The ultimate Northern Spain itinerary for One Week. Or Two.

In this post I will show you the ultimate Northern Spain Itinerary to visit this area of Spain in one week, 10 days or more. I will suggest you the best stops as well as tips on what to do and visit in each place. At the end of the post I have also included a breakdown of stops and days you need to visit Northern Spain in a week, in 10 days or in two weeks. Even though this is the ideal roadtrip through Northern Spain, it is possible, though a challenge, to follow this itinerary with public transport.

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How to get to Northern Spain

This itinerary can start either in Santiago de Compostela or if you reverse it, in Pamplona. Even though Santiago de Compostela is a larger city than Navarra, I do not think there are many international flights arriving there. So, if you fly in from abroad, you will most likely end up in either Madrid or Barcelona. From there, there are multiple flights a day to either destination.

Once in your destination, I would recommend you to rent a car. As mentioned before, it is indeed possible to move from stop to stop using buses and trains, but it will be complicated. While a trip by car will be 2h, by bus it can be up to 7 or more.

Tips to drive in Spain

I was in this area of Spain last time about 5 years ago. The roads were all new, wide and it was very easy to drive there. Spanish people are not the best drivers in Europe, but we are also not the worst. As long as you have experience driving on the right side of the road, the mechanics should not be a problem.

A possible issue you may encounter though, are the signs. Some parts of Spain, specially Galicia, the most occidental part of Spain, don’t have enough signs on their roads. If you decide to rent a car, either bring a GPS with you from home or make sure that the rental comes with one. Spain will be much easier to navigate with it.

Best time to visit Northern Spain

I think that the best time to start this Northern Spain itinerary is around the end of Spring. From May until mid-August you should be (mostly) fine. Although Spain is known for having a very moderate climate and warm temperatures, Northern Spain is an exception. It rains in Galicia every week and often it does not stop for days. Other stops in this itinerary have better sun/rain ratios but then the wind comes into play. In general, I think that the best time to visit Northern Spain is by the end of spring and early summer: the weather will be warm, the rain will be at its lowest and, in general, tourists will still not be everywhere.

What to pack for a roadtrip through Northern Spain

In this area of Spain, you can go from scorching sun to insane wind and hail within minutes. Because of this, the layer-up system is the way to go when visiting Northern Spain. Bring comfortable shoes, one pair closed, one pair open. The closed pair of shows will help you when you are in the mountain by keeping your feet away from snakes and spikes. The open pair will be perfect for visiting the cities and heading to the beach. Although be prepared, there will be lots of rocks in many coastal areas so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have some rock shoes around for that too.

Regarding jackets, there are some of them that can be combined to form a thicker and warmer coat. In my opinion, that is the best option out there. These usually combine a wind and water-proof layer with a warmer one. Mine is “>this one by Jack Wolfskin, and it is one of the best buys I have ever done. The rest of your clothes will depend mostly on the season when you decide to travel.

The ultimate Northern Spain itinerary

Spain is a land of colors and contrasts. Of easy-going and pragmatic people. Of sweet and sour if you ask me. Visiting Spain in a short period of time is unattainable, but you can always go back repeatedly and enjoy different areas. To make sure you discover the most, I will be writing a series of posts with detailed itineraries for different areas. This one, the first, will be about one of the lesser known parts: the North. Here I present you the ultimate Northern Spain Itinerary.

First stop: Exploring Galicia – Santiago de Compostela and the end of the Earth

This itinerary is planned from West to East. Starting from North East, in Spain we have Galicia. This amazing area of Spain is well known for having some of the best food in the country. From very weird seafood to the best beef on town.

You can read more about the fantastic foods we have in town in this very extensive post: Best food around Spain

Something else you can expect from Galicia are never-ending green fields. Lots of rain and very warm people. Galicia has four individual regions, although my favorite of them all is Santiago de Compostela. This beautiful city is the end of the many “Camino(s) de Santiago” that run through Europe and gets its name from the Santiago apostle.

Santiago de Compostela

This beautiful town receives millions of pilgrims that arrive after walking hundreds of kilometers. Even though officially it is an activity for those who believe in God, many people from around the globe come to walk the camino just because of the social side of it. 

