Northern Spain
 

Rioja, Navarra and Aragon..Can anyone give advice on visiting these regions? My fiance and I are planning our honeymoon to Spain. We are flying into Madrid and then taking a train up to San Sebastian. From there we would like to rent a car and drive from San Sebastian to Barcelona. We have about 3-4 days for the drive and would like to visit some towns along the way but can't decide which ones!! Rioja looks fun and the hotel Marques de Riscal looks amazing! Also, we are currently booked at the Hotel de Londres in San sebastian but I also found an adorable hotel in Getaria called Hotel Itturegi. Would it be better to stay in San Sebastian or Getaria? We want to hang on the beach a day or so. Lastly, we wondered about Navarra and Aragon. It is hard to get any info. on these regions. Are they worth visiting? Any advice on beautiful drives and/or lodging in this region would be greatly appreciated!! P.S. We are going in July... Thanks!

I would definately stay in San Sebastian vs Getaria if you only have time to stay in one. If you had a week between the 2 places I'd cosider a couple of nights in Getaria for a change of pace. But it's a small village and can easily be visited from San Sebastian as a daytrip.

Unfortunately I've never done the drive between San Sebastian & Barcelona. But I have visited Sos del Rey Catolico in Aragon and it's a beautifully preserved town.

La Rioja is a wonderful spot to visit for a honeymoon also.

Personally I'd be carefully on trying to do too much. You don't mention how much time you have in total but I could easily spend 2 weeks in just La Rioja and the Basque Country. On a honeymoon I'd really want to slow down the pace. So you may need to put some of your ideas on the backburner for another trip (maybe an anniversary)

San Sebastián is in the Basque Country, it seems you got the regions incorrectly. Aragon has nothing remarkable to visit (in a honeymoon trip, I mean), outstanding scenery in the Pyrenees and beautiful castles, but not very touristy (although they deserve it). Same about Navarra, beautiful sceneries in the mountains and fortified villages and monasteries, and of course, Pamplona, the capital, where the most famous running of the bulls episode takes place for a week in July.

Definitely stay in fantastic San Sebastián over small Getaria Go to Getaria for lunch in the harbour area, had the meal of my life here in 1996, something like this: http://www.thepauperedchef.com/node/255

I can recommend Isaba or Torla in the western/central part of the Pyrenees. From San Sebastián, drive through St Jean Pied de Port, Arrete la Pierre St Martin, and descent down to tranquil Isaba in the bottom of the valley. Nighttime and moonlight in Isaba is as being in the midst of a theater scene. And Torla is breathtaking.

Isaba: http://www.metsola.es/indexUK.html
This video eventually becomes quite cool, pure Isaba:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAQH0...eature=related

Torla: http://www.google.no/images?rlz=1T4A...w=1379&bih=805

The Hotel Ittureg would make an excellent honeymoon retreat for a few days. It sits overlooking Txakoli vineyards and is only about a 20-minute drive from San Sebastian.

It belongs to the same owner as the Villa Soro and Astoria 7 in San Sebastian, Hotel Virua in Villabuena de Álava in the Rioja Alavesa, and 5-star luxury property, Cap Rocat on bay of Palma de Mallorca.