10 Beautiful Places to Visit in Northern Spain - A Local’s Favorites
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Bienvenidos to the North of Spain! Or shall we say benvidos, or ongi etorri (“welcome” in Gallego and Basque)? I ask because if there is something that defines what is commonly known as Northern Spain, that’s multiculturalism.
As you will find in this guide, this stretch of about 500 miles running along the Atlantic coast holds three different languages, many (delicious) types of cuisine, and the most distinct and varied regional characteristics that you’ll find anywhere in Spain.
If experiencing new cultures is one of your reasons for traveling, then you’re in luck, as you’ll find quite a few of those here.
The North of Spain also has a reputation for being home to some of the wildest, greenest, and least known landscapes in the entire Iberian Peninsula. Here, you’ll have the chance to explore everything from wild mountains to river valleys, charming little villages, rolling hills with fantastic vineyards, bustling modern cities, and pristine miles-long beaches that are untouched by resorts and mass tourism.
So, if you fancy eating like a king, hiking in deep forests, surfing the ocean, or just cozying up in beautiful towns, Northern Spain is the place to be.
More Spain travel info
For more info on planning a trip to the north, check out our Northern Spain travel guide and this article with 7 Northern Spain itineraries.
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What qualifies as “Northern Spain”?
Before we dig into our list of my favorite places in this region, let’s clarify exactly what we Spaniards consider ‘Northern Spain’. As far as we see it, Northern Spain starts in Navarra —on the western edge of the border that separates Spain and France, at the foot of the Pyrenees— and it ends in Galicia, known as the most western point in Europe.
Centuries ago, the Romans thought that Galicia was the end of the world. Why? Well, because the only thing you can see from there is the huge Atlantic Ocean and the sun setting behind it.
As huge as the Roman empire was, even they struggled to conquer Northern Spain. On their way west across the Iberian Peninsula they found too many mountains, too many deep forests, and too many fiercely resistant cultures in the north. Centuries later, when the Moors arrived and ruled Spain for hundreds of years, they too failed to gain total control of northern Spain.
Part of the enduring wild character of this region is explained by this fact: no empire was able to completely conquer this area and assimilate it into its territory. Over the centuries, Spain’s northern regions have always maintained a great degree of independence, which partly explains why they are so culturally different from the rest of the country, and the Iberian peninsula more widely.
So, now that we know what qualifies as northern Spain, this guide will follow the path of the good old Romans, beginning in Navarra in the east, and continuing on for 500 miles until we reach the “end of the world” on the westernmost border of Galicia.
If you complete the whole route, you will have achieved what those previous great empires failed to do: conquer northern Spain!
Let’s get started.
Best time to visit Northern Spain
Santander’s El Sardinero beach on a warm summer day. Photo: Carlos Cunha, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
June & September - Best time to visit
In my opinion, June and September, the beginning and end of summer, are unquestionably the two best months to visit northern Spain. During these two months, you’ll have wonderful summer weather, with warm, dry, and sunny days, as well as many hours of daylight.
If visiting in June, you’ll get here before the summer crowds arrive, while by September, the masses will have departed. That means that in either month you will get to explore this region without uncomfortable crowds or elevated high-season prices. It really is the perfect time to travel here.
If June and September aren’t options for you, the weather is lovely all summer long, so coming in July and August is still very pleasant. You’ll just be contending with more people, tighter availability for accommodations, booked out tours, etc. Northern Spain is never as popular as other destinations in Spain though, so even the busiest time of year here is still comparatively low key and manageable.
Now, what about other times of year?
Spring - Nice, but rainy
Personally, I love traveling throughout Spain’s northern regions in the spring, as the landscape and people here erupt into life during this time. As we emerge from winter, the landscape explodes into beautiful shades of green, flowers bloom, and the people take to the streets, cities, and beaches to celebrate having made it through the winter.
It’s a really joyous time of year here. It may still be a bit wet, and you’ll certainly experience your fair share of rain showers, but I think it’s worth it.
