Luxury holidays to Green Spain Asturias, Cantabria and Galicia

Green Spain features some of the best four and five star hotels in the regions of Galicia, Asturias and Cantabria in northern Spain, including coastal properties, city hotels and rural retreats. From the pretty rivers on the west coast of Galicia to the spectacular mountains of Asturias and the prehistoric caves of Cantabria, Green Spain is a picturesque area in the north of Spain. With quiet sandy beaches, green landscapes, charming villages and Romanesque architecture lining the famed pilgrimage route which leads to Santiago de Compostela, there is plenty to discover. Although many of those who go on holiday to northern Spain simply pass through en route to Santiago de Compostela, the entire region has much to offer. Stunning beaches are almost untouched, whilst the mild climate has produced rich vegetation which covers unspoilt countryside. Both along the coast and further inland there are attractive cities, towns and villages with a wealth of historical, architectural and cultural sights to discover. Galicia and Asturias have strong cultural identities, both fiercely defending their Celtic traditions which include playing bagpipes, and even speaking their own languages. In the far west is the remote region of Galicia, known as ‘The land of a thousand rivers’ thanks to the numerous wide inlets that run into the sea. The Atlantic coastline is rugged, with rocky headlands, idyllic beaches and isolated fishing villages, whilst the interior is hilly and overwhelmingly green. To the east is the Principality of Asturias, an enchanting region of contrasts with secluded beaches as well as peaceful countryside. Forming a natural barrier in the south are the towering Picos de Europa mountains, a spectacular area with small mountain villages, lush pastures, emerald forests, sheer gorges and glittering lakes. Next is the small, mountainous region of Cantabria, where white sand beaches line the coastline facing the Bay of Biscay, separated by rugged headlands.

Frequently Asked Questions

Green Spain is the collective name for Galicia, Asturias and Cantabria, the three regions that run along Spain's Atlantic north coast, and the name is entirely literal: this is a lush, rain-fed landscape of river valleys, dairy pasture and forested mountains that has far more in common with Ireland or Brittany than with the Spain of the costas. That contrast is precisely the appeal for the right client. Instead of golden scrubland you get emerald hillsides; instead of parched summer heat you get a mild, changeable climate with warm rather than scorching summers; and instead of crowded resort towns you get isolated fishing villages, quiet sandy beaches and rugged, fjord-like inlets known locally as rías. The region also has its own distinct cultural identity. Galicia and Asturias are Celtic in character rather than Moorish or Mediterranean, with their own languages, their own bagpipe traditions, and a sense of separateness from the rest of Spain that visitors notice immediately. History runs deep here too: the Altamira Caves near Santander hold rock paintings up to twenty thousand years old and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site in their own right, while Roman remains survive in Lugo and the Tower of Hercules, an ancient Roman lighthouse still in use near A Coruña. For a client who has already done Andalusia, the Costa Brava or the Balearics and is looking for a version of Spain that feels genuinely different — greener, quieter, more atmospheric — this is one of the most rewarding regions in the country, and one of the least visited by British travellers relative to its quality.

Not at all, and this is one of the most common misconceptions we come across. The Camino de Santiago — the network of pilgrim routes converging on Santiago de Compostela, where tradition holds that the remains of St James the Apostle are buried — is undoubtedly the reason most people have heard of this corner of Spain, and walking a stretch of it is a wonderful holiday for those who want to. But the cathedral city and the wider region reward a visit on their own terms, entirely independent of the pilgrimage, and a tailor-made touring or fly-drive holiday lets you experience the best of the route without walking a single mile of it. Santiago de Compostela itself is extraordinary: a compact, atmospheric old town of granite arcades and baroque church facades, built around a cathedral whose rooftop tour gives unforgettable views over the city, and from whose steps you can watch the pilgrims arrive at journey's end regardless of how you yourself arrived. The Parador de Santiago de Compostela, directly opposite the cathedral, is a historic monument in its own right and one of the most atmospheric hotels in Spain to use as a base. From there, a car allows you to follow the spirit of the Camino at your own pace — driving between the towns the pilgrims pass through, visiting the churches and bridges along the way, and stopping wherever the landscape or a particular village catches your eye — while spending your evenings in comfortable four and five-star hotels rather than pilgrim hostels. It is, in effect, the Camino experience translated into the kind of holiday our clients actually want.

