Fodor's To Europe!
Northern Spain: Tapas and Coastal Towns
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Fly into: Barcelona
Fly out of: Madrid
Total Duration: 14 days
Starting in Barcelona and gently curving east, this itinerary showcases the highlights of northern Spain, along with Madrid. You'll explore fishing villages in San Sebastián and rocky beaches along the Basque Coast before hitting the museums of Bilbao. The trip winds down in Madrid, where you can tour the Prado and dance the night away.
- Natural Beauty
- Food and Wine
- Museums
- Architecture
- Art and Culture
This Trip's Top Experiences:
Days 1-3
Ruggero Franceschini/shutterstock
1 Barcelona
City of Marvels
- Get a feel for Barcelona by strolling along the Rambla and around the Boquería
- Have a Gaudí day and try to take in as many of his masterpieces as you can
- Explore the Eixample, which contains most of the city's Art Nouveau architecture
Days 4-5
Tourist Office of Spain, NY
2 San Sebastián
Tapas and Beautiful Views
- Walk along the bay to admire the Belle Epoque buildings
- Catch a performance or a film at Kursaal
- Try one of the city's famed tapas restaurants
Days 6-8
Javier Gil/shutterstock
3 Basque Coast
Beaches and Cliffs
- Climb 321 steps to see the little chapel crowning San Juan de Gaztelugatxe
- Bermeo's Museo del Pescador is the only museum in the world dedicated to fishermen
- Lekeitio offers two wide, sandy beaches right near the harbor
Days 9-11
aherrero/flickr
4 Bilbao
Modern Masterpieces
- When people think of Bilbao, they automatically think of Frank Gehry's Guggeheim museum
- The Museo de Bellas Artes showcases works by the Spanish masters
- Walk around the Old Quarter to soak in the architecture
Days 12-14
Vinicius Tupinamba/Shutterstock
5 Madrid
Art and the Good Life
- Explore the legendary Prado museum, home to many Spanish masterpieces
- The sprawling 18th-century Palacio Real has more than 2,000 rooms
- Get into the madrileño way of life; eat tapas and burn the midnight oil
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