Having had an unforgettable time in Cantabria and Asturias, with a press trip to the remarkable Aragon in-between, we’ve relished the time we’ve spent in Northern Spain. Ripe for discovery and exploration, each region we’ve visited is beautifully unspoilt offering something different with landscapes so spectacular they’ve taken our breath away. We’re craving another road trip but where to next? Here are a few things we’ve loved about our travels in Northern Spain and where we’re thinking of heading.
The journey
One of the things we’ve enjoyed about our road trips in Northern Spain is being able to start our holiday as soon as we leave home. With Portsmouth just under an hour away, we can be on a cruise ferry in no time. We’ve sailed with Brittany Ferries four times now and we absolutely love it. There’s never a dull moment either as there’s so much to do. From the cinema and children’s play areas to the entertainment and the heated outdoor pool. Not forgetting of course whale and dolphin watching on deck. The three of us always sleep well in our cabins too and come morning we’re more than ready for a good hearty breakfast while admiring those sea views.
The rustic accommodation
All of the Brittany Ferries sailings we’ve taken (over 24 hours or 48 hours) have docked at Bilbao or Santander in the morning. This works well for us as it means we’ve arrived at our accommodation, and found a town/all-important food source, by lunchtime. We do love properties with character and the 200-year-old cottage we stayed at in Trillayo (Bedoya Valley) was even better than we imagined it would be. Eating breakfast on a balcony with views of the Picos de Europa was something else. In the evening we’d watch the swallows dart around the rooftops as the sun went down.
In Sierra del Sueve (Asturias) we had the Ponga Mountains to look at with cows for neighbours. POD befriended lizards and a grasshopper during our time there. It’s great to be in a property that’s peaceful and surrounded by nature – we really do relish that. Rustical Travel specialises in authentic properties in Spain and we’ve stayed in properties they manage twice now.
The adventures
Our travels as a family of three are very much based on discovery, exploration and adventure. We’re lucky POD enjoys travelling as much as we always have. When it comes to road trips, we do a lot of planning before we leave the UK but we like to seek out those gems off the beaten track too. That’s the joy of sailing to a destination with your own car
The best holiday moments can often be unexpected as we’ve found to be the case many times. While we were in Cantabria, POD’s favourite thing was to swim in the river with the locals. Wild swimming wasn’t quite the same in Asturias but of course it had to be done.
We heard about a Heidi trilogy being filmed in Northern Spain the first time we were there so we ventured to the beautiful village of Mogrovejo (said to represent the village of Dorfli). We even found the grandfather house which was situated on a hill in the middle of nowhere – naturally! The first film “Heidi: Queen of the Mountains” (starring Bill Nighy, Helen Baxendale and Sam Allison as Heidi) has still not materialised though.
So where next?
Although just a taste of what we’ve got up to, you’ve probably gathered we do love a road trip. But where shall we head this summer? We’re considering sailing to France then driving to Germany and on to Austria and/or Switzerland (not sure we’d make it to Italy) before returning to France to catch the ferry home. Logistically a challenge but oh my goodness it would be incredible.
Alternatively, we could venture back to Spain but head southward from Bilbao or Santander to somewhere like Granada (not to be confused with Grenada in the Caribbean!) which is in the Andalusia region. Situated at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, it has the highest peak of continental Spain and the third highest in Europe. Or finally, do we return to a different part of Cantabria and explore more of Northern Spain. Which could be a challenge given we’ve seen a lot of it already. Added to which it’s never good to re-visit places you’ve already seen especially when you had the best two weeks!
We’re thinking sail to France, spend time there, in Germany, Austria and Switzerland if we can make the crossing and
Well that’s the big question
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