abbey

Planning my first trip to Northern Spain for May 2005. The itinerary is as follows~
1] Santillana del Mar [2 nights @ Parador]
2] Canga de Onis [2 nights @ Parador]
3] Ribadeo [2 nights @ Parador]
Any suggestions for "must sees"? I am interested in architecture, abbeys, cathedrals, markets, small rural villages, and historic sites. Any comments or suggestions as to what to change or include would be appreciated. Thanks.

Eloise

I'm afraid I don't know any of the towns you mention, but I would have thought that for architecture, cathedrals and historic sites, Leon and Santiago de Compostela would be more obvious choices.

Here -- with changes so as not to infringe copyright -- is a three-city itinerary with an emphasis on churches and cathedrals:

OVIEDO
? One night at the first-class Gran Hotel España located in the city center
? City tour of Oviedo and nearby early Romanesque churches of San Miguel de Lillo and Santa Maria del Naranco

LEÓN
? Two nights at the deluxe Parador San Marcos
? City tour of León, including the cathedral with its splendid stained glass windows and Romanesque cloister graced with exquisite 14th-century frescoes, Saint Isidoro Basilica, and the elegant Palacio de los Guzmanes

SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA
? Two nights at the deluxe Parador Hostal de Los Reyes Católicos
? Scenic drive through the lush province of Galicia along the "Way of St. James"
? Visit to Astorga, home of Gaudí?s fanciful neo-Gothic Bishop?s Palace and 16th-century cathedral with finely crafted plateresque doorways
? Lunch at Villafranca del Bierzo?s Convento de San Nicolás el Real
? Walking tour of Santiago with a visit to its magnificent cathedral

I can vouch personally for the parador in Leon: it incorporates a hostel built for pilgrims by -- I believe --
Isabella la Catolica as well as a cloister.

The paradors, as you probably know, have special offers, including one for two-night stays.

abbey

Eloise ~ Thanks for your insight and suggestions. However, I have chosen the locations listed because I want/prefer smaller villages as opposed to large cities such as Santiago. [I'll leave the cities for another time]
I am sure that there are picturesque Romanesque[pre] churches in some of the smaller villages that will fulfill my penchant for religous sites gt
To clarify ~ other locations that I will be visiting include:
1] Santander
2] Castro Urdiales
3] Comillas
4] San Vincente de la Barquera
5] Barcena Mayor
6] Reinosa
7] Potes to Fuente De
8] Llanes
9] Ribadesella
10]Tapia de Casaiego
11]Ortigueira
12]Cudillero

Eloise

Fair enough! Although I haven't seen them, I've read that there are many small but fascinating Romanesque churches in northern Spain. (As it happens, the Romanesque is one of my favorite periods as well...)

cruiseluv

Hi Abbey,

This past summer I stayed for 2 nights at the Parador in Cangas. I wished I could have stayed longer! After Leon it was my favorite stop in the trip. While there I visited the Lakes of Enol and Ercina and the shrine at Covadonga.

You mention that you'll be going to Santander. I also satyed there 2 nights but the highlight while there was my visit to Santillana del Mar. Other than that Santander is a big city with a beautiful beach. A big fire years ago destroyed a lot of the old city. El Sardinero Beach section is the nicest area. Other than that I wasn't that impressed with Santander.

NEDSIRELAND

Comillas has the Archbishop's Palace and the Universidad Pontifical up on the hill. There is also an Oriental restaurant in an Antonio Gaudi bldg. called Caprichos ...

If you care to backtrack a bit from Santander: a few miles south of Laredo is a village called Limpias where the Church houses Cristo de Limpias: a Crucifix that is said to 'bleed.' There's a 'New' Parador right across from the Church.

South from Cabezon de Sal a few miles is San Sebastian de Garabandal, where a series of Marian Apparitions was claimed to have occurred in 1960-61. The Church has never acknowledged them but I met a group of Irish Pilgrims enroute there about 5-years ago at Hostal Picos de Europa in Potes.

Just outside Potes, in Liebana, there is Santo Toribio Monastery where what is said to be the largest fragment of the Cross on which Christ was Crucified is guarded. It never fell to the Moors! The Monks at the Monastery also maintain several 'Refugios' higher up in the Mountains but you probably can't get up there in May.

For Romanesque I think you would have to go further south and along the Camino Frances.

abbey

Actually there are a trinity of Romanesque churches south of Reinosa ~ in Bolmir and Retortillo. There is also a pre-Romanesque structure in Lebena and a short journey from Foz, there is a 11th C rare Romanesque church.
So there is enough Romanesque nearby to appeal ~ I do not need major Cathedrals ~ I can quite easily appreciate the smaller, more intimate churches along the route. Thanks for the suggestions.