Santiago houses tones of hotels and hostels as well as many activities suited for everybody. The main one, anyways, has to be the Cathedral. This is one of the oldest cathedrals in Spain, built more than one thousand years ago. One of the most curious things about this cathedral is the Botafumeiro. This is a very weird… Instrument? That hangs from the ceiling and on specific days, it is balanced inside the cathedral while expelling smoke with a very interesting smell.  The smell is similar to a fermented bag of sweaty socks.

After spending a while discovering the Cathedral and its façade, you can dedicate the afternoon to explore the city by joining a free walking tour and learning about all the curiosities and history of the old quarter. They will take you to the best places to see the city and you will also have an interesting and active afternoon.

Finisterra, the end of the world

Halfway through the afternoon take your car and drive to Finisterra. The name of this place literally means the end of the Earth and it was believed to be the end of the known world during Roman times. It is also the most Occidental point of Spain. It will take you about one hour to reach this place from Santiago de Compostela. You can visit Finisterra by car (ideally) or by bus. Once there, you will find lots of people just enjoying the sunset over the cliffs of Galicia. Many of them taking pictures. Some of them singing to the sun while playing the guitar or the ukelele. It is a beautiful sight and well worth a visit.

If you have a more relaxed itinerary in mind and want to spend more days around the North of Spain, you can spend much more time in Finisterra. In this small cape, there is also another one of the “camino(s) de Santiago”, a fantastic lighthouse and a small boot symbolizing one of the pilgrims. With a few extra hours, you can also taste more local delicacies, visit the harbor or just enjoy the small cobblestone streets around town.

Paris Dakar in Santiago de Compostela

If after all of this, you can still move (and are quite brave), there’s an additional activity almost only known by the locals: The Paris-Dakar. This is a historic race that originally started in Paris and ended up in Dakar, the capital of Senegal. It crossed mountains, desserts and much more. It was an epic race. Well, the version of it in Santiago de Compostela may still be epic, but that will mostly depend on you.

The Paris-Dakar in Santiago de Compostela is a bar-itinerary in a street in the old town of the city. Why the name though? Well, the first bar in this route is “Café Bar Paris”, and the last one is “Restaurante Dakar”. You get it now, right? Well by foot, there’s barely 200m between them (less than a tenth of a mile). The enduring part of this race though is that you need to stop on every bar in the street between these two and have a pint. Usually these now include a small tapa to go along, but they still remain pretty cheap.

You may think, well, there won’t be many bars between these two, right? Well, think again. The minimum bars you will visit during this tour are 28. You can do as the locals and grab a white sheet of paper and get signatures from the bartenders to prove you have been there. If that does not sound enough challenging to you, and you want to be a little extra… the route today has expanded to neighboring streets and many more bars participate on this activity. The total number of bars you can visit within this itinerary goes up to 40 stops.

So, what do you think? Are you ready for this type of Paris-Dakar? Or are you already quitting only in the first stop of this Northern Spain Itinerary?

Where to stay in Santiago de Compostela

If you decide to spend the first night of this Northern Spain itinerary in Santiago de Compostela, there are many options available for you regarding accomodations. For example, if you are looking for a simple, clean and well located hotel, my first recommendation would be Miradorio de Belvís. It is nice, cheap and a good hotel in my opinion. If you want to go to more fancier options, You can go to a proper castle and stay at Hotel A Quinta Da Auga. Spend a couple of additional days relax in the spa and take in the surroundings.

Moving into Castilla y León: Ponferrada, Astorga and Leon

Assuming you did not do the Paris-Dakar the previous night. Or that if you did it you did not do all 40 stops, the ideal would be to start the day early. Then, you can drive up to the Las Médulas in León. This site, recognized by the UNESCO as a world heritage site, was the largest open sky mine during the reign of the Roman empire. They exploited this area for decades and found lots of gold. Today, even though 17^th centuries have passed since their closure, it is still possible to witness their mark and see how they worked the land. There are a few historical sites that explain in more detail how they mined the land and their gains.

Ponferrada

Your next stop, a little bit over 2h down the road, would be Ponferrada. This small town is really not well known, and quite small. I don’t think it requires a full day visit. But it has a beautiful castle: the templars castle. As the name suggests, this castle was given to the templar knights in the 12^th century and throughout history has been a place where knights and pilgrims met.

