Hi all, I�m so far behind on planning our trip to Northern Spain part 2 other than booking the plane tickets for this September. Last year we loved Northern Spain part 1, that we decided to go back and finish what we started. This year has flown by. Last September we flew to Barcelona and spent 4 nights at the NH Podium Hotel. We absolutely loved Barcelona. From there we drove up the Costa Brava and spent 3 nights in the small seaside town of S�Agró at the Hotel S�Agró. From there we drove back to Barcelona and flew to San Sebastian. What a treat this town is and the food, oh my. We stayed at the Abba Londres y de Inglaterra for three nights. From there we drove to Santander and stayed at the Hotel Bahia for 3 nights. Then we caught a plane back to Madrid and home to Boston. This trip was one of our all time favorite European vacations. I promise I�ll post more details about food and day trips.

Now we have 15 nights, yippy, in Northern Spain pt 2. We will be flying into Madrid and working our way up to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. From there we will fly back to Madrid and home the same day. I know we will love this area since we have been to Northern Portugal.

Here is where we want to visit. I�m having a hard time figuring out pit stops and how long to stay in each place. We don�t want to move every night. Slow travel is preferred.

Arrive Madrid Friday morning and rent a car � we spent a week there a few years ago and do not need to spend any time on this trip.

Part 1
Ávila, Segovia, Salamanca, Zamora, Toro, and Valladolid

Part 2
Leon, Picos de Europa, (counter clockwise loop) Potes and Cangas de Onis

Part 3
Gijon, Oviedo, to Galicia (counter clockwise loop) and Lugo

Part 4
Big Loop - Monforte, Orense/Ourense, Vigo, Pontevedra, Isla de la Toja/A Toxa, Nola, Cabo Fisterra, to La Coruña

Part 5
La Coruña to Santiago de Compostela via moterway.

We like to end our trip with 3 nights in Santiago de Compostela or more if you think it best.

I have Frommer�s Spain�s Best-Loved Driving Tours. Driving is our favorite way to explore. Any advice would be appreciated. We love Paradors; modern style is okay as well as quaint hotels in the 200+ euro range (more or less). Of course restaurant suggestions are always appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Are you sure you don't want to go back to San Sebastian-Donostia, at least some of the time? Just checking.

I am working on my trip report to Galicia from I retunrned last evening.

There is little to see in Vigo, except there is a beautiful isle by boat to visit. There is also little to see in A Coruna except the lighthouse and the date in flowers.

I hope to have it completed in the next few days. This was my fourth trip to Galicia.

Part 4: I suggest you continue west from Ourense to Tuy, la Guardia and visit Monte Santa Tecla where you may visit a Historenho village. There's also an excellent seafood restaurant on the Malecon near the Fishermen's monument. Then drive up the coast road to Baiona, where the Castillo del Conde de Gondomar is a Parador. The Missiona along that route remind me of the Camino Real in California.

I also recommend the old road from a'Corunha to Santiago.

Try to schedule your Santiago visit for a Saturday or Sunday so you can see the Botafumiero in action

These parts, are they days?
If so you are trying to see too much in one day.
I live in Galicia, between Monforte and Lugo, the area known as the Ribeira Sacrá. To give you some idea I have guests at my house who stay in the area and are not bored when the stay 10 days here.
Given that you seem to be on a time limited trip I would suggest the following from Lugo onwards.
Lugo, (at least a day to see the city and some interesting places around it too) The area known as O Coural, The area known as Ribeira Sacrá. (Combine the two in say 4 days) Ourense say � a day maybe combine with Ribadavia. The onto Tui. Sleep in Tui and then head North along the coast. Do not stay in Vigo it is easy to by pass using the toll road. Places like Pontevedra will be of interest. To explore this area of the coast just head off where you see signs for beaches. There are so many I cannot list them all. Stay in SdC and use this as point to explore the Northern coast and maybe take the train to La Coruña. It is not so bad. SdC will only need one and half days to explore fully if you are into all the exhibitions and museums they have. If you only want a taste, like a wonder around the Cathedral and old town then as little as half a day will be ok.
Stay out of towns in Casa Rurals as they will give a better insight as to what to see as you have contact with the owners who live in the area, and not a person behind a desk who is only doing a job.
For Casa Rurals see www.toprural.com
If all of that is still too much travelling then stay in central Galicia, like we are only one hour away from Lugo, Sdc, 30 mins from Ourense. The coast is a bit further so you would have to move location to see some of that.