Autumn - A solid choice, but bring a sweater!
The early parts of autumn are another excellent time to travel here. You’ll get to enjoy the last bits of summer weather, with drastically reduced crowds and a slower, more authentic pace of life. Most locals will have returned from their summer holidays and be settling back into their normal rhythms, which means a visit in this period is a chance to experience authentic Spanish life.
The weather starts to cool down considerably as the autumn progresses, with evenings becoming especially chilly, and rainy days start to show up more and more as we move into the end of October and November. If you visit in this time, there are some huge positives, but be sure to pack a raincoat and maybe even some waterproof shoes if you plan on being out and about a lot.
Winter - Maybe not
On to our final season: winter. Really, this the only season that I don’t recommend coming to northern Spain. Why? Well, if you’re a fan of the television series Game of Thrones, you will for sure recall what the winter in “The North” was like: rain, cold, snow, white walkers. The winter in Northern Spain is quite similar (except for the white walkers).
During the winter in Spain’s north, there are high chances of rain, strong winds, and grey skies with very short daylight hours. It can be wonderful and entirely charming after a snowfall, but in general, this is really not the ideal time to visit.
How many days to spend in Northern Spain
From the east in Pamplona to the western Galician coast, there are about 500 miles of gorgeous landscapes, cities, villages, and coastline. You could spend months exploring all of it, but unfortunately, I’m betting you don’t have that kind of time.
So, for anything approaching a comprehensive tour of northern Spain, I would recommend a minimum of 14 days. With two weeks, you’ll be able to visit some of the most famous cities and sights (Bilbao, San Sebastian, Santander, Santiago de Compostela, Picos de Europa, etc.), and will also have enough time to get out into the countryside and nature, exploring less-visited villages, relaxing on lovely beaches, and experiencing our beautiful parks.
Northern Spain is a place filled with nuance, and you need time to appreciate it and really get a feel for the culture, style of life, and regional flavor.
Of course, even with only a few days, you can still visit some outstanding areas and get a taste for the region. If your entire visit to Spain is only a week, 10 days, or 2 weeks, there will of course be other destinations on your list. In that case, it’s fairly easy to combine one or two places in the north with a broader countrywide tour.
Transportation and getting around
If you want to enjoy Northern Spain to the fullest, I recommend renting a car or campervan and doing a road trip with your own wheels. Many of the really special places in the north, where you can experience the magic of this region, are remote towns and wild landscapes, which are found in rural and areas that are not especially well served by public transportation.
It will be either inconvenient, or impossible to reach some of these places without your own vehicle.
On many days during a trip here, you will probably want to make visits to multiple destinations throughout the same day: hopping to a town in the morning, a beach in the afternoon, and then moving on elsewhere come evening, for example.
Well, if you’re relying on public transportation, it will be quite difficult to accomplish that, as bus timetables may not line up conveniently, travel times may be long, and you’ll be lugging bags around with you at every stop.
Renting a car
If you decide to rent a car, you’ll find all the major international companies in Northern Spain as well as some smaller local ones which are often less expensive. Any medium-to-large city will have rental agencies, but for the best selection you’ll probably want to rent somewhere with an international airport or a busy train station.
To check prices and book, I recommend using the following two car rental websites:
DiscoverCars includes offerings from all the major international rental companies as well as lots of smaller local agencies, which often have much better pricing. You can often find great deals.
RentalCars is very similar, although they tend to list mostly larger companies. It’s now owned by Booking.com, so is backed by a familiar and reputable brand. Their prices are good too.
If you’re thinking about a campervan, Indie Campers and RoadSurfer are two of the big rental companies.
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By bus
Although having a car is ideal, public transportation can still be a good option depending on the type of trip you’re planning. If you are primarily interested in visiting only cities and towns, you can fairly easily hop from town to town by taking public transportation only. So, if you are planning a city focused trip, renting a car isn’t a necessity.
