Next year you should be able to fly from SdC to Istanbul Link to news in Spanish:
http://santiagoaeropuerto.com/turismo-de-santiago-celebra-la-decision-de-turkish-airlines-de-instalarse-en-el-aeropuerto-de-santiago
Flights are due to start on 21 May 2013. However i cannot seem them on the Turkish Airlines website just yet.
If they do start to fly them maybe think about doing the route from BCN to SdC.
I would not stay in SdC for 4 days. 2 at the most will allow you to see everything the city has to offer.
Trains run from León to Gijón on RENFE services http://www.renfe.com
To get between Gijón and Llanes use the services run by FEVE http://www.feve.es

Sounds like a great plan. Leon to Llanes is four hours and some 20€ with the Alsa bus company. This fastest alternative leaves Leon at 9am and 1, 3 and 5 pm on weekdays:
http://www.alsa.es/portal/site/Alsa/template.PAGE/menuitem.a2b8c42c4264a03c66c766c7421000e5/?javax.portlet.tpst=28b12525bd34c9fec845c845421000e5&javax.portlet.prp_28b12525bd34c9fec845c845421000e5=_spageview%3D%252FSearchExpeditions.do%26_kraview%3D1&javax.portlet.begCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken&javax.portlet.endCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken

This site might give you some more ideas on "Green Spain":
http://www.greenspain.org/

I have visited many of the places you mention and did like them a lot. Had a car so transportation was easy. Can't really advise on public transport but others may, or you will I am sure research online.

The Picos are indeed spectacular, especially for someone who loves walking and scenic landscapes. You might try the tourist office of one of the jumping-off places in the Picos (Potes? Panes?) to see what they say about tours or access via train or bus. Even if you can get to a jumping-off town, you'll want to go into the mountains, so the tourist offices are a good starting point.

BTW, there is (fairly) near the Picos a town/village (blanking on the name, but should be easy to find) where the reconquista began (the reconquest of Spain by the Catholic monarchs from the Moors). I did not go but it is said to be worthwhile.

I too love San Sebastian, and I can tell you that Santiago de Compostella is absolutely one of the finest cities I have ever seen in Europe. The cathedral and the plaza it faces are truly stunning. From Santiago, try to make a day trip down to the rias, the fjord-like bays that wind in from the Atlantic. The scenery is lovely and the food (seafood, of course) simply wonderful.

While in Galicia (the province of Santiago), you must try the little green peppers called pimientos de padron. They are simply delicious. Most are mild, but one in a dozen or so is somewhat hot (though still delicious). They call this the peppr lottery.

Santillana del Mar is indeed pretty, though fairly heavily touristed. Not sure if the replica of the cave (Alta Mira, nearby) is still open. If so you should go.

From San Sebastian, if you want/need a day trip, consider Pamplona, whose old town is quite nice. Should be good bus/train connections from San Sebastian and/or Bilbao. Another day trip from San Sebastian/Bilbao is Gernika, which is fairly modern but still worth it for the experience of being in the town where Franco allowed the Nazis to test out their new blitzkrieg tactics. This is the town so movingly portrayed in Picasso's painting Guernica.

And last, from San Sebastian it is only perhaps 45 minutes (probably good bus or train service) to the airport in Biarritz, France. You may find air connections into/out of this city to be better than any of the gateways you mention.

Because it is a fairly long distance from Santiago on the west to San Sebastian on the east, you should plan to fly into one end and out the other – don't backtrack. There is an airport in Santiago (have never used it), but if more convenient/cheaper consider using the airport at Porto (Portugal), just a couple of hours from Santiago (probably bus/train service).

http://www.vvww.net/articles/bayonaislescies.html

Look into Ile De Cies, it is one of the most beautiful beaches in Spain and relatively unknown to tourists.

ribeirasacra

I actually initially planned my itinerary to end up in SdC and fly to Istanbul, but then I saw the COST and completely reversed the decision I will have to reconsider it again, and see how much a flight for Melbourne to San Sebastian costs. So thank you so much for that information.

Regarding 4 nights in SdC yes the reason why was because the first full day and the arrival day would probably be a rest day...it's a very long flight from Melbourne to SdC and I am a very poor sleeper - especially on planes.

Also thank you for the train info Leon - Gijon - Llanes.