I do not think the botafumiero is in use any given Sunday. It was my impression that is used on feast days and other holidays but not every Sunday.

Please provide site or cite for use on Sundays.

We really liked the hotel in Santiago called A Tafona do Peregrino on Rua Virxe de Cerca.

A most pleasant staff with modern facilities with exposed brick rooms. 74 euros for a double.

I trust you have seen this trip report. Good luck !
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...ator&fid=2

Hi ribeirasacra, you asked if we would be doing the 4 parts in 4 days. Not at all. We have 15 nights and 15 full days to explore. I would like to have 4 or perhaps 5 stops with day trips. If we can't fit in the whole itinerary, we could forego the Picos de Europa, and Leon since we have been there before. It was so beautiful.

I just found Bob the Nav's trip report on NW Spain. I can't wait to read it. He has always been so helpful.

Re: the Botafumiero, I googled it and saw an incredible video on youtube. What an event that must be.

To zeppole, I could live in San Sebastian we loved it so much. But we like to see new places. So we will return one day in the future.

Thanks.

In 2006 we took a six week car trip through northern Spain, visiting some of the places you mention. Even though our trip was longer than yours, maybe my unfinished post will help you in your planning: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34796770

We visited the following places, using them as a base for touring the different areas:

Turégano, Castilla-León � El Zaguán
Villafranca del Bierzo, Castilla-León � Parador de Villa Franca del Bierzo
Monforte de Lemos, Galicia � Parador Monforte de Lemos
A Guarda, Galicia � Hotel Monasterio San Benito
Santiago de Compostela, Galicia � Hotel Costa Vella
Vilalba, Galicia � Parador de Vilalba
Cudillero, Asturias � Casona de Pío
Cangas de Onis, Asturias � Parador Cangas de Onis
Cosgaya, Cantabria � Hotel del Oso
Lekeitio, Vizcaya � Hotel Zubieta
Santo Domingo de la Calzada, La Rioja � Parador Santo Domingo de la Calzada
Burgos, Castilla-León � NH Burgos
Madrid � Hotel Liabeny

Hi easygoer,

I'm am sooo envious! Lucky you!

The following would be my recommendations regarding hotels in some of your planned destinations:

Salamanca- NH Palacio de Castellanos
Zamora- Parador
León- Parador (one of my favorites)
Cangas de Onís- parador (my other favorite!)
Oviedo- Hotel de la Reconquista
Santiago- Hotel Rua Villar, a small boutique hotel steps from teh Cathedral. I liked it much better that the Parador.

Good luck, keep us posted!

A wonderful 'off the beaten path': the river Eo estuary, where Asturias meets Galicia:
http://www.spain.info/TourSpain/Busc...20OSCO%20BURON

Easygoer
The Botafumiero in the cathedral only swings on festival days or when someone or a group pays for it. So when you co there you could be disappointed.
Also the main door (Porto del Gloria) is being restored at present so it is covered in scaffolding and when I was there last time they seemly allowed a small amount of tourists in at certain hours for a fee. But my guest have since said you cannot get to see anything at the moment. (These guests did not speak Spanish so their judgment may be a bit clouded)
Hopefully your experiences in hotels are better than ours, when it comes to getting inside information.

Hi, easygoer,

I am not near a map right now, so I can't give as many comments as I'd like to (aging memory and all that), but one thing that popped out at me was Monforte. If you are going there to visit the (glorious) Sil River Canyon, I would suggest going to the parador near Ourense at Sto. Estevo instead of Monforte (an unremarkable town). The parador is unbelievable. I know the restoration and the decoration have created some controversy -- the rooms have a sparse post-modern kind of style, but the setting is absolutely spectacular, the public areas (three cloisters!) are very nice, and the restaurant is right around parador-average (which in my book is pretty dependable, not super). And the Sil Canyon is really a wonderful day or two.