The bus is by far the most convenient and affordable public transportation option in this part of Spain, and buses travel between the major destinations very frequently and at almost all times of day and evening.
The main option for long/medium distance trips here would be ALSA, the bus company that connects all of the main cities and towns in the North of Spain.
Tickets can be purchased in advance online on ALSA’s website, or onsite at every bus station. The average ticket price ranges from 10 euros - for one-hour trips - to 70 euros - for the 11-hour trip that goes from San Sebastian to A Coruña.
Finally, it is worth noting that every major city has its own service of city buses that will allow you to move basically everywhere within the city. When visiting cities in northern Spain, there is absolutely no need to travel with your car - intra city public transportation is quite good. Realistically, many of the cities are also very walkable, so you may not even end up needing to take the city bus.
By train
The Basque Country does have a fairly economical suburban train called Euskotren, which connects the main cities of San Sebastian and Bilbao with smaller villages. The train rides will often take you through beautiful scenery and countryside, and there are actually lots of options for getting to fairly remote places. You still won’t be able to get everywhere though, and the fairly good accessibility of the Basque country is a bit of an exception in northern Spain.
Where to book bus and train tickets
In general, I recommend booking your public transport tickets directly with the service provider. That said, when you have a lot of options or when you’re not familiar with the different companies, it can be a real hassle to look them all up in order to compare routes and prices.
Omio is an aggregator I like that shows options for public transport routes all over the world. When you do a search, you’ll be able to see all your options for trains, buses, flights, and even ferries along with a host of different companies that provide the services. Comparing prices is easy, the site has a great design, and you can keep all your bookings in one place. It costs a little bit more than booking direct, but it’s really convenient.
10 Best Places in Northern Spain
1. San Sebastian
Lovely San Sebastian
San Sebastian, known as Donostia in the Basque language, is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities in the Basque Country, and all of Spain. Surrounded by mountains but embedded beside the Cantabrian Sea, this town of 187,000 people is the pinnacle or urban beauty and laid-back life. With three beaches - including the iconic one of La Concha -, a 4-mile-long promenade, and many parks and forests spread out all over the place, San Sebastian is a perfect city in many ways.
The architecture of this charming, magnificently designed city takes the visitor straight to the times of the Belle Epoque, the period during which royalty and noble families throughout Europe chose this city as their summer residences. This “noble” atmosphere can still be felt when admiring buildings such as the Teatro Victoria Eugenia, the Hotel María Cristina, or the Hotel Londres.
All this and I haven’t even mentioned the city’s fantastic, and world-renowned cuisine yet! The delicious pintxos - typical little snacks, often served on toothpicks or skewers - of the old town (Lo Viejo), are the treasure of the Basque Cuisine, and with good reason! They are truly fantastic and a night of drinking and enjoying pintxos is such a fun way to round off a day.
No wonder that back in 2011, San Sebastian was the city with the most Michelin Star restaurants by square mile. This is a foodie paradise.
And here’s a personal tip: if you like to walk and want to avoid the crowds that overrun Donostia during the summer, head out to the eastern part of the city and walk over the Ulía mountain (which surrounds this part of the city) until you reach the Bay of Pasaia. Here, you can enjoy the freshest seafood of your life at Txulotxo restaurant, where you’ll also have gorgeous views of the bay.
2. Navarra/Navarre Region
A central square in the city of Pamplona
If you are traveling by car through the North of Spain, you can use San Sebastian as a base to do a mini road trip through the “beauties of Navarra”.
Your first stop would be Pamplona, where - as long as there is no San Fermin and no bulls running on the streets - you can follow the steps of Ernest Hemingway, who fell in love with this place.
A city of 200,000 people, located halfway between the Cantabrian Sea and the mountains of the Pyrenees, Pamplona is about an hour east by car from San Sebastian.
Pamplona is a lively town known for its student population, and most of its vitality resides in the Casco Antiguo, the old town, where you can visit historical landmarks like the Plaza del Castillo, the Palacio de Ezpeleta or the Saint Mary’s Cathedral (founded in 1394!).
