When thinking about where I wanted to spend my 50th birthday I knew I wanted good food, moderate weather, and somewhere at least a little new to us. Northern Spain really fit those criteria: we loved Asturian blue cheese on our previous trips, plus the Albariño and Godello wine from the area; the north is usually cooler than the rest of Spain so a late spring / early summer trip should be moderate; and we hadn’t been to this corner of the country yet.
Initially I was focused on Galicia (the westernmost part of the country), especially Pontevedra which is known for a car-free center and proximity to the coastal wine regions. Broadening out further I became intrigued by the Picos de Europa for hiking and Gijón as a beach town. We ultimately decided on a week in the Picos, a week in Gijón, a week in A Coruña, and most of a week split between Pontevedra and Santiago de Compostela.
click on map for larger view
To get to Spain we flew in and out of Madrid, where we had two nights on arrival, and one on the return. Transportation-wise we took:
- Train from Madrid to Gijón
- Rental car for the Picos de Europa National Park
- Bus to day-trip in Oviedo
- Rental car between Gijón and A Coruña
- Train from A Coruña to Santiago, then rental car to Pontevedra
- Train from Santiago back to Madrid
Along the way we observed:
- Spain has so many road signs – including the length of tunnels and a sign notifying that you’ve left the tunnel?!
- Expect cows and goats on Asturian country roads
- Buildings on stilts / legs are granaries – hórreos – often built of wood in Asturias, and stone in Galicia.
- Coastal weather can change fast! A fog bank came upon us in minutes and temp dropped. The sun is strong, and clothing layers are always a good idea.
- Northern Spain was not too buggy (in May at least!)
- Similarities with Scotland and Ireland – lots of green grass, rock walls, windy conditions, plus bagpipes.
- Lots of wildflowers of all colors – white, yellow, purple, pink – plus an abundance of hydrangeas.
Overall this memorable trip let us experience multiple interesting parts of Spain, from mountains to beaches, churches to wineries, reconfirming it as one of our favorite destinations.