Thank you Kimhe, I didn't realise there was a bus route from Leon to Llanes. Will compare with train, i hear the trin is a very nice scenic route.

thank you Golemtoo, I will have a look at Ile De Cies

Thank you Geonev some great information. Yes although I said I did not have an interest in art, I did go and see the Guernica painting last year and admit I stood in front of it for quite a while - was also funny to see people trying to sneak a photo of it and getting reprimanded

Interesting options on the airports...never even thought about checking those in other countries for connecting to Istanbul (a flight from San Sebastian to Istanbul is quoted at well over 1,000 euro...crazy!).

I love hot food so the pimientos are deifnitely on the 'to eat' list, and if I'm lucky int he lottery I'll get one of the hot ones

I am very much considering Potes (or another similar town in the Picos) instead of Llanes...I really like hiking...and I have so many coastal visits later in my 2 month trip that I can probably give it a miss without too many regrets. Just need to see how feasible (and costly) it is without a car.

I have not traveled from town to town in the north without a car in many years. Remember it is almost 500 miles across Northern Spain so even with 16 days, anything but a car will take huge chucks out of your time.

Whict train did you find for the Leon - Llanes part? No RENFE or FEVE train between those to cities.

Kimhe

No direct train...have to goto Gijon (or maybe Oviendo, haven't checked fully yet) then get connecting train to Llanes.

Does not look like its possible to get to Potes from Leon by bus so thats off the list. I think I will end up settling for Llanes (and hope I can find a daytrip into Picos). Seems to be some beautiful little towns to visit from Llanes too...saw some photos of San Vincente de la Barquera today, really nice.

Can get to Potes from Santander by bus, so possible if as per flight information earlier I can switch my trip around, but then would be too much hassle to go from Potes to Santiago.

Is there a chance you will return to Spain for another couple weeks anytime soon (you seem to have a trend here)?

The reason I ask is that you are covering alot of ground (especially using public transportation) in 2 weeks and missing alot of special places in between (Oviedo, Burgos, La Rioja, Luarca, Santander, Gijon, Lugo, Pontevedra, A Coruna, etc....). You could easily break this trip up into 2 separate trips. Public transportation in these areas can be limiting. It can be done but it will take you longer to get to the more remote areas. I'm definately not an expert on this area but did visit a couple of times using bus/train.

I understand wanting to spend 4 nights in Santiago de Compostela after the long trip. I spent 3 nights there after a transtlantic flight and it was good as the first day was jetlagged. 2 nights in Leon is good but you have at least a five hour journey to get there from Santiago de Compostela. Then 2 days later you have at least a 4 hour bus ride (with a transfer in Oviedo) to get to Llanes. 4 days in Llanes is a bit much without a car. I wasn't able to find any organized trips to the Picos from Llanes (this was about 7 years ago). But you may consider spending a couple of nights in Cangas de Onis. From Cangas there are buses that run in the summer and you can visit some of the smaller villages. Also, there's a Sunday morning cheese market in Cangas that is wonderful - all of the cheese producers from the mountain villages come into town and you'll taste cheeses that have never made their way outside Spain! Your plan has you going from Llanes to San Sebastian which is another 4-5 hour bus ride. And if you end up needing to get to Barcelona or Madrid for the flight to Istanbul then it will be more ground you'll have to cover. If you broke this up in two trips then you could see more of each area and not have so much travel time between places.

I'd listen to CathyM, she knows what she's talking about when it comes to getting around by public transportation. I've covered the areas you've considering a few times over the last 10 years, but only by car, which to me, is the only way to get around in the north, if you want to cover some ground and see the countryside.

Hi Robert

Yes definitely considering many of the things Cathy said...except the cheese As i informed her on another forum, I cannot stand raw cheese...sorry if this horrifies anyone

On pizza though its fine!

I don't know why but I have a fear of driving overseas ...maybe its something that I just need to DO to get over it, but its the 'just doing' part that is hard

As a solo traveler I wouldn't recommend renting a car. It's difficult to try to read foreign road signs and negotiate directions without a "navigator" in the passenger seat - at least in my opinion. Also, can be expensive to rent without someone sharing in the expense. This, and the fact that I can't drive a stick shift is why I normally have to depend on public transportation.

CathyM is correct...A navigator is essential and manual drive is the most common. Automatic is off the wall for $$$$...

Bring a friend!

cathyM, it shames me to say it, but I can't a drive manual either. I also have a terrible sense of direction. As someone once told me, "Mate, you'd get lost in your own driveway."

Amer...yes I have heard automatic rental prices are ridiculous in Europe.

