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Its that time of year again when I'm looking at holidays. With the success last year with Vietnam info (thanks HanoiR) I thought I would try again.
This year we are looking closer to home. The plan is to drive over to either southern France or northern Spain. At the moment I am thinking of taking the ferry into Bilbao or Santander.
From there I have no real clue. Any advice on towns, beaches or villages that are a must do?? Any good hotels, apartments or Airbnb you would recommend? Any info on local rock climbing activity would also be great?
We are a family of five plus the bloody dog that apparently now has to come on holiday as well!!
I spent a few days round there a while back. It's all really nice. Loved the village of Getaria between Bilbao and San Sebastian, also St Jean de Luz on the French coast is pretty fine.
Didn't spend time in San Sebastian; it's meant to be great but maybe not a family destination; Bilbao is fun including the Guggenheim which I think everyone would enjoy.
Vitoria Gasteiz is a bit inland and more Spanish - very pleasant but not that much going on.
A magnificent football club, the love of our lives, finding a way to finally have its day in the sun.
I've done a load of surfing trips in the Basque Country, from Southern France down to san Sebastian. It's my favourite place to go on holidays. Incredible food, cool people, amazing scenery and great surf.
Biarritz is a great town. Bidart a beautiful village just South of it. Will write more later, but really recommend it.
"The opposite of love, after all, is not hate, but indifference."
drove down to Portugal for Euro 2004, the highlight was northern Spain.
Santiago di Compostela, lovely place.
Bilbao and the Guggenheim museum are great. But it's expensive to stay there. We stayed outside the city at a surfing beach place called Sopelana.
didn't think much of Vigo, dirty and not much there worth seeing.
Oviedo was great, don't like cider usually but everybody drinks it there and it was good stuff.
Some great walking in the National park Picos near there too. Lovely scenery and the walking not too strenuous (especially compared to the Pyrenees walking we did!)
loved San Sebastian / Donostia, great bars, city has a bit of an rebel/ outsider feel. The barman in one place gave me free chasers all night just because I was wearing a tshirt with Joe Strummer on it!
drove down to Portugal for Euro 2004, the highlight was northern Spain.
Santiago di Compostela, lovely place.
Bilbao and the Guggenheim museum are great. But it's expensive to stay there. We stayed outside the city at a surfing beach place called Sopelana.
didn't think much of Vigo, dirty and not much there worth seeing.
Oviedo was great, don't like cider usually but everybody drinks it there and it was good stuff.
Some great walking in the National park Picos near there too. Lovely scenery and the walking not too strenuous (especially compared to the Pyrenees walking we did!)
loved San Sebastian / Donostia, great bars, city has a bit of an rebel/ outsider feel. The barman in one place gave me free chasers all night just because I was wearing a tshirt with Joe Strummer on it!
Cheers for the advice about Vigo, I'm flying there in June then training it to Guimaraes for the Nations League final wotchamacallit....
We've sailed the ferry into Santander (on motorbikes), four out of the last five years, so know the area well.
I'd recommend staying in more than one place. A few days here, a few days there. All the coastal towns are lovely and there are so many deserted beaches.
I don't know what you prefer but we always try to avoid any sort of chain/corporate hotel, staying in smaller rustic/family run hotels etc for around £40 -£50 per night. Booking.com is your friend here, but the bigger plusher hotels we've stayed in have all been good as well.
The Picos are stunning. I'd recommend the Ruta des Cares (one of the best trails in Europe). It's a long exposed walk with incredible drops, but after the first steep but short incline (starting at Poncebos), it's pretty flat all the way. Its a long walk...and a whole day out to get to Cain and back, but absolutely spectacular. Google some images for yourself. There's another great walk from Poncebos up to Bulnes, but this is pretty steep, so not so sure about kids. I've not done climbing but the gateway town to the Picos is Cangas de Onis about 25 min from the coast, where you can book all sorts of mountain activities.
Potes is another gateway town to the Picos and is stunning so can be quite busy.
I've stayed in so many of the coastal towns. Llanes, Comillas, Suances, Ribadesella all great towns with great beaches to the west of Santander/Bilbao. To the east of Santander, Laredo is an odd place. It has one of the best beaches I've ever seen.. The old town is nice, but small and along the long beach a bit over developed, but ghost town deserted mid week. There's an amazing walk down to a lighthouse in Santona, just over the water from Laredo, but my favorite town is Castro Urduailes. Walks, beaches, bars, restaurants, history, old town...it's got the lot.
A little further west is a game of thrones location which is an another good walk. The island/monastary of San Juan de Gaxtelugatxe. Loads of steps though. Again look at some google images.
