Back on the road for yet another awesome road trip to Spain: Pueblo de Sanabria (Zamora), Burgos (Castille y Leon), Santillana del Mar & San Vicente de La Barquera (Cantabria) and Parque Nacional de los Picos de Europa, Cudillero, Avilés, Gijón and Oviedo (The Asturias)
Well, here we go, after exactly two years of On and Off lockdown (more on than off, to be honest), we’re really itching to hit the road again. Before the pandemic started, we used to go to a new region of Spain every year on a road trip to celebrate our wedding anniversary. So, it’s time to go back to our tradition, before winter sets in as we have no idea which direction things will be heading within the EU. We leave home, in Verride (Montemor-o-Velho, Coimbra, Portugal), very early in the morning and in 3 hours we reach the gorgeous town of Pueblo de Sanabria (Zamora). This town has been on my list for a long time and it doesn’t disappoint. Cobblestone lanes, castle, fort, churches and a lovely view from the top. We drive for 3 more hours and then reach the incredibly beautiful and very livable city of Burgos (Castille y Leon) with its amazing cathedral. We arrive at the Cuentame Hotel during a football match, so, the bar downstairs is packed with people watching the game and rooting for their club. It’s initially quite scary to go in as we haven’t been around that many people in over two years but we need to check in and get the key to our room. The room is basic but nice and the location is perfect, walking distance to the historical centre. We leave the bags in the room, wash our hands, of course, and make our way into town. We walk along the incredibly beautiful Parque del Castillo, an amazing inner city green area that follows the river and includes many lookouts and ruins of the castle. Burgos is rich in ancient churches and convents, the Gothic Cathedral, built in 1221, being the highlight. After the amazing cathedral, we visit the castle and check out the amazing lookouts spread around the Parque and the historical centre. After watching a gorgeous sunset, we walk back to the hotel as we have to hit the road very early again tomorrow.
Next stop is the gorgeous town of Santillana del Mar, one of the most important historical areas of Cantabria. Situated on the northern route of the Pilgrim's Road to Santiago de Compostela, Santillana del Mar is a beautiful medieval town with amazing churches, defence towers and Renaissance palaces. It was surprisingly busy with tourists considering it’s autumn, but we completely understand why, definitely a place to add to your list. Then we make our way to the quaint seaside town of San Vincente de la Barquera, also in the Cantabria region. An old fishermen's refuge, San Vicente de la Barquera offers one of the most picturesque sights on the Cantabrian coast, with its beaches, the old village and the exceptional backdrop of the snow-capped mountains of the Picos de Europa. We have one of the best menu del dia (set menu) ever at Bar Pejin. For 12.5 Euros we get wine, bread and olives, an entree (paella & cocido montanes) and main (secretos de porco with hot chips for us both) and coffee, all while enjoying some people watching in the autumn sunshine.
We then start making our way to the Picos de Europe National Park. On the way there, there’s an older lady hitchhiking to a village near our hotel and we said, why not? She asks so many questions and once she realises we don’t have children, she says we’re rich and starts asking us for money in a very pushy, almost aggressive way. We say that if she doesn’t stop we are going to drop her off along the way, then she calms down a bit and we end up dropping her off at her village, shake it off and keep going. Spread across the provinces of Asturias, Cantabria and León, the Picos de Europa National Park is packed with oak and beech groves and impressive rock formations. Incredible hiking trails and beautiful lakes and river make for an unforgettable experience. We only have two days but we make the most of it by trying the local cider and visiting the lovely towns of Arena de Cabrales, Covadonga, Poncebos & Cangas de Onis. We stay at the gorgeous and picturesque Hotel Poncebos, which we highly recommend, though it can be a bit noisy at night.
Next stop, getting to see a bit of the Asturias. We start the day at the most gorgeous seaside town of Cudillero. Cudillero is a small, picturesque fishing port which sits on the side of a mountain. The hanging houses with bright-coloured windows around the port are outstanding. It’s also known as the Spanish Cinque Terre but it’s gorgeous in its own right and definitely worth a visit. Wish we could stay a bit longer. The fisherman's taverns, which are located in a narrow cobbled square next to the sea, are not to be missed. We then make our way to Avilés. Known for it’s architecture and religious buildings, mostly scattered around the gorgeous Plaza de Espana, this city has a lot to offer. After a lovely walk, sightseeing in the sunshine, we make our way to the amazing Sidreria Tierra Astur, where we have the best menu del dia (set menu) ever, yes, I said it, ever. Our appetisers are deep fried mushrooms with aioli, followed by an incredible fabada asturiana (white bean stew with clams) and the main is spare ribs with chips, the meal also includes our wine and a choice of coffee or dessert, all for 10 Euros plus 10% to sit on the esplanade, only in Spain you can get that level of value for money on food. IMHO that alone makes Spanish cuisine, the best in the world.
Next stop is our lovely country accommodation, Hotel y Casona El Carmen, in the very central village of Pelora. The room is lovely and we have fantastic views of the Asturian countryside. We get up and after a nice buffet breakfast, we make our way to another seaside town, the gorgeous and friendly city of Gijón. Gijón offers an attractive combination of maritime tradition, monumental heritage and modern urban planning right on the seashore. The marina is breathtaking and the architecture is unique in this vibrant, university town. It’s really worth the visit and maybe even stay for a couple of days. Oviedo is next, with its amazing medieval historic quarter and many world heritage sites. The coastline of the Costa Verde also makes for some amazing sightseeing.
Next morning we start heading back home. We’re going to miss the toll-free, endless, fantastic Spanish highways. We make our way to Terras do Bouro, Geres, Portugal to catch up with a lovely friend and spent the evening having fabulous wine and great conversation. Next morning, we drive home. Operation 28th wedding anniversary road trip, completed successfully, till our next trip, cheers.