Rob, I would but my I'm a very different traveller type than my friends who are mostly (STILL!) party animals. I'll want to hike the Picos, they'll want to hike to the closest bar

Just to confirm, did not receive a response from Turkish Airlines yet, but finally got their website working and it does have reservations available for SdC flights to Istanbul. The cost for cheapest economy is 260euro in August and flight takes around 4.5 hrs with no stops. Just be aware though that seems to be only 3 flights a week and not on same days each week...so if i take this option, I'll need to be careful with my planning and will probably need to add a couple nights in Barcelona...flight to SanSeb from Melbourne is too expensive unless i book two separate flights which is a hassle.

Have you considered flying into Bilbao? You may be able to get a connecting flight via Paris. I know they have skuyeam alliance flights.

Hi Cathy

Yes I did check that out but was still very expensive unless booking two separate flights. And also would mean some backtracking since I want to goto both San Seb and SdC.

I will be checking with some travel companies though if there is anyway to avoid the ridiculous increase in cost just because I want to goto another domestic airport other than Barcelona or Madrid.

For example, a flight from Melb to Barcelona costs around $1K, but a flight from Melb to Bilbao costs arond $1.7K. $700 diff, but a separate domestic flight with Iberia is a fraction of that. I just don't want to risk a separate domestic flight incase there's a hiccup with the main one, plus I think I might have to go get my luggage, transfer to domestic airport etc etc.

I will probably now tack on an extra couple days to include Barcelona (fly from Melb) then fly or train to San Seb (sorely tempted by Cadaques since I'm SOOOO close, but its just a hassle to get from there to San Seb). My new itinerary now looks as follows:

Barcelona: 2 nights
San Sebastian: 4 nights (incl daytrip to Hondarribia and another daytrip)
Llanes: 2 nights
Oviedo: 4 nights (incl 2 or 3 daytrips incl Cangas de Onis and possibly Leon)
Santiago de Compostela: 4 nights (incl daytrip to La Coruna)
Fly out to Istanbul

All up 16 nights.

Wow - 16 nights for Barcelona all the way to Santiago de Compostela - it's a huge geography (over 1,100 kilometers). You'll end up spending alot of time in transit. Again, I'd cut back as this is way too much IMHO....but I won't say it anymore

Not sure I'd want to visit Leon as a daytrip from Oviedo. It's over 2 hours (beautiful ride) by train or bus each way. Leon really has enough to keep you busy for a couple of days. I think the problem is that Oviedo, Cangas de Onis and Leon really could use 2 days each - I'd probably skip one and do 2 days in each place.

Personally I'd probably daytrip to Lugo, Pontevedra, Cambados or do a daytrip by bus taking you up the Costa de Morte versus A Coruna. You could easily spend a week in just Galicia.

Unless you've been to Barcelona 2 days is barely enough to skim the surface. I'd recommend a minimum of 4 days without daytrips. I understand the temptation to venture out to Cadeques. Catalunya is another area where you could easily spend 1-2 weeks visiting Barcelona, Girona, the Costa Brava (I especially like the area around Begur), Tarragona, Vic....just to name a few.

Hi cathy

Yeah its a fair stretch, but I think since I am not staying in a heap of places it should be ok. I wouldn't really count the Barcelona to San Seb section section It's more a lazy stopover (I've been to BCN twice)...who knows, if a I get a flight significantly cheaper to Madrid I'll probably go there first then fly to San Seb (I might even be able to daytrip to Segovia on my 'rest day' since I missed that last time - went to Toledo instead).

So I'm really doing 4 places over 14 nights, and none of them are massive cities. And I've been to San Sebastian before so 4 nights will be easily enough there - though I'll never get enough of the tapas I'm sure

Thanks for the daytrip suggestions. The Pontevedra option looks interesting...someone suggested Islas Cies...looked to far from SdC for a daytrip but the Galician tourism website seems to suggest its not, even if going via Vigo which is 90 km from SdC.

If you can arrange ot Segovia is a must see...the aquaduct is awesome and considering it was in operation until just several years ago it is a marvel..

Las Islas Cíes is not far, but allow time to get from train station in SdC as it it is not right in the centre.
Allow time to get from the train station to the port in Vigo.
The ferries to the Island stop running mid day. They limit the amount of visitors, it is planned to limit them even more in 2013. You have to pre book the ferry.
If you are in SdC for 4 days i would suggest you change that for 2 days and sleep one night in Lugo and another night in A Coruña. In principle I am against one night stands, as they do not work, but as you want to visit a lot of locations, this option will be easier than doing day trips to both cities. However pack very light if you take this option as it is no fun trialling a large suit case behind you.
I concur with CathyM you are squeezing in a lot.

