toledodd

in the beginning of june my wife and i are finishing a month wander through spain and portugal. we will be ending our trip with 9 days in the north of spain - after leaving the duoro valley in portugal. we never stay in large cities but instead take day trips into them. question: plan 3 3 day stays and wonder if it is best to stay along coast and take day trips into interior or vice versa. suggestions on villages/towns to use as base?

thank you in advance for your help

kimhe

A fabulous coastline up here, both when it comes to scenery, food, atmosphere and beaches, so I would recommend to stay in villages/small towns as Llanes (fairly close to both Gijon and Santander) in Asturias and Lekeitio (close to Bilbao) and Getaria (close to San Sebastian) in the Basque Country.

Llanes: http://en.llanes.com/
Lekeitio: http://www.lekeitio.org/en
Getaria: http://www.euskoguide.com/places-bas...taria-tourism/

Fabulous fish and seafood up here, and few if any places better than tiny Getaria. Comes in at 7:45: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqdjeGqnVKc

IMDonehere

We are going to make the same decision for next year. I have printed out a map and I am circling just possibilities and see where that leads. Get a good book and see what is of interest.

Even though we have been to Spain many times and my wife walked the Camino, we just found two places of which we were unaware, that have become possibilities-Olite and Bermeo.

annhig

bmk

ribeirasacra

First one question is important-------After the Douro where do you have to drop the car off?
Why the question? Are you sticking to the route planned in this question?
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...l-may-2016.cfm

toledodd

dropping car off in madrid. we are going to follow the route of earlier question, now just looking for place to use as base.

kja

With 3 bases, maybe 2 coast and one inland or vice versa? Say somewhere in the Picos de Europa, maybe Potes, and somewhere along the coast in Basque country, and, if prehistoric art calls to you, either Santillana del Mar or Santander (inland and coastal, respectively)? It really depends on what YOU want to see and experience.

ribeirasacra

the north coast is too large for a base. It seems you have chosen (or contributors here have too) to head for the Basque country.
Great idea. Just as long as you realise drive times between The Duoro and Basque land and the drive between Basque land and Madrid.
If these are too great for you to make it in one day then stay in land ...way inland.
Do not know if you have read this before or I have told you this before please make sure you know how to pay the electronic tolls on some Portuguese highways.
http://www.portugaltolls.com/en/web/...portagens/home
You will be driving a non Portuguese registered car so this complicates how to pay the tolls.
Do not forget: One night stands are not the best way to see any location. Experienced gained from hundreds of folks who have stand at my Casa Rural and then regretted only one night stop over.

kja

ribeirasacra wrote, "Do not forget: One night stands are not the best way to see any location. Experienced gained from hundreds of folks who have stand at my Casa Rural and then regretted only one night stop over."

Since the OP seems to have asked about options for 3 different bases, each of which would entail 3 nights, I'm not sure what prompted this comment. But FWIW, maybe ribeirasacra's experience is that people are so happy with his Casa Rural that they don't want to leave after just one night -- even if many other travelers find that one-night stays suit their plans quite nicely. I, for one, have never had trouble with a well-planned one-night stay anywhere! Viva la difference!

bilboburgler

kja gives good advice.

If you like wine I might also look at Haro in the La Rioja but also just drive through the Rias Baxas as the views are stunning

toledodd

during our years of travel (since 1970), we seldom do one night stays. by the time you drive 3-4 hours or more to get there, there is little time so do much. an exception would be perhaps granada where you wanted to see Alhambra in the evening or early in the morning before the hordes get there. 3 days gives you time to get used to your lodgings and area then time for a day trip or two.

thanks for help

ribeirasacra

nothing to do with just the business it is the area too.
There is too much to see. There is too much to see where ever you go. Except maybe Folkstone, in the UK ;-)

toledodd

several people have mentioned Getaria. would it be a good 3 day stay? one day in getaria, one day to biliboa an one day to san sebastian? i know that one day in each is short changing them but even with 30 days, not time to see it all.

kimhe

The three days in Getaria with daytrips to San Sebastian and Bilbao sounds like a very good plan.

Getaria is a very nice place in itself with fabulous restaurants, great scenery and plenty of the local Txakoli vineyards. http://www.spain.info/en/que-quieres...s/getaria.html

Here are some hotel options:
http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/saia...ela.en-gb.html
http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/gain...ral.en-gb.html
http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/usotegi.en-gb.html
http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/itxa...ria.en-gb.html

kimhe

... and had a never to forget lunch in one of the small restaurants down in the tiny harbour in Getaria in 1996, it was very much like this, and this is the way they still do it: http://www.thepauperedchef.com/2007/...-in-getar.html

Robert2533

Prices start climbing along the Basque coast toward the end of June, and that includes Getaria, so it's best to book as far ahead as possible simply due to the fact that there are not that many places (on the coast or inland) to stay and the area is very popular with Spaniards.

The Donosti Cup will be taking place in San Sebastián-Donostia from 4 to 9 July 2016, which typically attracts 80,000 + to Donostia, with most arriving before the end of June.

The Getxo (Bilbao) Jazz Festival usually starts the 1st week of July and covers 5 days, while the San Sebastián Jazz Festival (Heineken Jazzaldia) takes place around the last week of July, so you should miss it.

The Vitoria-Gasteiz Jazz Festival falls in between the two, usually starting mid-July.

toledodd

looking to be in area june 4-8. one of the advantages of being old is that you can be home safe on your deck with a cold drink when the hordes hit europe.