We tour on motorbikes and do walks in the mountains, so like somewhere chilled at the end of the day. Most of these town are fairly slow paced. The food everywhere is good, cheap but a lot of places don't have english menus.
Climate is the one risk. It looks like the UK there as it gets a lot of rain. That's why is called Verde Spain! The temperature is always pleasant, but the weather comes in straight from the Atlantic and boy can it rain.
I could go on for hours...if you want any more info on best scenic drives, other attractions etc send me a PM
Galicia is superb if you get out that way, take a trip from A Coruña out to Cape Finisterre which is about as west as you can go in Europe, the town of Fisterra has wonderful seafood and I would imagine a whole world of rock climbing opportunities. If you get to go further down that coast, Pontevedra is a charming town and Vigo is a fine city, but mostly worth it for a trip out from Vigo to the Cies Islands, a little tropical paradise off the coast.
I appreciate that will be a bit far probably if taking the ferry to Bilbao but I'd still recommend Galicia to everyone anyway!
Galicia is superb if you get out that way, take a trip from A Coruña out to Cape Finisterre which is about as west as you can go in Europe, the town of Fisterra has wonderful seafood and I would imagine a whole world of rock climbing opportunities. If you get to go further down that coast, Pontevedra is a charming town and Vigo is a fine city, but mostly worth it for a trip out from Vigo to the Cies Islands, a little tropical paradise off the coast.
I appreciate that will be a bit far probably if taking the ferry to Bilbao but I'd still recommend Galicia to everyone anyway!
Never been myself but my sister in law spent her summer holidays in Galicia when she lived in Barcelona to cool down a bit. I’d love to walk a bit of the pilgrim route one day. Anyone tried it?
I’ve spent some time in Biarritz and also camping on the headland just outside of St Jean de Luz which is very nice. You’re never very far from the Pyrennees here so there must be loads of options for rock climbing. I took a train ride up to the Grottes de Sare which are some prehistoric caves in the mountains. Stalagmites and Stalactites galore and apparently the largest cavern is so big you could fit the Notre Damme in it nearly 3 times over!
Other than a day trip to San Sebastian I haven’t done much in northern Spain but would definitely like to some day.
Some good advice from RamseyR. I spent 3 days in Ribadesella in August - at the time I thought it would be really nice for families - great beach, nice little old town, a few walks around there, handy for the Pico's, great cheap cider.
Bilbao is well worth a couple of days and an hour away, you have San Sebastian, which is brilliant. Consistently amazing pintxos in even the most unpromising places - throw in great seafood probably the best place I've ever been in my life for food. I love Alberino as well, so I could very happily spend the rest of my life eating in San Sebastian. We ate very well in Bilbao too, so I'd imagine it's similar across the whole region. We had five days staying in central San Sebastian, out of season, so it wasn't too mobbed, but I can imagine it gets crowded in the summer. Lovely looking old town, stunning location with the natural harbour...great place. I would love to explore travel through Northern Spain. Have a great trip.
Some good advice from RamseyR. I spent 3 days in Ribadesella in August - at the time I thought it would be really nice for families - great beach, nice little old town, a few walks around there, handy for the Pico's, great cheap cider.
How could I forget to mention the cider. There are cider presses everywhere, so it's all very local, normally poured from height to aeriate it. Wonderful stuff!
drove down to Portugal for Euro 2004, the highlight was northern Spain.
Santiago di Compostela, lovely place.
Bilbao and the Guggenheim museum are great. But it's expensive to stay there. We stayed outside the city at a surfing beach place called Sopelana.
didn't think much of Vigo, dirty and not much there worth seeing.
Oviedo was great, don't like cider usually but everybody drinks it there and it was good stuff.
Some great walking in the National park Picos near there too. Lovely scenery and the walking not too strenuous (especially compared to the Pyrenees walking we did!)
loved San Sebastian / Donostia, great bars, city has a bit of an rebel/ outsider feel. The barman in one place gave me free chasers all night just because I was wearing a tshirt with Joe Strummer on it!
As an aside I have just re-read one of my favourite novels The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett and I am pretty sure tat Santiago di Compostela appears in that. I think there used to be a pilgrimage to it.
Some good advice from RamseyR. I spent 3 days in Ribadesella in August - at the time I thought it would be really nice for families - great beach, nice little old town, a few walks around there, handy for the Pico's, great cheap cider.
Ribadesella is a great place, we spent two weeks there. Superb beach, near the mountains, pleasant town, plenty of places to eat, plus some excellent prehistoric cave paintings within walking distance of the beach. The beach front is also pedestrianised so if your hotel is on the front, it will be quite quiet.
The one downside - for some people - is that very few people speak English, or French for that matter. We coped but you will need a phrasebook unless you have some Spanish. The people are friendly, though.