Before you leave the old town, I would recommend getting an almuerzo - kind of a strong brunch - of txistorras and huevos (eggs with a special Spanish sausage and cooked in a lot of oil), which are very traditional. Yes, it’s greasy. And yes, it’s delicious.
After visiting Pamplona, the best way to finish the day and to burn off some calories from your hearty lunch, would be by heading on to the forests of the Pyrenees. Just one hour from Pamplona (and an hour from San Sebastian) is the Baztán Valley, where haunting legends of witches will be waiting for you.
Drive to the tiny village of Zugarramurdi - only 200 people live here - and take a 400-metre walk through deep forest to the impressive caves of Zugarramurdi. 120 meters long and with heights up to 12 meters, women considered as witches (the akelarres) used to celebrate their reunions in these impressive caves.
If you’re more into hiking than fantastic stories, one hour further east but also at the foot of the Pyrenees, you’ll find the Selva de Irati, one of the most impressive beech forests of Europe. Irati is definitely a must-vist during the autumn because of the fantastic fall foliage. You can choose among a wide variety of hiking trails which have widely varying distances, slopes, and levels of difficulty.
3. Basque Coast
The Basque surfing town of Zarautz
Next, it’s time to depart from Donostia (San Sebastian as it is known in Basque) and begin your journey west toward Bilbao. There are two options for your route at this point: going straight to Bilbao via the boring and charmless freeway, or taking the splendid coastal road that travels along the Basque coast. No need to say which one is my personal recommendation, right?
The 70 mile coastal road separating San Sebastian and Bilbao is filled natural wonders.
You can stop for a lunch in the fishing town of Getaria, where the restaurant Mayflower offers an exception price to quality ratio.
You can also visit the more populous villages of Bermeo; Lekeitio; and Mutriku, enjoy the best surfing spot in Spain in Mundaka, or check out Southern Europe’s premier surfing town: Zarautz.
Or, if you are die-hard fan of Game of Thrones, you can visit the realms of Khaleesi in Zumaia and in San Juan de Gaztelugatxe.
Not bad for 70 miles, right?
4. Bilbao
The Guggenheim museum on Bilbao’s riverfront
Traveling in northern Spain isn’t only landscapes, eating, and drinking though! That’s why your next step on your trip through Northern Spain should be Bilbao, the region’s cultural gem as well as its biggest city, with an urban population of 350,000 and almost one million people living in its metro area.
Located in an estuary created by the river Nervión, Bilbao was formerly a major industrial center, full of factories and smog. Over the course of the 21st century, Bilbao has changed enormously, and has now fully become a true cultural capital and powerhouse, while maintaining that distinct charm that only former industrial towns have.
The first stop during your visit here should of course be the city’s Guggenheim Museum, a must-visit cultural icon in Europe, and a superb architectural landmark.
For any soccer fan, watching a game at the San Mamés stadium, known as the “cathedral” of Spanish football, is a dream come true.
For some more culture, especially live musical acts, the Kafe Antzokia is the most prominent gig venue in the North of Spain, and you can catch a great show here most nights of the weak. The city also has a wide schedule of theatre plays and operas.
So, what else do you need? Food? Well, if you want to say the perfect goodbye to Basque cuisine before continuing on to your journey, look for Iñakiren Taberna, in the Seven Streets of Bilbao.
Or, if you want to go for something more international, I highly recommend paying a visit to the hipster neighborhood of San Frantzisko. From Japanese to Peruvian, you’ll find a global array of cuisines here.
5. Santander
Coastal Santander, with the Magdalena Palace in the foreground
Say goodbye to the Basque Country and hello to Cantabria.
Many people in Northern Spain say that the city most similar to San Sebastian is Santander, Cantabria’s capital. Like San Sebastian, Santander also has it all: beautiful urban beaches, lovely architecture, and that Belle Epoque ambiance that just oozes class and elegance.