Green Spain has one of the most varied collections of paradores anywhere in Spain, and because the region is compact, it lends itself particularly well to a touring itinerary that moves between several of them. The Parador de Santiago de Compostela, a five-star property with a hundred and thirty-seven rooms directly on the cathedral square, is the obvious anchor for the Galician leg, its exuberant architecture and furnishings matching the grandeur of its position. West along the coast, the Parador de Baiona occupies a former fortress on a headland overlooking the Atlantic, its ramparts, ancient tapestries and four-poster beds giving it a genuinely romantic, seafaring character quite different from the cathedral city. Inland, in the dramatic river gorge landscape of the Ribeira Sacra, the Parador de Santo Estevo is one of the most atmospheric in the entire network: a former monastery with individually styled rooms looking out over either the canyon or the surrounding chestnut woods, and a sense of remoteness that few hotels anywhere can match. Moving east into Cantabria, the Parador de Fuente De sits at the foot of the Picos de Europa in the style of an alpine lodge, the ideal base for walking in the mountains, while the Parador de Santillana Gil Blas is a small, quaintly traditional property of just twenty-eight rooms in the centre of one of the best-preserved medieval villages in Spain. Further inland again, the Parador de León — a five-star, two-hundred-and-twenty-five-room former monastery on the banks of the River Bernesga — is one of the most architecturally stunning paradores anywhere in the country. A touring itinerary of ten to twelve nights linking four or five of these, moving between coast, mountain and river gorge, gives an experience of Green Spain that a single-centre stay simply cannot.

The Picos de Europa are a compact, dramatic limestone massif straddling Asturias, Cantabria and León, and despite their modest size they have a genuinely alpine character: sheer gorges, glittering lakes, jagged peaks and small mountain villages that feel a world away from the coast less than an hour's drive below. They form a natural barrier across the south of Asturias and are, for many first-time visitors to Green Spain, the single biggest surprise of the whole region — nobody expects mountain scenery of this quality tucked into the north coast of Spain. The good news for clients who are curious but not committed hikers is that the Picos reward a gentle approach just as well as a demanding one. The Fuente Dé cable car climbs some eight hundred metres in a matter of minutes to a viewpoint over the highest peaks, giving access to genuinely spectacular mountain scenery with no walking required at all, and the atmospheric Covadonga Sanctuary and its nearby lakes, Enol and Ercina, can be reached by road and explored on foot for as little or as much as you like. For clients who do want to walk, we offer a seven-night guided and self-guided walking holiday based at the Parador de Fuente Dé, itself built in the style of an alpine lodge at the foot of the mountains, with routes graded to different levels of fitness and experience. Either way, this is best treated as one part of a broader Green Spain itinerary rather than a destination in itself: two or three nights in the mountains, paired with time on the coast and in Santiago or León, gives the fullest and most satisfying picture of the region.

Green Spain is more accessible from the UK than its relatively low profile as a destination might suggest. Santiago de Compostela airport has direct low-cost flights from the UK and is the natural gateway for Galicia, while Asturias airport, around thirty miles from Oviedo, and Bilbao airport, within easy reach of eastern Cantabria, offer further direct options depending on which part of the region you want to base yourself in. A car is by far the simplest way to get around once you arrive, and clients who prefer not to fly can take their own car via Brittany Ferries from Plymouth or Portsmouth to Santander, arriving directly into the heart of the region rather than having to drive down through France and across the Pyrenees. For clients who want to explore the coast without any driving at all, this is also one of the most interesting parts of Spain for luxury rail: the Transcantabrico and Costa Verde Express are boutique overnight trains that travel the length of the Green Coast between the Basque Country and Santiago de Compostela over several nights, combining scenic travel with stops built in along the way, while the shorter La Robla journey covers the route between Bilbao and León. All of these work naturally as an extension of a Basque Country holiday: Bilbao, with the Guggenheim and its outstanding food scene, sits at the eastern gateway to Green Spain, and a fly-drive combining a few nights in the city with a loop through Cantabria and Asturias is one of our most popular itineraries for clients who want architecture and gastronomy alongside coastline and mountains. As with all our holidays, we handle the flights, car hire, ferries, rail travel and hotel sequence between them, so the logistics of combining several forms of transport never become the client's problem to solve.

Our bespoke, luxury hotel holidays can be

● Single centre or multi-centre
● Long or short stays
● Combine a number of different hotels in different regions
● Utilise a variety of transport arrangements to Spain and within Spain, combining flights, hire-car, rail, ferries and private transfers

Our special interest holidays to Green Spain

● Food and wine holidays
● Golf holidays
● Art holidays
● Cultural holidays
● Walking holidays
● Private guided sightseeing
● Spa holidays
● Family holidays
● Follow pilgrimage routes

Included in all our holidays

● Concierge service
● Handcrafted helpful hints and local information provided with all our holidays
● Personal service by your sales consultant who looks after all aspects of your holiday