I mentioned Islas Cies because he wanted beaches adn was in Galicia. Malpica is easier to reach from Santiago but it is not as nice.

Thanks all

Yes I guess with all the daytrips it is alot.

I'll see how it goes...the good thing about daytrips I find though is that you can always not do them if it becomes too much, whereas booking into a place for a night then changing your mind can be a hassle (rebooking extra day at base etc).

If I drop something, will probably be San Sebastian...love the place, but as Cathy suggested, might be better to focus on Galicia...the extra 4 nights might also allow me time for a decent tour for the Picos from Oviedo. I've never been on a extended hike through mountains, yet I love hiking...so might be an opportunity.

The GOOD news though is I think I've pretty much finalised my Turkey 30 day itinerary. Thought that would be the hard one since I've never been and Turkey is a complete mystery to me, but turned out to be pretty easy to plan in the end with some great advice from Fodor members

Edit: Oops, obviously if I drop San Seb I probably have to drop Llanes too which would give me six extra nights not 4. And I'd probably fly into Madrid for 2 nights instead of Barcelona.

Pontevedra is a marvelous town. It has the same nighttime cultural life as San Sebastian (minus the beach!). Taking a daytrip there will not show what makes Pontevedra such an eye-opening travel destination. But I definitely recommend that you pick someplace on the coast other than A Coruna. The coast is very scenic. A Coruna is lovable to me, but it really is an odd combination of something like Miami and San Diego (but quite compact). It's a huge regional commercial center, and I imagine it is fun to live there, but the smaller towns are much more set in their ways, and more interesting. Lugo is also nice.

Sorry you are faced with such hard choices. Last time I was in the region, I decided to skip Santiago de Compostela. I wanted to lean away from where the tourists go and see where the Spanish lived. (I really wanted to go to Leon, but could not squeeze it in). But don't be afraid that you can only find in San Sebastian what you liked about San Sebastian. Yes, the beach and food are unique -- yet, other towns in Northern Spain have great personality and integral town core and really terrific food. Pontevedra was just a revelation that way.

Have a great time.

PS: You can consider reversing your trip and flying into Barcelona but then flying to Vigo (there are 2 flights a day with Vueling, I think.) From there you can get a bus or train to Pontevedra or Santiago de Compostela.

You might even be able to fly to Santiago directly from Barcelona.

Thanks goldenautumn...better to be faced with hard choices than no choices at all

OK I've been convinced that going west to east Spain in 16 nights is too much, so I've decided to spend it in Galicia, and some time in the Picos. A return to San Sebastian will just have to wait for another time. I've also noticed that between yesterday and today, for some strange reason the discrepancy in flight prices between going from Melb to Madrid, and Melb to SdC has reduced remarkable, so may not need to 'waste' anytime in Madrid.

I'll start going through all the great info posted above again and come up with a new itinerary The only wrinkle will be that I have to start and end in SdC to get the flight from SdC to Istanbul but not a huge drama.

There are regular buses I believe from Santiago de Compostela airport to Lugo, so you could save seeing Santiago itself for the end of your trip.

Pontevedra is less than an hour from Santiago de Compostela (again, I think there is a bus directly connecting with the airport), so I hope you you will spend some nights there if you are giving up San Sebastian.

If you don't have this website, it's useful, although I don't think you can rely on it for timetables or restaurant recs, because they are out of date by now.

http://www.galiciaguide.com/Galicia-index.html

The Galiciaguide website is getting way out of date I think I read on his blog that the owner hasnot updated for some time and is working on other projects.
http://www.turgalicia.es is the official website, but there is so much information one can get lost in it and give up. Still at least I am on hand
Buses information can come from several points of information. So if the OP chooses locations maybe I can pin down some time tables. But i do know some companies do not have a web presence and some buses are not listed on the web. But hey we are talking Galicia here, so it is normal!

