaurant with different tasting menu options. Much better value for money than in San Sebastian though their prices are going up in recent years. You may want to consider booking a table on the terrace. A great option if the weather is good.
This road trip in Northern Spain Coast continues towards the west. You will leave the Spaish Basque country and enter Cantabria. Its capital, Santader, is our recommended next stop- 1 day recommended or 2 if you want to enjoy the highlights nearby (Altamira caves, Santoña, etc.)
Santander is the capital of the region of Cantabria. Santander and its bay constitute one of the more elegant cities of Spain, although its gastronomy is not as well-known as Basque cuisine. The city is well-known for being the homeland of one of Spain´s most important banks «Banco Santander». This institution has invested locally to make Santander a reference in arts and culture.
We recommend dinner at Los Peñucas restaurant (in the fishermen’s quarter of Santander and famous for rice and fish).
Cañadio is one of the most respected restaurants by locals. The bar has a great selection of tapas and the restaurant offers a very elegant environment and a high-quality traditional food
El Serbal is a top reference in Santander, especially since it got a Michelin star
1/2 for Cangas itself. 2 or 3 days if you want to enjoy Covadonga and the lakes or some of the stops on the way
Cangas de Onis was the capital of the Asturian reign. Its king Don Pelayo headed the army that won the famous battle at Covadonga in 722 which is the landmark for the beginning of the reconquering process against the Muslim invasion
Cangas de Onís is today an important touristic destination and the starting point for mountain visits to the famous Picos de Europa and Covadonga Lakes. You can hike up to the Covadonga Monastery. If the weather is good, we recommend continuing the ascent to the Covadonga Lakes
Worth seeing: the Roman bridge, Capilla de Santa Cruz and Iglesia de la Asunción.
You cannot miss the ascent to the Covadonga Sanctuary (15 minutes from Cangas) and the Lakes of Covadonga (35 minutes from Cangas. This only makes sense if the day is not foggy).
Bear in mind that you will need close to 2 hours to enjoy the route to the lakes including a bit of time to walk, enjoy the views, etc.
We recommend sidrerias (cider house) El Polesu or El Molín de la Pedrera. Cangas de Onis is a great place to enjoy the traditional and rich gastronomy from Asturias
1/2 day. There are many interesting things to enjoy from Cangas de Onis so you may want to consider a longer stay
Oviedo is the capital of the region of Asturias. it is considered one of the cities in Spain with a higher quality of life. You will enjoy its elegant and lively streets and squares.
We suggest this itinerary in the city: Cathedral of San Salvador, the calle Rúa towards the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, continue on calle Fierro towards the Mercado Fontán and the Plaza Daoiz y Velarde. Continue on Calle Fontán to the Campo de San Francisco park and towards the Campoamor Theater.
On the outskirts of the city is the ancient Romanesque church of Santa María del Naranco.
Local gastronomy: Don’t leave without tasting the “carballones” and other local pastries at Camilo de Blas
This is one of our favorite restaurants in Oviedo, highly advisable
Santa Maria del Naranco A Unesco herigate site along with other Christian temples which, at the 8th century, kept alive the flame of Christianity
Please refer to the best things to do on your way from Cangas de Onis or on your way from Oviedo to Lugo to decide which things could be enjoyed as a day excursion if you stay longer in Oviedo
1/2 day. There are many interesting things to enjoy from Oviedo so you may want to consider a longer stay when planning the road trip schedule
Lugo was an important Roman base and remains today one of the places in Spain with more Roman heritage. Its walls, a Unesco heritage site, are a great example of well-preserved history.
Lugo is very much unknown to most tourists and we believe it is a charming stop in this road trip. Much more than just its walls, Lugo has lots of character and interest in itself.
We recommend Fonte De Rei for high quality, very affordable food. If you decide to enjoy this restaurant you will end your dinner questioning why you have paid so much on many occasions for much less than what you were served here.
1 day and at least 2 to 4 days if you want to enjoy el Camino, Rias Baixas or even Northern Portugal
This route from Lugo to Santiago is one of the final stages in the Camino de Santiago. We recommend you profit from this by either walking or enjoying some of the interesting villages on the way.
This route runs through towns that make up the 3 final stages of the Camino de Santiago (stages 32, 33 and 34). Among them, the highlight is probably Palas de Rey, at the end of stage 32. We recommend 2 brief detours: from Palas de Rey to Pambre to enjoy its beautiful castle, and also from Palas de Rey to Puertomarín, end of stage 31 of the Camino de Santiago and known for its beautiful Romanesque church. We recommend enjoying a drink at El Mirador de Portomarin. Good views and a good quality menu.
Santiago is famous not only as being the destination for the Camino but also by its culture and universal history. The Obradorio Square and Cathedral are must-sees, as well as a stroll in the food market because of the vibrant colors of their local seafood-filled stalls.
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