Advice on Itinerary for Northern Spain
 

I'm interested in some feedback about a trip to northern Spain. I have been reading a lot of the other threads about this area, and I can see that many here recommend keeping a trip simple rather than trying to cram in too much. That said, I don't get very much time off of work and the cost of big trips like this (i.e., airfare outside of the U.S.) makes it hard to resist the urge to try to fit a lot in on a single trip. Over the past fifteen years we have been to Madrid, Toledo, Barcelona, Sevilla, Cordoba, and Segovia, and have been really eager to see Galicia and the Basque region. Our top priorities are 1) food and 2) art and architecture. I have been learning to cook some traditional recipes from Asturias and Galicia (where my family is from), but really want to experience the real thing. The only time I can get off when airfare is within our budget is mid-March; I know this isn't the best time weather-wise, so we don't intend to spend time doing outdoor stuff like Picos de Europa, beaches, etc.

So, we were thinking of spending four days/four nights in San Sebastian, with a day in Bilbao; taking two days to drive from there to A Coruna, stopping along the way to spend the night in Oviedo or someplace nearby; and then having three day/three nights in A Coruna and Santiago de Compostela. Obviously we wouldn't get to see much in between San Sebastian and A Coruna, but the idea is that if we plan to take two full days for what looks to be about 8 hours of driving, we could at least stop for proper meals, and to stretch our legs a bit somewhere else en route. (I live in one region of the U.S. and my spouse in another, so we have had to make a trip of about 1300 kilometers by car, about 13 hours of driving, in a single day several times. So this amount of driving in two days sounds reasonable to me, but obviously I don't know local conditions.) We're thinking that this way we could get a taste of each of these two regions, and then someday in the future we could go back to see one or the other in more detail. We plan to go budget on the accommodations (less than 100 euros a night, and significantly less if we can find it as often as we can) so that we can splurge on food.

My questions are 1) does this sound like an unreasonable amount of ground to cover? 2) If you were going to do it, where would you recommend stopping en route for lunches and for dinner/overnight?

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

My wife's father is a Gallego and our young Gallego cousins are visiting us this week in NYC.

San Sebastian has the best food in the country but I would limit my time there to three days. If you are just going to drive and not stop, you can also take a bus to Bilbao and fly to Santiago. Nonstop flights are absurdly priced but one stops are affordable.

Also unless you have family in or around A Coruna, there is little to see there.

www.nekatur.net, for excellent, cozy and affordable accommodation in the Basque area.

I wouldn´t go as fas as A Coruña, just to Asturias. For food, the whole area is excellent, being the BAsque food the most well known and gourmet like.

I live in Galicia and although the city of A Coruña has some appeal and more so with the coastline of Costa Morte. I do not really understand why you are heading that way if you like architecture. Whilst you have to see SdC I would suggests also you do not need to spend so many nights there. With an over nighter (on your trip across Spain) it usually means you will have little time to stop and get a real feel for any location.
As you know doubt know driving in the US is very different to here in Spain. The main road, along the northern coast, is still being constructed so expect some hassle. The coastal road is great for scenery, but if you want architecture then maybe head inland and have an overnight stop in Burgos or Leon. You can also call into see the cities of Astorga and Ponferrada, plus many of the smaller villages which hold secret treasures.
Also if you love architecture then you should visit the area I live in The Ribeira Sacrá, as it possess a large amount of Romanesque buildings, one dating back to the 9th century.
BTW when is this trip planned for?

You may want to also see some of the castles of Spain scattered not far from some of your itinerary. I LOVE driving past, stopping for a photo or coffee and gaze at these wonders.

http://www.castillosnet.org/spanishc...mapa_index.php

Thanks everyone for your ideas. This is good advice.

Aduchamp1: Thanks for mentioning flying. I was wondering if it would be a better choice. My husband likes driving (to him it is part of the experience instead of a way to get from one place to another) so I am not sure if I could convince him to fly.

All: We have family in A Coruna, which is why we are stopping there. I figure that since it is pretty close to SdC, which I definitely want to visit, it shouldn't be that big of a detour.

ribeirasacra: Thanks for your advice about going inland-- this is what I was not sure of, but what you say sounds better than the idea of staying near the coast.

lincasanova: I've bookmarked that site, thanks!

So, it sounds like I should plan fewer days in each of the cities on either end of the trip and take more time for the drive. So, do people think 3 days in San Sebastian, and 2 in SdC, would be better? Then we would have 4 days for the drive.

The area I live in is different to the coast. I can appreciate someone liking the coast. But my preference is inland for I find the coast a sort of barrier. And in the summer it gets unbelievably busy. I can obviously suggest a few places along the coast, like the following.
There are some great beaches and parks along the coast. One near A Coruña is Fagas de Eume. But maybe your relatives know all about the area and I am teaching someone to suck eggs?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fragas_do_Eume

There are other websites for this area but in Spanish.. do you understand the language?

