** NORTHERN SPAIN ROAD TRIP ** Explore the Most Stunning Landscapes, Unique Gastronomy, Scenic Roads and Rural Life of the Atlantic & Cantabric Coastline

The first stop of our road trip through the north of Spain starts in the beautiful city of San Sebastian, where we will walk around the famous Playa de la Concha beach, visit the Miramar Palace, stroll along the old town streets around Calle Mayor (the true heart of Donostia) and delight some local 'pintxos' in the city's most popular taverns: Txepetxa, Borda Berri and Casa Vergara. On the second day we will wake up again in San Sebastian but we will head to some of the most famous nearby villages to visit in the north of Spain / south of France: a first stop in Hondarribia, with its beautiful little colourful houses, then San Juan de Luz, with its old seaport and seaside resorts, and finally Zugarramurdi, with its magical and mysterious caves.

On the third day of our road trip we will head out on one of the most scenic routes on the entire continent: the Vasque Coastline Route. We'll stop in: - Zarauzt: with its immense beach for surf lovers, the most extensive dune system in the province, its monumental historical site and its old-town fish markets. - Guetaria: with its panoramic views of Mount San Antón, its monuments of Juan Sebastián Elcano, its Church of San Salvador, built in the 14th century in the Gothic style and declared a National Monument, and its intricate historic centre. - Zumaya: with its stunning 13 kilometres of cliffs in the Geopark, an ancient geologic formation of rock layers called Flysch that show us more than 60 million years of the Earth's history, its roots of one of the oldest peoples in Europe and the best collection of parietal art horses on the planet, found in the Ekain cave and declared a World Heritage Site. - Lequeitio: with its great fishing tradition, its old town streets, the welcoming harbour, the Isuntza beach, where we'll take a pleasant stroll while enjoying an incomparable view of Lequeitio, and the island of San Nicolás, where, if the tide is low, we'll cross on foot along a narrow sandy path. - San Juan de Gaztelugatxe: the jewel in the crown, a magical islet with its stone bridge and 241-step staircase to its hermitage, built in the 9th century. Scene of pirates, covens, legends, and "most voted wonder" or "most valued" enclave by travellers from all over the world. For Game of Thrones fans: this is the iconic setting for some of the show's most famous shots: the Dragonstone Castle. - Plentzia: with its picturesque old town of medieval origin, its combination of popular seafaring architecture with cultured and palatial buildings, its narrow streets and the church of Santa María Magdalena, which stands out for its beautiful 16th-century tower. The second day will be reserved for Bilbao, the pulsating capital of the Basque Country, where we will take a walking tour around its emblematic corners. Starting on the enormous La Ribera Market and the Church of San Antón, we'll go on by the network of streets of the Old Quarter, the Cathedral of Santiago, the remains of the old medieval wall, the Plaza de Unamuno, the Calzada de Mallona and the Basilica of Begoña. For art lovers, we will reserve the afternoon for an optional visit to the Guggenheim, the iconic contemporary art museum designed by Canadian architect Frank O. Gehry.

This 5th day of our itinerary through the north of Spain will be spent touring Santander as it deserves. In the morning we will visit the Palacio de la Magdalena and take a sailing trip around the bay and the beaches of Langre and Antuerta. In the afternoon we will go to the beach of Covachos and finally to the beach of Los Locos. To finish the day, we will return to Santander to enjoy the freshly caught seafood at the iconic restaurant at La Bombi.

Early in the morning, we will leave Santander and head towards the cave of Altamira. We will visit the prehistoric cave and after that, we will have a good 'cocido montañés' for lunch at the Restaurant el Bisonte Rojo in the beautiful Santillana del Mar. In the afternoon we will visit the Capricho de Gaudí, in Comillas, and the beach of Oyambre. Finally, we will continue to the mountainous enclave of Panes, where we will spend the night.

Early in the morning we will leave our accommodation in Panes and continue our journey through the north of Spain towards Potes and Cangas de Onis, making an intermediate stop at the Ruta del Cares, one of the most popular and emblematic mountain hikes in the Picos de Europa. The 6-hour path runs through a high gorge that follows the course of the Cares River, carved into the rock through tunnels, narrow passages and stunning views. Once the hike is over, we will head for Cangas de Onís, the historic gateway to the Picos de Europa, cradle of the Reconquest and the first city and court of the Asturian Monarchy. We'll walk around the mythical Roman Bridge with its hanging Victoria Cross (one of the most photographed monuments in Asturias) and enjoy the tastiest products from the market garden and the best cheeses in Spain!

