Where does this route start and end?

The route runs from San Sebastián to Santiago de Compostela in Green Spain (Cantabrian Coast), Spain.

When is the best time to travel this route?

The best time to travel this route is May to June and September to October.

How active is this route?

Activity level: Active. Moderately active — expect some walking and light physical activity.

What transport do I need for this route?

This route works best with a car or a campervan.

What budget do I need for this route?

Mid-range spending — expect comfortable accommodation and a mix of dining options.

What type of accommodation suits this route?

Mixed accommodation works well along this route.

What is the pace of this trip?

Balanced — a good mix of sightseeing and downtime.

What type of trip is this?

This route is well-suited to: Coastal, Food & drink, Nature, Culture, Classic road trip.

Green Spain Road Trip: San Sebastián to Santiago in 12 Days

Q: How long is the Green Spain Road Trip: San Sebastián to Santiago in 12 Days route?

This route takes 12 days taking in 7 stops.

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The route · 7 stops

San Sebastián

2 nights

Spain's most refined coastal city curves around the shell-shaped La Concha bay, framed by the Monte Urgull and Monte Igueldo headlands. The old town holds the densest pintxos scene in the country, best crawled bar to bar. Two nights allow the beach, a funicular viewpoint and the San Telmo Museum.Spain's most refined coastal city curves around the shell-shaped La Concha bay, framed by the Monte Urgull and Monte Igueldo headlands. The old town holds the densest pintxos scene in the country, best crawled bar to bar. Two nights allow the beach, a funicular viewpoint and the San Telmo Museum.

Recommendations

On to Bilbao

Bilbao

1 night

The Basque industrial capital reinvented itself around Frank Gehry's titanium Guggenheim, whose curves are the main event even from the outside. Pair it with the medieval Casco Viejo, the Ribera market and the Artxanda funicular for a hillside view over the Nervión river and the old shipyards.The Basque industrial capital reinvented itself around Frank Gehry's titanium Guggenheim, whose curves are the main event even from the outside. Pair it with the medieval Casco Viejo, the Ribera market and the Artxanda funicular for a hillside view over the Nervión river and the old shipyards.

Recommendations

On to Santander

Santander

2 nights

Cantabria's breezy seaside capital spreads along the Sardinero beaches below the Magdalena Palace headland. Use two nights as a base: day-trip to the medieval cobbles of Santillana del Mar and the Altamira cave museum, then the Gaudí villa and beaches at Comillas further west along the coast.Cantabria's breezy seaside capital spreads along the Sardinero beaches below the Magdalena Palace headland. Use two nights as a base: day-trip to the medieval cobbles of Santillana del Mar and the Altamira cave museum, then the Gaudí villa and beaches at Comillas further west along the coast.

Recommendations

On to Cangas de Onís

Cangas de Onís

2 nights

The gateway to the Picos de Europa, marked by its Roman-style bridge, and the best base for the mountains. Drive up to the glacial Lagos de Covadonga and the hillside Basilica, or walk part of the Cares Gorge. Two nights leave time for both the lakes and a river valley below the peaks.The gateway to the Picos de Europa, marked by its Roman-style bridge, and the best base for the mountains. Drive up to the glacial Lagos de Covadonga and the hillside Basilica, or walk part of the Cares Gorge. Two nights leave time for both the lakes and a river valley below the peaks.

Recommendations

On to Oviedo

Oviedo

1 night

Asturias's dignified inland capital centres on a Gothic cathedral and two ninth-century pre-Romanesque churches on Monte Naranco, older than the Romanesque style itself. Evenings belong to the cider houses of Calle Gascona, where waiters pour Asturian sidra from high above the glass.Asturias's dignified inland capital centres on a Gothic cathedral and two ninth-century pre-Romanesque churches on Monte Naranco, older than the Romanesque style itself. Evenings belong to the cider houses of Calle Gascona, where waiters pour Asturian sidra from high above the glass.

Recommendations

On to Ribadeo

Ribadeo

1 night

A Galician estuary town at the mouth of the Eo, and the base for Playa de las Catedrales, where the Atlantic has carved cathedral-like arches and sea caves into the cliffs. The beach only reveals its arches at low tide, so timing the visit is everything. Cudillero and Luarca break the drive west.A Galician estuary town at the mouth of the Eo, and the base for Playa de las Catedrales, where the Atlantic has carved cathedral-like arches and sea caves into the cliffs. The beach only reveals its arches at low tide, so timing the visit is everything. Cudillero and Luarca break the drive west.

Recommendations

On to Santiago de Compostela

Santiago de Compostela

2 nights

The end of the Camino and one of Europe's great pilgrimage cities. Its granite old town, slick with Galician rain and lamplight, funnels toward the cathedral and the vast Praza do Obradoiro. Two nights allow the cathedral and its rooftop tour, the food market and the Alameda park view of the spires.The end of the Camino and one of Europe's great pilgrimage cities. Its granite old town, slick with Galician rain and lamplight, funnels toward the cathedral and the vast Praza do Obradoiro. Two nights allow the cathedral and its rooftop tour, the food market and the Alameda park view of the spires.

Recommendations

Route highlights

Viewpoint
Lagos de Covadonga and the Basilica
Two glacial lakes, Enol and Ercina, sit high above Cangas de Onís, reached by a hairpin road that closes to private cars in peak season. Below them the pink-and-limestone Basilica of Covadonga and the shrine in the Holy Cave mark the spot where the Reconquista is said to have begun.
Food & drink
San Sebastián pintxos crawl
The old town of Donostia has a formidable concentration of Michelin stars, but the real pleasure is the pintxos bars around Plaza de la Constitución. Order one bite and a small glass of txakoli at each, then move on. Gilda skewers, txipirones and grilled foie are local staples.
Culture
Santillana del Mar and Altamira
A short day trip from Santander reaches one of Spain's best-preserved medieval villages, all cobbles and sandstone manor houses. Nearby, the Altamira museum's exact replica cave lets you see the Palaeolithic bison paintings that the fragile original can no longer show the public.
Culture
Bilbao's Guggenheim Museum
Frank Gehry's 1997 titanium museum turned a declining port into a design destination and gave rise to the term the Bilbao effect. The building itself is the headline; the riverside walk around it, past Louise Bourgeois's giant spider and Jeff Koons's flower Puppy, costs nothing.
Activity
The Cares Gorge walk
The Ruta del Cares threads a path cut into the cliffs between Poncebos and Caín, following the river through the heart of the Picos de Europa. The full there-and-back is around 22 km, but even a couple of hours in reaches the most dramatic rock walls and hanging bridges.
Beach
Playa de las Catedrales
At low tide the Atlantic pulls back to reveal soaring rock arches and buttresses that give this Galician beach its name, the Beach of the Cathedrals. At high tide the arches vanish under the sea, so the visit lives or dies by the tide table. Access is capped in summer and at Easter.
Culture
Oviedo's pre-Romanesque churches
Santa María del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo, built in the 840s as a royal Asturian palace and chapel, are among the oldest intact buildings in Spain and are UNESCO listed. Their tall, narrow proportions predate and helped shape the Romanesque architecture that followed across Europe.

Green Spain Road Trip: San Sebastián to Santiago in 12 Days