Astorga

After a short visit to the Castle, you can move then to Astorga. This small town is located between Ponferrada and the capital of the county, León. Even though most people will overlook this tiny city, it has one unique characteristic that I think makes it worth a visit. My reason is simple: it homes the Episcopal Palace of Astorga.

And why is this palace of importance? Well, this building is one of the only three sites built by Antoni Gaudi (the architect behind some of the most amazing buildings in Barcelona) outside of Catalonia. This beautiful building, also known as Palacio Gaudi, currently houses the museum of the roads (sounds weird, but the original name is the Museo de los Caminos). This museum showcases artifacts, sculptures and paintings from the Roman to the Gothic period. It is possible to visit it and the entrance fee is, today (March 2020), only 3€!

Other interesting places in Astorga

Another very interesting thing about Astorga are some specific sweets of the region. You know we Spaniards love our food. Even though there are larger areas with dishes in common, it is also possible to find city/town-specific delights. And it is the case for this small town. These sweets are small and square millefeuilles with a hole in the middle. Then, once cooked, they submerge them in a bath of sweet syrup. They are the type of sweet that you can only eat one piece before having a sugar crush. But they are also very nice.

To spend the night, you will be heading to León. Yes, we have a town that it is called lion. Although in this case it qualifies as a city. This is the perfect spot to spend one or two nights and get a real feeling of León halfway through this Northern Spain Itinerary.

León

Although there are many things to see and visit, these are some of the most interesting ones: the Cathedral, the square in front of it, the Casa Botines (another one of Gaudi’s pieces of art) and the wet neighborhood. In the latter, you can go have some shorts (cortos). These are smaller than a pint and always come with a free tapa on the side. Usually by having four or five of these you can have a proper meal. And like in Santiago de Compostela, you can also do some pub crawling. If you are feeling fancy, you can also decide to sleep on the beautiful Saint Mark Convent (Convento de San Marcos). This parador, previously an abbey, is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. Besides how amazing and luxurious it currently is, this abbey has been from a hospital and a pilgrim home to a prison. Actually, one of the most praised authors of Spanish literature, Francisco de Quevedo, was kept there. He used the time to write some new and later-well-known pieces. If you decided to book this amazing location, be prepared to feel like a member of the Spanish court from many centuries ago. It is a unique experience.

If you are interested in something a bit more modern or budget friendly, the Abad San Antonio hotel (****) is also a fantastic option. Rooms for two don’t even reach the $50 (45€).

Third stop: Asturias. Tierra querida (beloved land)

The following stop in this itinerary through Northern Spain is one of the most amazing sections of Spain: Asturias. This is not a very well-known area outside of the country, but it receives lots of national tourists.

The first stop that I suggest you to take is Cabo Vidio or Cape Vidio. Even though it is a little bit out of the way coming from León, I do believe it is worth the visit. From Cape Vidio you have an advantaged view of some of the most breathtaking cliffs in Spain. Both to the east and to the west. It is the perfect spot for some panoramic shots that will look fantastic in your wall.

Want to know how to take the best panoramic shots without spending a lot of money on a wide angle lens? Here you have it: Panoramic Shots, the wide angle of the poor.

Moving on to the East, you can then decide whether you want to make multiple stops along the coast on. I think that the very picturesque towns deserve some minutes, but if you are in a rush, then your next stop could be Gijón.

Gijón

Some of the nicest things to do in Gijón is to just wander through the seaside, sunbath (if visiting during the summer) on its beach, and then enjoy some of the amazing local restaurants. Gijón is a nice spot to spend the night or just a meal, but if there is something you need to do when there is to go to a sidrería. Sidra or cider, is the typical drink of the region. And tradition says that it needs to be thrown from above your head to aerate and get the best possible flavor. It is lovely to watch and one of the most typical things you can do there.