I'll wait to see your new itinerary for detailed comments, but I know Galicia and the Picos area well, so here are a few random things--

If you want to spend time doing some real hiking in the Picos, I think Fuente De is a good base. There are several well-marked trails that would be great day hikes. In Fuente De, the only accommodation option is the Hotel Rebeco (about 50E single) or the parador (which may have special rates that make it competitive with the Rebeco). There is also a campground with, I believe, a couple of rooms in the lodge that are available. http://www.elredondopicosdeeuropa.com/

Potes is a logical base in the Picos, but not without a car. It's a touristy town, has a few things to visit, and is in general a nice place. It's about 4 kms from the monastery of Sto. Toribio, which purportedly has a piece of the "true cross." There is a beautiful 10th century visigoth/romanesque church nearby in Lebena, but there is no public transportation that I know of.

With Santiago as a base in Galicia, you have many options for traveling around with public transport. I'd recommend a day trip to Lugo (amazing Roman walls, nice old town, good octopus), and a day or two by bus to Finisterre and/or Muxia. Both on the coast, with some nice walking possibilities.

Llanes is a nice coastal town (and near some very nice places like San Vicente de la Barquera, Cudillero, Luarca) and it has a fairly good bus system to surrounding towns. But from Llanes to the Picos as a day trip on public transit would be hard.

If I were going to spend much time in Asturias, the place on the top of my list would be Oviedo. It's a beautiful small city, lots to see, great ambiente.

You will have not shortage of things to do, that's for sure.

Oviedo sounds like a good idea, and then you are also close to seaside Gijon: http://www.avidcruiser.com/port-profiles/europe/mediterranean/spain/gijon/
http://en.turismo.gijon.es/

Great theaters both in Oviedeo and Gijón. Take a look at the program at El Teatro de la Laboral in Gijón: http://www.laboralciudaddelacultura.com/7/programacin-artstica.html
The Laboral "city of culture" in the old university: http://www.laboralciudaddelacultura.com/1/ciudad-de-la-cultura/1/presentacin.html

Hi all...thanks. Sorry for the delay in posting my new itinerary, but I lost my Excel file that had my trip summary and could not remember what I came up with, so had to do it again. I've finalised my itinerary as follows:

- Fly into Santiago de Compostela immediately from Melbourne staying 3 nights
- A Coruna - 2 nights (4-5 hr to Oviedo
- Oviedo - 4 nights (4-5 hrs ALSA bus to Lugo)
- Lugo - 2 nights (2 hrs Monbus bus to Ourense
- Ourense - 1 nights (1.5 hrs Monbus bus to Vigo)
- Vigo or Pontevedra - 3 nights
- Santiago de Compostela - 1 night then fly to Istanbul

Including Oviedo makes things very difficult obviously.

Staying in Vigo seems to make more sense to me than Pontevedra in terms of a base to see Islas de Cies.

As a johnnie-come-lately to this discussion, I don't want to throw a monkey wrench into it, but I personally would remove A Coruna from the itinerary. It has a nice old quarter, lots of pedestrian streets with bars and cafes and a nice walk along the water, but really doesn't have much else. I spent a night there once at the beginning of a short Camino de Santiago, and after visiting the Church of Santiago and having a nice dinner we were pretty much ready to leave.

Nor would Ourense rate that highly as one of 5 or 6 top places to visit in the north. It has a LOT of modern development along the river that is not very attractive. The old quarter once again is well preserved, and a little tourist train will take you out to the public thermal baths on the river that are free and extremely well maintained. The cathedral's portico is perhaps done by the same Maestro who did the Santiago cathedral's Portico de la Gloria (an amazing romanesque delight, now scaffolded for repair, however).

I've never been to the Islas de Cies, but hear they are beautiful. I've not spent too much time in Vigo, but really don't think it has much to offer. If you are using it as a base for day trips, it might be perfect because as such a large city, I assume it is very well connected via public transportation.

Pontevedra is a pretty place, great for walking around in its historic pedestrian center (a very nice parador, too), and you'll see lots of pilgrims walking the Camino Portugues there.

I liked your original idea of Llanes for a few days. There are many nice coastal walks, some absolutely beautiful, and good public transportation to some amazing beaches in the vicinity. The towns of Cudillero and Luarca are pretty nearby and very nice.

I realize you may of course have special reasons for wanting to go to the places you mention, and I don't mean to be a naysayer, just giving my opinion.

I too would drop A Coruna from the itinerary. Can you go straight to Lugo from Santiago? I believe you can get a bus from Lugo to Oviedo

My trip to Galicia was based primarily on food interests, so naturally I was not going to give up Ourense. I certainly wouldn't go to Ourense as a day trip and miss the tapas scene, and I think if you are including Oviedo and must leave from Santiago, then you pretty much have to spend a night in Ourense if you are going by public transportation.