Our route through the Picos de Europa continues with one of its most famous spots: the National Park of the Covadonga Mountains, today the National Park of the Picos de Europa, which includes the Royal Site of Covadonga and the Enol and Ercina Lakes, with its landscape of peaks and folds, and with the almost 'lunar' appearance of the old iron mines of Buferrera or the spectacular view of the Vega de Comella, witness to the geological richness of this area. In the afternoon, we will head towards Gijón for a walking tour around the city, the beach of San Lorenzo, the praise of the Horizon in the fishermen's area of Cimadevilla, the typical photo at the "GIJON" letters in the Jardines de la Reina and a dinner on the shores of the Atlantic at the restaurant "El Mirador de la playa".

The next morning we will walk through some of the best places in the north of Spain such as the beach of Aguilar, the impressive viewpoint of Sablón, the beach of Silencio or Cadavedo. These places are truly epic. Get your cameras ready because you're going to take a lot of pictures! In the afternoon, we will visit one of the most iconic postcards of this route through the north of Spain, the magical and declared natural wonder of Spain: Playa de las Catedrales, to walk along the narrow corridors between the cliffs, crevices, caves and pass under its enormous arches if the tide allows it.

The next stop on the road trip is La Coruña, but not before travelling along the majestic and rugged Galician coastline roads of the Galician 'Rías Altas' (High Estuaries) and Costa de la Muerte: - Isla Pancha: the picturesque islet on which, in 1857, the old Ribadeo lighthouse was built. - Valdoviño: with fine sand that stretches for more than three kilometres and well-known, not only for the beauty of its landscape, but also for its reputation for healing since ancient times. - Fragas do Eume: where we will take a fantastic hiking route through the landscapes of lush forests, rivers and suspension bridges of the Natural Park, one of the best preserved Atlantic natural sites in Europe. - The lagoon of A Frouxeira: a wetland of great environmental value where we'll enjoy the sighting of different birds. - Carnota beach: with its 7 kilometres in length (the longest in Galicia) in the shape of a half moon, with fine sand interrupted only by the channel that joins the marshes with the ocean, and its Monte Pindo as a backdrop. - San Andrés de Teixido and the Miradoiro Chao do Monte: with a fantastic panoramic view of this mythical village surrounded by impressive cliffs and the Atlantic Ocean. - Cabo Ortega: with its photogenic red and white striped lighthouse, the second most northerly point of the Iberian Peninsula after neighbouring Estaca de Bares. The second day will be spent in La Coruña, the cultural capital of Galicia, to visit its historic centre, the seafront walk, the Tower of Hercules and the panoramic Castillo de San Antón, built on a small islet in the middle of the bay of A Coruña and very useful for repelling attacks from the sea. In the afternoon, we'll enjoy the Galician vibes through a gastronomic walking tour among the most famous traditional taverns such as La Bombilla, Tarabelo, Taberna da Galera, El Tequeño, O Lagar da Estrella and Peculiar, where we'll delight with the most popular dishes and great elaborations.

The road trip ends in the iconic final destination of the Camino de Santiago, the main capital of Galicia, Santiago de Compostela. This city will make you fall in love at first sight with its monumental Cathedral and the network of narrow streets of the old town, declared a World Heritage Site. It is also one of the three main centres of Christian pilgrimage, along with Jerusalem and Rome, so you will enjoy a good atmosphere of pilgrims and students as it has a prestigious university that is more than 500 years old. Here we'll spend the morning on a walking tour around the most essential spots: the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, with its Romanesque style with Baroque and Gothic elements, the magnificent Plaza de Obradoiro, the Pazo de Raxoi (current seat of the city council), the Pazo de Xelmirez (former episcopal palace of the cathedral) and the Colexio de San Xerome (the old high school of the city). To end the trip, in the afternoon we will take the car again to visit our last spot: the unforgettable Finisterre Lighthouse. A World Heritage Site, this is the westernmost and most emblematic lighthouse in Europe, traditionally considered as the cape at the end of the world, "Finis Terrae". For thousands of years, it was thought that every night the sun went out in its waters, and beyond it there was only a region of darkness and monsters... the perfect mystical spot to enjoy our last sunset of this amazing trip!