Basque cuisine has been in the spotlight for many years for its Michelin-star success being home to

Everybody from international chefs to the humble pilgrims on the Camino comfort inn washington dc de Santiago  is raving about the North of Spain. But with so much on offer what's the best way to see this precious part of Spain in 2013? We´re based in Northern Spain and we've been planning trips here since 2000 so we know how to navigate Espana Verde – or Green Spain, extremely well. Here are a few ideas of what to see:
If you are looking for beaches, you'll find it hard to shortlist from the 2,000km of coastline.  Massive stretches of safe, soft white sandy shores abound here.  Do you want urban beaches such as Sardinero in Santander or the Concha in San Sebastian? Or how about a hidden cove such as Oyambre. Or perhaps a beach by a fishing port such as Llanes or San Vicente de Barquera where you can have grilled sardines after a long swim.
You must not miss the chance to travel comfort inn washington dc to the stunning Picos de Europa mountain range – a national park popular for hiking, walking, bird-watching and water adventure sports. The views are jaw-droppingly beautiful. And there are many organised walks and activities to take part in. Not a walker? No problem take the cable car at Fuente De and you ll have a birds-eye view without having to put on any hiking gear. And don´t miss charming Potes town on the way.
When it comes to modern manmade pleasures in Northern Spain, you cannot beat the titanium wonder that is the Guggenheim Museum. And we love the walk from there to the Casco Viejo or old city along the riverbank by the Calatrava-designed pedestrian bridge. We highly recommend visiting some of the older traditional towns and villages in Green Spain – for example the UNESCO-listed Santillana del Mar – a VIII century town loved for its Colegiata church, Parador and old-world charm. Closeby Santillana are the Altamira Caves and the Cabarceno Wildlife Park. And did you know that one of the few buildings by Antoni Gaudi outside of his native Catalonia, El Capricho, can be found in picturesque Comillas?
Basque cuisine comfort inn washington dc has been in the spotlight for many years for its Michelin-star success being home to 3 of the 5 top-rated restaurants in the country comfort inn washington dc and also its tapas or pintxos as they are called locally. We are delighted to suggest Michelin star restaurants, tapas bars and kitchens comfort inn washington dc aplenty where the slow-food ethos is unknowingly championed across Green Spain. In the larger towns and cities such as Santiago, Oviedo, Santander, Bilbao and San Sebastian we can arrange guided tapas tours at lunchtime or in the evening. Throughout the area, we can also suggest trips to artisan food-producers and give tips on local delicacies you should try at each stop.
If you like vineyards, you ll love visiting the many wine producers in regions such as Galicia and the Basque Country. We love Rias Baixas and Txakoli regional varieties known as denominaciones de origin and think you will too. Of course, everywhere you go you ll also find local distilleries making Orujo in Cantabria and natural cider brewing in Asturias.
Access to this area by ferry is into Santander from Plymouth and Portsmouth (UK) and into Bilbao from Portsmouth (UK) with Brittany Ferries. By plane you can land in A Coruña, Santiago, Asturias, Santander and Bilbao comfort inn washington dc airports.  Also Biarritz airport in France.  By rail, you can arrive at Hendaye/Hendaya on the French/Spanish border and swap onto the Euskaltren to San Sebastian.
Northern Spain is perfect for a self-drive holiday. There is a good network of motorways to get from place to place quickly yet you can easily meander by secondary roads as well. Although a number of connections are serviced by bus routes, we do not recommend it as an efficient way to get about. There is a newly renovated luxury train route along the northern coast  the El Transcantabrico although at approx. 2,000EUR per person sharing – it's not for everybody. At a first glance it seems expensive but it does include bed and board for seven days plus access to a fulltime guide and bus-shuttle services to and from the train stations en-route to local points of interest such as the Altamira caves.
We have worked with self-catering providers in a rural hideaways as well as family-run posadas and the highly acclaimed historical paradores. We ll find the best match for your particular needs – whether that's a room with a view, a hotel that can cater for any special dietary requirements – or a place that will prepare a picnic for you to take out for the day.
Tweet April 22nd, 2013 | Tags: Asturias comfort inn washington dc , Basque Country , Cantabria , Espana Verde , Galicia , Green Spain , north spain , northern spain | Category: Asturias , Basque Country , Cantabria , Galicia , Getting Around