Oviedo is one of my favorite cities in Spain, and if you are an architecture fan, the pre-romanesque in the area is unbeatable. I very much liked the Hotel Vestusta, small, old building, lots of character.

A few random comments on the places you've mentioned.

I don't think Vallodalid is a "must see" place. And I think Zamora is a highly under-rated, under the radar town with a lot going for it. (But then, I love romanesque architecture).

Leon is also a very friendly beautiful town. The cathedral's stained glass is eye-popping, the ambiance is great. I've stayed in the parador, and it's very nice, but I never felt as comfortable there as I have in some of the others. I like the Posada Regia, a *** hotel that is very centrally located (the parador is about a 20 minute walk from the central core) and very charming.

Santiago de Compostela is a beautiful town, very touristy, but deservedly so. If you want an in-town hotel, I'd recommend the Costa Vella, As Artes, or Entrecercas. All in charming old buildings, great service and location. And of course the parador there is one of the jewels of the system. I think three nights there will give you plenty of time to experience its charm.

I think you have a great trip planned, let us know how the itinerary shapes up.

Ref the controversial decoration:
We have never stayed in either of the Paradores in Monforte or Santo Estevo, as they are both on our doorstep. But we hate what they have done to the later. Some of the old cloisters in Santo Estevo have now been refurbished and use as entrances to saunas. How can they do that to a 12th century building?!!!
If you eat on the terrace of the dinning room you are very near the sewage plant, you can hear and sometimes smell it. Along side the sewage plant you have a delivery entrance and under that are fans and pump installations. I don�t know what they are for but all three items add up to a horrible area. Some bedrooms overlook these installations too. However we agree the setting is stunning.

For us The Paradore of Monforte has been decorated more in keeping with its atmosphere. The way up to the building should also be improved too. There is a nice restaurant just below the Paradore, which is handy if you do not wish to eat in the hotel. We have to agree Monforte is not such a nice town, but there some plus points like some paintings by El Greco, and an old Pazo which used to collect all of the tobacco taxes for Galicia.

I agree with the last post about the renovations at the parador Sto. Estevo, but the views and the environs are spectacular. I also agree about the suggestion to search on toprural.com because there is a lot of When we were there we spent a couple of days touring the Minho and Sil River canyons, and at the church Sto. Estevo do Minho saw what looked like a very lovely "turismo rural" right next to the church. No one was home, but you can check it out at www.ribeirasacra.com I think that may be related to you, ribeirasacra?

Another good source for all kinds of accommodations in Galicia is at
http://www.turgalicia.com/

Galicia is just filled with wonderful old stone houses/manors converted to tourism -- lucky travelers who get to enjoy them.

When we return to Northern Spain we'd would like to spend more time in Baiona and Isla de la Toja. We loved Santiago de la Compostela
and Leon and watching the walkers on the camino.

Yes it is me at ribeirascra.com
Our church is spectacular, as the front was designed by the same Master stone mason as the Porto del Gloria in SdC. It is said they first tried the design out and then made it bigger. There was no CAD design in those days!
Sorry but I do need to correct you in the spelling of Miño. The way you have spelt it is the Portuguese way.
Sorry about not being at home, we sometimes have to leave to do shopping or other business. Or simply, no guests so we pop out to explore the area and find places of interests for our guests. Maybe next time!

ribeirasacra, your home looks so lovely. My hubbie is a real pain when it comes to B&B or Casa Rurals. He's the type that likes a hotel atmosphere. I'm going to try and get him to try a different type of vaction on this trip. We'd love to combine Paradors with smaller Casa Rurals.

I need to work on how long we'll stay in each area. Your location looks terrific. Time to get my Michelen maps and plot our route.

Thanks everyone for all of the great suggestions. I'll be glued to the computer this weekend. It is so much fun planning a trip, almost as fun as going!

Easygoer, you are obviously welcome to stay here, but even if you do not manage too we can still give some advice via this forum, but we will not give away all of our secrets!