Vigo is a huge commercial fishing port. (Possibly the biggest in Spain?) Pontevedra is far more interesting.

Therefore, I personally would

- Fly into Santiago de Compostela 3 nights
- Lugo - 2 nights
- Oviedo - 4 nights
- Lllanes - 2 nights
- Ourense - 1 nights
- Pontevedra - 3 nights with a day trip to the islas, or go directly to the islands if you can from Ourense, spend 1 night, then head up to Pontevedra for 2 nights
- Santiago de Compostela - 1 night then fly to Istanbul

Just to add a thought:

In August, I would want to be on an air-conditioned bus for the hottest part of the day. In Galicia (or Asturias), you don't have to worry that if you get into town at 7pm, you'll be missing much. It is very much worth going into the cathedral in Lugo, but you can do that first thing the next morning. Likewise, everything wonderful about Ourense or Pontevedra can be appreciaated in the cool of the evening.

On other thought:

I'm not sure that I would book a night on the islas. Even in August, weather is unpredictable. So make it a daytrip when you know the weather is favorable. It will obviously be more complicated if you do the day trip from Pontevedra rather than Vigo, and that is a tough call, because Vigo has great food and people often find it pleasant. Maybe 2 nights in Vigo and one in Pontevedra?

Living and working in Galicia, I can see you have received some very good tips of my adopted land. However occasionally I do wonder where some folks get some of their suggestions from. They seem a little off key.
Based on your itinerary. In SdC you can take trips out to costal area using tour buses.
Details can be found on this website: http://www.santiagoturismo.com/ Some of the translation into English is not so good.
I feel that you may need to spend a night in A Coruña. Even if it is just to see and feel something different. If not then take a train between SdC and A Coruña. The journey takes around 30mins each way.
Lugo is far more than the walls and the Cathedral. There is a load of Roman remains to be seen. Some under existing shops. The Museum is well worth a visit. It is free and you only have to show your passport to enter.
Ourense has a quite small nice old centre, and some thermal hot springs. Take the tourist train to get to them. You will need at least a swimming costume, things like flip flops and towels bay be hired at some of the baths. If not bring your own. The cathedral has polychromatic painted doorway.
Vigo is not a brilliant city. The old centre is very small, smaller than any other location you are planning on visiting. It is the largest and most industrial city in Galicia. Yes it is perhaps the best base for you to get to the Islas Cíes. If not try getting to a smallish village of Cangas. Again a good level of ferry service to the islands and a more authentic Galician village feel.
In Vigo try and make a visit to the border city of Tui. Again a small old centre with a fortified cathedral. There are not so many of them around.
I could tell you a loads more but will you have enough time to see it all??

hi ribierasacra,

I think your elaborations are good, but I want to add one of my own in case it wasn't clear. I wanted to emphasize that many things are lively in the evening in Galicia, so if one is going to Lugo for 2 nights, it is okay to arrive after 5pm the first night. You will still have a great experience of the town, and the next day a traveler will be able to see all the things you mentioned.

I am assuming that CdChi1 still wants to keep some experience of Asturias and the picos in his trip. (He has already dropped San Sebastian). He has a fixed number of days, and needs to fly in and out of Santiago de Compostela. As you can see above, I found A Coruna lovable, but I'm not sure he has time to see both A Coruna and the islas (let alone Tui), or take a bath in Ourense or do day trips to the coast from Santiago de Compostela.

It's true that we're all suggesting places based on what we like and don't like (and I don't think every trip to Europe should be about pre-modern "picturesque places"), and some folks will vote for Vigo over A Coruna, Pontevedra over Cangas, or Ourense over Tui (I loved Tui but it so hard to include if he's going to Asturias).

At least the original poster is cheerful about having "hard choices" and has a long time to make up his mind.

One other thought about A Coruna in the 2nd half of August

I didn't visit in that time frame but I am wondering if A Coruna is just slammed in August with holidaymakers and how much that affects the experience of the town. I realize that this is true of a lot of coastal destinations, but A Coruna seems to have a lot of infrastructure geared toward the package resort trade.

Since the train journey from Santiago de Compostela is only 30 minutes, and the sun sets so late in August, my strategy might be to head to A Coruna quite late one afternoon to do a walking tour of a few sights, enjoy tapas, and head back to Santiago de Compostela before midnight to sleep.