RFA
"Things had started becoming increasingly desperate at Loftus Road but QPR have been handed a massive lifeline and the place has absolutely erupted. it's carnage. It's bedlam. It's 1-1."
As an aside I have just re-read one of my favourite novels The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett and I am pretty sure tat Santiago di Compostela appears in that. I think there used to be a pilgrimage to it.
My missus started the pilgrimage last October, started in France finished in Spain (seven days walking) she's going back In March this Year to do the next stage eventually finishing up at Santiago di Compostela. (cant see her finishing it this year as it's 800km in total)
The Cathedral in Santiago di Compostela is where I'll meet her, the cathedral itself is awesome.
My Father had a profound influence on me, he was a lunatic.
went to bilbao with the girlfriend a few years ago
the Guggenheim is nice from the outside, but somewhat limited on the inside. there was a david hockney exhibit at the time, which was excellent, though. cant spend more than 3-4 hours there
try to catch an athletic bilbao match if you can
but the main thing is the food- wine is really cheap and you can go from restaurant to restaurant getting pinxtos (basically basque tapas).... there are also some really good high end restaraunts. I believe bilbao might have the highest density of Michelin star restaurants- we booked one but ended up doing a series of pinxtos bar crawls instead- much better value for money
My missus started the pilgrimage last October, started in France finished in Spain (seven days walking) she's going back In March this Year to do the next stage eventually finishing up at Santiago di Compostela. (cant see her finishing it this year as it's 800km in total)
The Cathedral in Santiago di Compostela is where I'll meet her, the cathedral itself is awesome.
Yes, that makes sense Ted as the whole novel is about a cathedral being built. When I tell people it is one of the best books I have ever read they look perplexed at that but it really is a great book.
From a footballing perspective A Coruna is the best. Their ground is close to the beach. Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque country are all great, relatively unexplored areas, and usually deliver on most levels. Gijon and Oviedo are on my to see list, unfortunately they are never at home on the same weekend.
went to bilbao with the girlfriend a few years ago
the Guggenheim is nice from the outside, but somewhat limited on the inside. there was a david hockney exhibit at the time, which was excellent, though. cant spend more than 3-4 hours there
try to catch an athletic bilbao match if you can
but the main thing is the food- wine is really cheap and you can go from restaurant to restaurant getting pinxtos (basically basque tapas).... there are also some really good high end restaraunts. I believe bilbao might have the highest density of Michelin star restaurants- we booked one but ended up doing a series of pinxtos bar crawls instead- much better value for money
awesome city
I was possibly a bit too young to appreciate the food side of things when I went to San Sebastian for the day. I found it all very confusing. Lots of little eateries but no information about what you're supposed to do, how you pay and so on. I ended up going to a place that looked vaguely familiar. i.e. a kind of self service place with a till where you paid for your sandwich.
Since then I've learnt more about it so i'd probably be a bit more brave next time. As I understand it, each of the eateries specialises in a particular dish. You go in, have a drink and try the food. You don't get many (if any choices). Then you move onto the next place. Still not sure about the payment side of things.
I was possibly a bit too young to appreciate the food side of things when I went to San Sebastian for the day. I found it all very confusing. Lots of little eateries but no information about what you're supposed to do, how you pay and so on. I ended up going to a place that looked vaguely familiar. i.e. a kind of self service place with a till where you paid for your sandwich.
Since then I've learnt more about it so i'd probably be a bit more brave next time. As I understand it, each of the eateries specialises in a particular dish. You go in, have a drink and try the food. You don't get many (if any choices). Then you move onto the next place. Still not sure about the payment side of things.
We went down to San Sebastián for a day trip from St Jean de Luz, where we were spending Whitsun. There was a Force 10 gale blowing in off the bay. It was lovely walking around the old town until you turned the corner into the wind and got covered in the Atlantic!
I was possibly a bit too young to appreciate the food side of things when I went to San Sebastian for the day. I found it all very confusing. Lots of little eateries but no information about what you're supposed to do, how you pay and so on. I ended up going to a place that looked vaguely familiar. i.e. a kind of self service place with a till where you paid for your sandwich.
Since then I've learnt more about it so i'd probably be a bit more brave next time. As I understand it, each of the eateries specialises in a particular dish. You go in, have a drink and try the food. You don't get many (if any choices). Then you move onto the next place. Still not sure about the payment side of things.
Most places will have particular pintxos that they're well known for, but most do a decent variety and even places that look a bit rough knock-out lovely stuff. You just go up to the bar, point at what you fancy, order your drinks, get stuck in, order some more if you fancy and then ask for the bill before you leave. We only went to one place that did a single dish and that was a bar that only sold one type of tomato - that was the full menu. Bloody great tomatoes, though. Feeling hungry now.
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