My favorite thing to do in Santander is to take a stroll along its extensive waterfront, taking in some of the major sites. Start it in the Centro Botín, an arts centre and an architectural jewel that was designed by Renzo Piano for the Botín family foundation (the Botín’s are the owners of the Banco Santander, the biggest financial entity in Spain).
Continue walking through the city’s main façade, until you reach the sea and the magnificent Palace of La Magdalena, the quintessential representative of Santander’s Belle Epoque.
From La Magdalena, head over to El Sardinero beach, and go for a dip in its chilly water.
Before we move on, I have two food recommendations: wherever you go, ask for anchovies of Santoña for a lite bite. And never miss an opportunity to try the typical Cantabrian sweet of sobao for breakfast.
6. Picos de Europa
Can you imagine a group of mountains, real mountains, right next to the ocean? Well, that’s what the Picos de Europa are - a kind of Alps that rise out of the Cantabrian Ocean.
Located between Santander and Asturias, this astonishing group of mountains is the main reason why the northern coast of Spain remained isolated for so many years: they were simply too difficult to pass through.
There are tons of places worth visiting in Picos de Europa, especially for sporty travelers. Lagos de Covadonga is for sure a biking mecca in the Iberian peninsula, and it’s a must-visit destination if you’re traveling with your bike and you don’t mind suffering a bit (this is not easy riding!).
If you’re more into hiking than biking, La Ruta del Cares is the place to go. One of the most beautiful hiking trips in Spain, the 22-kilometer Ruta del Cares follows a river gorge through countless tunnels, bridges and cliffs on its way from Puente Poncebos to Posada de Valdeón. It’s a spectacular hike.
And if you are into trying strong (really strong) cheeses, you should pay a visit to Sotres. There, in that tiny, lovely village located among some of the highest peaks of Spain, is where the Queso de Cabrales is made. Be prepared for some intense flavors.
7. Oviedo
The Cathedral of Oviedo. Photo: Simon Burchell, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Let’s jump straight into the heart of the third Spanish region on our list: Asturias.
The entire region has a population of 1 million people, and it’s bordered by mountains to the south, the Cantabrian Sea to the north, Cantabira on its east, and Galicia to the west.
This is a region where everywhere you look, you’ll see green. Where cider, beans, and bagpipes are an essential part of the culture. Where one city stands out far above the rest: Oviedo.
Oviedo, Asturias’ capital city, which sits 30 kilometers inland from the coast, is one of the most-walkable cities of Spain. This city was made for pedestrians and is entirely unfit for cars - just the way I like it!
In the old town, there are hidden beauties around every corner, and simply wandering around and admiring this beautiful city is a delight. Woody Allen, the famous director, fell in love with Oviedo many years ago on a visit here, and once you see the city you will understand why.
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So, what should you do here? Start your visit in la Plaza del Fontán, one of the most picturesque and colorful squares in Spain.
When you’re hungry, drink some cider, eat some tapas, and then keep going. Walk to the Cathedral and get lost amongst all the winding little streets, bars, restaurants, and squares that you’ll pass along the way.
And, if the weather allows, end the day with a picnic at the San Francisco Park. Munch on some bollos preñaos - a small piece of bread stuffed with chorizo or bacon -, drink some cider, and you’ll also fall in love with Oviedo.
Now, if there’s any one thing that northerners are especially proud of, it’s our cuisine, and Asturians, Basques, Cantabrians, or Gallegos, basically every northern, will all claim that their region has the best food.
I don’t think you can honestly pick one that’s better than all the rest, but if you try a classic Asturian fabada in Cocina Cabal, you may decide to hand the title to Asturias. Get ready for a fantastic meal.
8. A Coruña
The port in A Coruña. Photo: Alessio Damato, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Continuing west from Asturias, we now reach Galicia, the last region on your trip through Northern Spain. Three hours west of Oviedo, A Coruña, Galicia’s biggest city, is waiting for you.