Following up this Northern Spain itinerary you will find yourself next in Llanes. This tiny town is lost between cliffs and beaches and it is one of the most picturesque locations you will find in Europe. If you decided to follow this Northern Spain Itinerary you may think of skipping it, but believe me when I tell you that you should not. With green hills, adorable little houses and rock formations from out this world, Llanes is the delight of anyone who visits both during summer or winter. If you are visiting during the hottest season, rent a bike and explore the surroundings of this natural marvel. In case you visit during winter, walk along the beach and finish the day with a good plate of local stew.

Picos de Europa

If you have the time, then, Llanes can also be the perfect basecamp to drive to Picos de Europa. These are some of the highest set of mountains in Spain and also some of the most protected. In Picos de Europa you will find many animals that are on the verge of extinction or that only exist there. Among them, eagles, the “bonebreaker” or quebrantahuesos, some bears and several unique species of mountain goats. It is possible to spend weeks hiking through these mountains seeing different things every single day.

Where to stay to visit the Picos de Europa

If you decide to spend some extra days in Llanes to discover the Picos de Europa, there are some nice options for you. Most accomodation in this area will be from very cheap to cheap, although there will be a wide range of comfort levels included in these options. A cheap but very nice option would be Hotel Don Paco (about $45 or 40€ the night for a double room). On the other end, with views to the mountains and still keeping a rustic feel to it, there is Hotel Balcón de la Cuesta. This is not exactly in Llanes but close enough, and the views from their rooms are somethings worth waking up to. And the price is also not much higher, ranging around the 100€ ($110) per night for a double room in high season.

The most cosmopolitan part of this Northern Spain Itinerary: Bilbao

After Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Seville, Bilbao is the fifth largest city in Spain. Once an industrial hub, gray and dusty, Bilbao has reborn in the last two decades to become a referent in art, and specially, in gastronomy.

Bilbao

Bilbao houses one of the most well know museums in the world: the Guggenheim Museum. The beautiful building where this museum is located presents one of the most well-known profiles in the artistic world. Other areas in the city that are a must-see are: the Old Town, the New town and the museum of Arts.

Even though the question to what to visit can be answered easily enough, when we consider where to eat, we may face a challenge. Bilbao and its surroundings have the highest accumulation of Michelin-star awarded restaurants in Europe. Only in the city, over 30 restaurants have this honor.

In case you want something more ordinary, Bilbao, or the Basque Country is also the place where the pintxos were born. These are small tapas that you buy per piece from one to three euros each, along with a beer or some of the local wines. The current trend of “toothpick” bars that is becoming widely popular across Spain was born here. If you decide to spend some days in Bilbao, just spend some hours jumping from bar to bar and enjoy the local delicacies. You will not regret it.

Where to stay in Bilbao

Bilbao is one of the most well known cities in Northern Spain. Also, it is home of an extremely rich culinary culture. All of these reasons combine to make this city a bit more expensive than other stops in this Northern Spain itinerary. But do not worry, there are also options for the likes of everybody. In the cheapest end, costing only 65€ per night (approx $70), you can find the Guesthouse H30, offering modern appartments located in the heart of the city.

Going for the more luxurious option, you can find both Tayko Bilbao, with a luxurious industrial vibe rich in black and whites while cozy. Another high end option would also be the Grand Hotel Domine Bilbao, a more traditional hotel, but located in front of the Guggenheim Museum. The cost of Tayko per night is around 100 to 150€ per night ($110-$170), while the cost of Domine is about twice that amount.

San Sebastian, Spanish surfer paradise

On your way to the next stop, you can make a small detour and visit Guernica. This town is depicted in the famous painting by Pablo Picasso by its own name. Painted at the end of the civil war, in 1937, Picasso wanted to make this piece of art as an anti-war manifesto, showing how people and animals were suffering during the conflict. This painting is one of the most well known of the artist and a fine example of cubism. It is currently in the Museo del Prado in  Madrid.

San Sebastián

After doing some exploration of this historic town, head to San Sebastian to discover the next stop in this Northern Spain itinerary. This lovely city celebrates every year one of the most well known cinema festivals in Spain, the San Sebastian International Film Festival. The sign of this festival is a shell. A clam shell to be exact. This is actually the symbol of the city because it represents the beach of San Sebastian. With this shape… it kind of makes sense.

