cruiseluv -- yes .. we are .. we have only driven through Congas de Onis on our way back from Covadonga .. so we are anxious to stay the night .... I assume, since it is one of your favorites.. any suggestions? We love staying at the Paradores.

Hi Alexis, you will love it.

My suggestion is that you request a room in the old section( I think they call it "Zona monasterio"), facing the back (you get a view of the gardens and river Sella). The Parador has a modern annex and many of the rooms face the parking lot, not a very inspiring view! I am trying to remember my room number... I think it ended with 13 (maybe 113??). It had a lovely canopy bed and a huge modern bathroom. The room was considered a superior or something like that so it was more expensive than the std but not by that much.

Are you using the tarjeta 5 noches for your stays at the Paradores?

Cruiseluv

We are not using the 5 night card .... we found internet rates on the Paradores site that worked out to be more cost effective than the 5 night card. We have become "friends of the Paradores" .. something free to sign up for on the website .. I think it gives us free parking at some of the hotels that charge a fee.

Since we are 3 adults (my husband, myself and grandma) and 2 small children (4 and 6), we are booking 2 rooms everywhere.

Do you have any experience with asking for adjoining rooms or rooms next to each other?

Do you think I could email the hotel and request a room in the older section .. I beleive we just booked the standard room, not the superior.

cruiseluv ... forgot .. thank you :)

Hi Alexis,

Sorry, I have never booked 2 rooms in the Paradores so I don't have experience with that. For sure you can e-mail the specific Parador with your request about what type of room you would like. As a matter of fact that is how I did my reservations , directly with each Parador and requesting the type of room I wanted . I think I knew in advance about the Zona Monasterio tip from Maribel, a frequent contributor to Spain forum in Fodors. I remember guests complaining at the front desk about the parking lot view, that is one of the reasons why I remember it so vividly .

By the way, my grandparents on my moms side were also from Asturias! I love that area, what to get myself there again soon!

Cruiseluv --- thanks .. okay .. you have my curiousity up .. what part of Austrias?

So where is InMiami?

I am still here ribeirasacra! I just wanted alex and cruise to have a chance to finish their train of thought.

So…..if I were to cut down on hotel changes what would be your suggestion?

How about 4 nights in Santiago to tour that area, 5 nights near the coast north of the Picos, and 6 nights around the Sebastian area.

I could keep the car the entire time and do day trips from three different hotel locations. Less room changes!

In Miamai,
This latest proposal sounds a whole lot better to me at least.
It does depend on what you want, but say if you picked a hotel outside of any main city you will not have parking fees. But on the other hand staying in a city will be obviously be better if you want night time entertainment.
In the Picos the largest town to the north, but it is not on the coast is Cangas de Onís. Llanes is also a base, but is not so old as Cangas. I think you have the last part of of your trip covered by Mike's answers, or do you want more input?
I am sure others will give you some good ideas too.

I'm jealous this is shaping up to be a great trip! Don't miss Leketio and Getaria, great places to stop for lunch or to spend a quiet night by the sea.

We've just returned from two weeks in Northern Spain and agree there's a lot of driving, but so much to see in Spain. We arrived in Santiago on a Saturday and stayed two nights. We loved walking around the city in the evening and I was thrilled to attend mass on Sunday morning honoring the Pilgrims! We stayed at the San Francisco Hotel Monumento which was our favorite hotel of the trip. We spent one night in Leon at the Parador, two nights in Lagaurdia at the Sercotel Villa de Lagaurdia. We rented a farmhouse near Comillas for a week and ended our stay in Spain with one night in San Sebastian at the Hotel Europa. We would have stayed another night in San Se, but our flight was canceled and we had to leave one night sooner. If you are in Congas de Onis, please try to be there Sunday morning for the Cheese Market! I've never tasted so many delicious cheeses. Have you read Maribel's guide to Spain? They are the best resource for places to stay, things to do, and restaurants to try while you're in Spain.

Njjc, thank you for sharing your experiences on a very similar trip. Would you kindly look at my itinerary posted at the beginning of this thread and make any suggestions or changes? We love nature, architecture, quaint towns, and museums. How would you adjust our schedule.