With 250,000 residents, A Coruña is a fairly big city, and it’s a great place to go if you want to chill out and are interested in cities with a young, lively atmosphere and a distinctly maritime feel. Sitting right on the Atlantic Ocean, a strong sea breeze permeates every inch of this city, and no matter where you are here, you’ll have the feeling of being on the sea.
In line with that, it shouldn’t really come as much of a surprise that A Coruña is home to the longest seafront promenade in Europe: a seaside walkway stretches out along the Atlantic Ocean for an incredible 13 kilometers.
The history of this city is quite interesting, and it is also heavily influenced by that same sea breeze that I just mentioned: Galicia, and A Coruña are a region/city with a strong maritime past, and this is a true fisherman’s town. You’ll be able to tell.
A Coruña also holds the last working Roman lighthouse in the world: the Torre de Hércules. The myth behind the lighthouse claims that as the Celts began to populate Galicia after traveling here from Central Europe, the son of the king Breogán climbed up a tower right where the Torre de Hércules is, and that he discovered Ireland from there. Allegedly, it’s that sighting of Irish soil that led the Celts to go to Ireland.
Now, unlike the Celts, I suggest that you don’t go to Ireland, and instead spend at least one night in A Coruña. Walk to the street of La Barrera to picar algo - have something to eat - and drink the best beer in the Peninsula: Estrella Galicia. You can try the famous and traditional Galician cuisine in the Mesón O Tarabelo. Always, always, eat seafood when in Galicia.
After dinner, revel away the evening and lost in the Atlantic night in the neighborhood of Orillamar. That Atlantic breeze will stay with you forever.
9. Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela’s majestic cathedral. Photo: stephenD, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
As you can imagine by now, Galicia is a magical place, full of stories that make you want to keep coming back. But there is one story in particular that brings millions of people here, specifically to Santiago de Compostela, the capital of the region: that’s the Camino de Santiago (the Way of Saint James).
Centuries ago, right where Santiago de Compostela now sits, someone discovered what was allegedly the tomb of the Apostle Saint James. From that point on, this town became an important pilgrimage site for christians throughout Europe, and it’s now visited by millions of pilgrims every year from all over the world.
With only 100,000 residents, Santiago is fairly small, especially to host so many visitors, but its old town is a precious treasure. Even today, it strongly reflects the city’s medieval origins, and as you wander through it you’ll be charmed by the narrow alleyways, medieval churches and universities, and what is probably the most important cathedral in all of Spain: the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. This towering structure is an architectural masterpiece, and it will genuinely leave you in awe.
Contrary to what you might expect from such an important religious destination, this city also boast an incredibly vibrant nightlife. Don’t forget: this is the prime university town in Northern Spain, and the students here party as hard as anywhere.
In my opinion, Santiago only has one serious problem: it can become entirely overrun by pilgrims, especially during the summer. As with any place that sees huge numbers of tourists, the local economy has shifted to cater to them. Unfortunately, that means that tourist traps also abound.
So, if you want to eat well, my suggestion is always to walk away from the old town until you reach a more local area. For a fantastic meal, head to O Mesón do Pulpo and feast on one of the standout Galician dishes: octopus.
10. Rías Baixas
A secluded cove in the Rías Baixas
Now, there’s no better way to end your trip than by spending a few days relaxing in the magnificent Caribbean-like area of Rías Baixas, which is a series of estuarine inlets located on the southwestern coast of Galicia.
There is nothing quite like cruising down the coastline of the Rías Baixas, visiting fishing towns, swimming in secluded coves, drinking the area’s fantastic white wine, and eating the best seafood in the world.
And, if you’re still looking for a bit of adventure, no problem - the Rías Baixas has something for you. Grab your camping tent, book a sea trip to the Ons Islands, or the Cies Islands - both located between 5 and 15 kilometers off the Galician coastline -, and spend a few nights in these exceptional islands, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. Camping on the islands will give you the true feeling for what this maritime region is all about.
Starry skies, an ocean breeze, and wild nature… can you imagine a better way to finish off this trip?
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