Call us on 01392 441245

Highlights of Green Spain

Santiago de Compostela cathedral, the supposed resting place of St James the Apostle, from whose rooftop you can enjoy unforgettable views over the old town. The attractive Galician cities of Ourense, Pontevedra and Lugo, all with historical sites including Roman architecture. Maritime cities along the Atlantic coastline including A Coruna, Ferrol, Vigo, and Baiona. The Tower of Hercules, an ancient Roman lighthouse near A Coruna. Galicia's fjord-like inlets known as the Rías Altas (along the north-west coast) and the Rías Baixas (along the southwestern coast). The dramatic Cape Finisterre, so called because it was thought to be the westernmost point in Europe. The stunning Picos de Europa mountains, home to a diverse range of walking trails and the atmospheric Covadonga Sanctuary. Oviedo, the attractive capital of Asturias which is home to some remarkable pre-Romanesque churches. Altamira Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with ancient rock paintings which are up to 20000 years old. Comillas, a beachside town with impressive architecture including a building designed by Antonio Gaudí. Pleasant towns along the shores of the Cantabrian Sea including Gijón and Llanes. Santillana del Mar, a picturesque village inland with a number of well-preserved mediaeval buildings. Santander, a lively port city with a historic quarter, a modern centre and the famous El Sardinero beach.

Festivals in Green Spain

February/March: Carnivals celebrating Lent, March: Vigo Reconquest Festival; March/April: Holy week celebrations, July: ‘A Rapa das Bestas’ horse festival held in Galician villages, July: Saint James the Apostle festival in Santiago de Compostela, July: Nava Cider Festival (near Oviedo), August: Festival of San Roque in Betanzos (near A Coruna), August: Santander International Festival.

Gastronomy in Green Spain

Cuisine in the north of Spain tends to be simple and hearty, making good use of the excellent local produce including abundant fish and seafood, plentiful meat and game and a great variety of vegetables. The regions produce a range of dairy products, from the mild soft cheeses of Galicia to the smoked cheese of Cantabria and the blue cheeses of Asturias. Asturias is known for its dry cider, whilst Galicia produces high quality wines, both crisp whites and fruity reds, as well as a strong liqueur, ‘Orujo.’ Local dishes include ‘Vieras de Santiago’ (Scallops, the symbol of St James, which are baked in their shells), ‘Empanada gallega’ (a Galician meat pasty), ‘Lacón con grelos’ (pork shoulder with chorizo, turnips and potatoes), ‘Caldo gallego’ (thick soup with meat, potatoes and beans), ‘Fabada’ (an Asturian stew with pork and beans), ‘Tarta de Santiago’ (an almond cake), ‘La quesada’ (a Cantabrian cheesecake) and ‘Sobaos Pasiegos’ (Cantabrian sponge cakes).

Climate in Green Spain

Green Spain has a wet and mild climate with warm summers and cool winters. Summer is a popular time to visit northern Spain as the weather is sunny yet comfortable, but you can expect good weather in Spring and Autumn as well. Rain falls throughout the year although there is little during the summer months. Temperatures are rarely extreme, although mountainous areas can be very cold in winter with snow falling.

Green Spain travel information

Green Spain is reached very easily from the UK by air. Some clients choose to take their own car all the way, making use of the ferry system.

By air

Santiago de Compostela airport is served by low cost airlines including EasyJet, with flights to the UK and to other Spanish cities. Buses run from the airport into the city centre (taking approximately 25 minutes) and to other destinations including A Coruña. Asturias airport, located around 30 miles away from Oviedo is also served by low cost airlines, with buses running to Aviles, Gijon and Oviedo. Eastern Cantabria is within easy reach of Bilbao airport. There are also a number of small airports within the region which have flights to other cities within Spain.

Rail travel

There are train stations in many towns which facilitate rail travel within the regions. However rail links to the rest of the country are poor with long journey times.

Car hire

Car hire is recommended for visitors to Green Spain as driving is the simplest means of transport.

Self-drive

Brittany Ferries offers weekly ferries from Plymouth to Santander (journey time 20 hours) and twice weekly ferries from Portsmouth to Santander (journey time 24 hours). LD Lines offers weekly ferries from Poole to Santander (journey time 26 hours) and Poole to Gijon (journey time 25 hours).

Two centre recommendations

Experience the variety of the region during your holiday to Green Spain by combining a stay on the coast with a stay inland, perhaps in an idyllic mountain setting.

Our bespoke, luxury hotel holidays can be

Our special interest holidays to Green Spain

Included in all our holidays

● Concierge service
● Handcrafted helpful hints and local information provided with all our holidays
● Personal service by your sales consultant who looks after all aspects of your holiday

Call us on 01392 441245

Here you will find a map of Green Spain showing the locations of the hotels that we offer

Our bespoke, luxury hotel holidays can be

Our special interest holidays to Green Spain

Included in all our holidays

● Concierge service
● Handcrafted helpful hints and local information provided with all our holidays
● Personal service by your sales consultant who looks after all aspects of your holiday