A city of art

San Sebastián, or Donosti, as it is known in the local language, is a windy and clear city with lots to offer. Spending a day in San Sebastián you can discover all the “Shell’s Beach” or la Playa de la Concha have to offer. Walk until the westernmost part of that beach and you will find there a piece of art by Eduardo Chillida: El Peine de los vientos. Or translated, the Wind’s comb. According to the artist, it is a representation of how the wind combs the sea before entering the bay to give it its white wavy look.

Also around la Playa de la Concha you can find “La Perla”, this spa center with more than a century on its back is one of the most well-known centers of physiotherapy using sea water. They also have lots of alternative therapies and spa treatments, so if you want to splurge on something different… This is your best chance!

San Sebastian also has lots of baroque buildings and constructions from the end of the 1800s. It is a lovely place where you can just wander through the streets and take in the sights. In addition, it is also possible to visit the small island in the bay or climb the mountains around it. The views are well worth it and if the weather is nice, you will enjoy it.

Surfers’ Paradise

Because of how extremely windy this town is, it is heaven for surfers. If you enjoy wave-riding, and already have quite some experience, San Sebastián can be a perfect spot to spend a few weeks. There’s almost always wind and the waves are usually wild. And there are plenty of surf schools around the bay, so you can rent out the material there quite easily.

If you are considering where to eat in San Sebastian, I would recommend you again to go have some pintxos. Euskadi (or the Basque Country), is amazing in this regard.

Where to stay in San Sebastian

Of course, if you want to spend a night in San Sebastián you will not look for the same type of accomodation that you would need if you spend a month there, so here you have some options for both. If you only want to spend one or two days in this city, but you still want to stay on the cheap end, the Pension del Mar will be a good option for you. For only 60€ ($67) you will have a nice room in a quiet location.

On the more luxurious end, another interesting option would be Hotel Arbaso, a modern yet cozy hotel located in the center of the city. The price per night of this hotel is in the high 200 dollars/euros per night. If you want to spend a few weeks in Donosti (aka San Sebastián), I would go for AirBnB options. An interesting well rated option is this one, and the price for a month is only a bit above 2000€ ($2200).

Last stop of this Northern Spain Itinerary: The (not so wild) Pamplona

One of the most beloved locations of Ernest Hemingway was Pamplona. He lived there for an important part of his life and loved spending time at its bars and streets. Captivated by the San Fermines (when bulls run along with people through the streets of Pamplona), Hemingway wrote “The Sun Also Rises”. This piece happens around the celebration of San Fermines and brought the attention of the international public to this great party.

Even though San Fermines only last for one week (from July 6^th until the 13^th), Pamplona is mostly known for it. Outside of these dates, the city is a quiet, clean and relaxed location well worth a visit. Some of the nicest places to visit in this last stop in your Northern Spain Itinerary is the city hall square as well as the cathedral, a very interesting mix of neoclassical and baroque styles. If you want to walk for a bit longer, a very interesting place to visit are the city walls of Pamplona. This military structure covers over 5km (~3 miles) and takes you back in history to the time when Spain had to keep France at bay. Which was the case for an important part of our history.

If you decide to extend your stay and you like wine, drive South to one of the many wineries in the area and enjoy the gold that is the local red wine. You can there learn about how wine is made and buy some of the most unique bottles you will find.

The best one-week Northern Spain Itinerary

If you only have one week, then start (1) in Santiago, move on the next day (2) to León without doing any of the previous stops. Then drive North until Gijón and enjoy the life of the city (3). The following day you will make it to Los Picos de Europa and enjoy some trekking to get out of the car and stretch your legs (4). Then, the following day (5), you will reach Bilbao, where you can have dinner in some of the most amazing restaurants in the country. Finally, spend one day (6) discovering the shell in San Sebastian and go to your final destination: Pamplona (7).

Discover Northern Spain in 10 days or in two weeks

I believe that in two weeks you can fully see all the small spots and places I have recommended in this post without having to skip any.

If you plan to visit Northern Spain in 10 days, then you can skip Finisterre, Cape Vidio and maybe Gijón. Must do’s, in my opinion, would be Santiago de Compostela, Bilbao and Pamplona.

I hope this post is useful to you and please tell me if you decide to follow my tips!

And thank you for reading up until here!

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