Given your time limitations and given the season, I think you might consider spending three nights but only two days in San Sebastian. I think you can get the flavor of the city with that amount of time; perhaps make a stop in Bilbao on your drive west.

Aduchamp
slightly off topic...are these your relatives anything like this? .-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7PZ-RNCKTM

As far as driving goes, I would break up the trip with an overnight stop in Gijon and then head to A Coruña, bypassing Oviedo. You can do Bilao to Gijon in under four hours and Gijon to A Courña in another four. The A-8 is nearly complete from Bilbao to just past Ribadeo, where you head inland following the N-634 down to the A-6.

LaurainNYwrites: "... northern Spain. I have been reading a lot of the other threads about this area, and I can see that many here recommend keeping a trip simple rather than trying to cram in too much. That said, ... the cost of big trips like this ... makes it hard to resist the urge to try to fit a lot in on a single trip. ... have been really eager to see Galicia and the Basque region. Our top priorities are 1) food and 2) art and architecture. I have been learning to cook some traditional recipes from Asturias and Galicia, ... but really want to experience the real thing. ... we don't intend to spend time doing outdoor stuff like Picos de Europa, beaches, etc."

You don't have to be doing outdoor stuff to enjoy the Gorge of the rio Deva or Potes, Capital of Liebana. In Potes, do some touring & shopping: touring to the Monastery of Santo Toribio, where you can pay homage to a relic of the True Cross (Vera Cruz); shopping, for the cheeses for which the region is famous, and the Orujo! Have a Cocido Lebaniega in Potes (same as Fabada Asturiana but with Garbanzo instead of Faba beans). In 'Silence of the Lambs,' Hanibal Lecktor describes such a dish from a cannibal's point of view

1) Not an unreasonable amount of ground to cover; but my allocation of destinations/days would be different.
2) My main meal would be the midday meal.

I like a seafood restaurant (and fish market) on c/Capitan Palacios in Santander (the one nearest the FEVE tracks).

In Bilbao, be sure to visit the Mercado Central on the river just outside the Casco Viejo. You'll appreciate it more if, as you say, you have been preparing some Asturian & Galician dishes. Unfortunately, if you're coming back to the USA, most Morcillas and Chorizos won't pass USDA Customs.

I don't think you can ever spend too much time in San Sebastian. We ate and drank for five days and nights and still didn't want to leave. Don't cut your time in San Sebastian short if your number one priority is food.

ribeirasacra

He is mas tranquilo.

Nedsireland, the Central Market in Bilbao is currently under major renovation...it won´t be operative in some time.

Gijón and Oviedo are two great towns to visit, full of flavour and great restaurants. Cider is served in every bar (2 euros per bottle) accompanying the tapas.

mikelg writes: "Nedsireland, the Central Market in Bilbao is currently under major renovation...it won´t be operative in some time."

Thanks for the 'heads up!' I wasn't aware of the renovation.

I wonder where the Mercado Centrál vendors set up shop now.

www.mercadodelaribera.com, in Spanish...

the market was built in 1927, it´s the biggest covered market in Europe, a protected monument. The original concrete was built with beach sand, and the salt has corroded the estructure.

The renovation will take 3 years, in different stages, and vendors are being relocated in other parts of the building. Commercial activity goes on inside, so it may still be interesting to see.

I could not agree more about San Sebastian. We spent five nights there and could have easily stayed another two weeks before venturing along the coast. If you like architecture and food there is nothing like it on the North coast. It's not the best time of year for that part of the world but I would stop in Getaria and Lekeitio for lunch. I might look at nekatur.net for a stay in a rural farmhouse and maybe a night in Santillana del Mar.

How to squeeze a farmers market into your itinerary? The Tinglado farmers market in Tolosa on Saturday runs since 1786.
http://www.gipuzkoaturismo.net/WAS/C...codigoFN=G.2.1

Don't miss the Queso Idiazabal (smoked sheep cheese)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...z%C3%A1bal.jpg

Alubias de Tolosa (beans from Tolosa)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3126/...6b2c818e00.jpg

Tejas (almond biscuits)
http://fotos.mundorecetas.net/albums...cs/10176/3.jpg

Wow, this has had a lot of activity since work got crazy on Monday, when I last checked in.

ribeirasacra: I don't know these relatives and so have not received advice from them about this; my mother wants very much for me to meet them since I will be in the area. I do know Spanish, at least for reading (my speaking and comprehension is very rusty).

I will continue to think about all of this. My top priority is food so a lot of the advice here is great. It is tempting to stay in the San Sebastian area longer based on all of the things I have read and heard here about it.

Thanks again for the help.

I know San Seb has fabulous food, but what about the surroounding area? arent thtere soem great restaurants along the coast and inland?