01
Basque Country
The Journey Begins
Bilbao
Architecture, riverfront character and the gateway to Green Spain.
Atlantic shores. Mountain roads. Storybook villages. Discover a cooler, greener and wonderfully unexpected side of Spain — from the Basque Country to Galicia.
Leave the familiar Spain behind. Across the country's spectacular northern edge, dramatic coastlines meet emerald mountains, centuries-old villages, elegant cities and some of Europe's most rewarding road journeys.
01
Basque Country
Architecture, riverfront character and the gateway to Green Spain.
02
Basque Country
La Concha Bay, elegant streets and unmistakable Basque character.
03
Cantabria
A graceful seaside city of beaches, promenades and Atlantic scenery.
04
Mountains
Towering peaks, valleys and unforgettable mountain roads.
05
Asturias
Colourful houses tumble down towards a tiny fishing harbour.
06
Galicia
Historic lanes and monumental architecture at journey's end.
Northern Spain reveals itself in everything discovered between one destination and the next.
Contemporary architecture meets historic streets, dramatic Atlantic landscapes and one of Europe's most elegant coastal cities.
Begin in Bilbao, where striking contemporary architecture transformed an old industrial city. Then leave the city behind for the rugged Biscay coast, traditional maritime towns and San Juan de Gaztelugatxe before continuing towards San Sebastián and La Concha Bay.
Discover the unmistakable Guggenheim Museum, walk beside the Nervión River and explore the historic streets of Casco Viejo.
One of the most dramatic coastal landscapes along the Bay of Biscay.
Colourful houses and fortified streets beside the sea.
Harbour life and old streets beside the Atlantic.
Set around the graceful curve of La Concha Bay, San Sebastián combines an elegant waterfront, historic quarters, beaches and superb viewpoints overlooking the Atlantic.
Follow the Atlantic between Bilbao and San Sebastián.
Discover the Guggenheim and regenerated riverfront.
Experience one of the north's most memorable coastal landscapes.
Local markets, cafés and traditional small-plate dining.
Walk the waterfront as the day ends over the Atlantic.
Explore the journey from the Basque Country through Cantabria and Asturias to Galicia. Zoom into the map, move along the coast and select each stop to discover where the journey leads next.
Bilbao and San Sebastián begin the Atlantic journey.
Santander leads towards the Picos de Europa.
Mountains, historic towns and the Green Coast.
Finish among Santiago's historic streets and Atlantic landscapes.
Cantabria compresses an extraordinary amount of Spain into one small region — an elegant Atlantic capital, beaches and medieval villages, prehistoric heritage, family adventures and mountains rising dramatically beyond the coast.
Start beside Santander's beautiful bay and continue inland to Cabárceno. Step back through centuries in Santillana del Mar, discover an unexpected work of Gaudí in Comillas, then watch the landscape rise towards Fuente Dé and the immense limestone peaks of the Picos de Europa.
Santander wraps itself around one of northern Spain's most attractive bays. Its character is less about rushing between monuments and more about waterfront promenades, beaches, gardens and the elegant Magdalena Peninsula.
Cabárceno Nature Park spreads through a dramatic former mining landscape where animals from around the world occupy vast open spaces. For families, it gives Northern Spain something completely different — wildlife, scenery, viewpoints and an experience that can comfortably fill much of the day.
Cabárceno Nature Park
Two towns only a short distance apart reveal completely different chapters of Cantabria's story.
Walk through stone lanes lined with historic houses, towers and the Collegiate Church of Santa Juliana. Just outside town lies the celebrated Altamira prehistoric heritage site and museum.
+ Altamira Museum & Neocave →
One of Northern Spain's surprises: a beautiful coastal town containing El Capricho, an extraordinary early work by Antoni Gaudí, alongside historic mansions and sea views.
Cantabria's Atlantic scenery slowly gives way to deep valleys and limestone mountains as the journey enters the Picos de Europa.
At Fuente Dé, a cable car climbs into the immense limestone scenery of the Picos de Europa. From here the experience becomes all about mountain panoramas, walking trails, fresh air and the sensation of being far removed from Spain's familiar city breaks.
Promenades, beaches and the Magdalena Peninsula.
Wildlife and scenery in a huge open natural environment.
Explore medieval Santillana and nearby Altamira.
Encounter El Capricho in the coastal town of Comillas.
Ride Fuente Dé and experience Cantabria from above.
Covadonga's mountain lakes, Cangas de Onís, dramatic coastlines, colourful Cudillero, Ribadesella and the elegant city of Oviedo.
Asturias is where Green Spain feels almost cinematic — glacial lakes surrounded by mountains, rivers made for adventure, fishing villages clinging to the coastline and historic cities hidden between the sea and the peaks.
Roads curve between mountains and valleys before suddenly revealing the Atlantic. Spend the morning beside high-altitude lakes, the afternoon exploring a historic town and another day kayaking a river or walking through a colourful fishing village. Asturias rewards travellers who slow down.
Enol and Ercina sit high among the peaks, surrounded by green meadows and immense limestone landscapes. This is one of the defining images of Asturias.
A natural base for eastern Asturias, known for its iconic stone bridge and easy access to Covadonga and the Picos.
During busy periods, access to the Covadonga Lakes by private vehicle can be restricted and shuttle buses or authorised transport are used. We should therefore design this day in advance rather than treat it as a spontaneous driving stop.
View on Interactive Map →Asturias gives active travellers a completely different Northern Spain experience, while many activities can also be adapted for families.
Follow an easy scenic route around the high mountain lakes and viewpoints.
Paddle through the beautiful Sella valley towards Ribadesella.
An optional mountain adventure for travellers wanting a more challenging walk.
Travel through valleys, villages and coastal viewpoints at your own pace.
Ribadesella brings several Asturias experiences together in one place — a historic centre, an attractive beach, mountains rising behind the town and the mouth of the Sella River. Nearby, Tito Bustillo adds one of Europe's important prehistoric cave-art sites.
Asturias' coastline is dotted with beaches, cliffs and maritime villages. Few are as instantly recognisable as Cudillero.
Brightly coloured houses climb the hillside around a tiny fishing harbour, creating a natural amphitheatre above the sea. Wander the narrow lanes and climb towards the viewpoints for a completely different perspective over the village.
After mountains and coast, Oviedo provides a refined change of pace. Its pedestrian old centre, cathedral, elegant squares and extraordinary pre-Romanesque monuments reveal the historic heart of Asturias.
Experience the Picos and Covadonga's mountain landscapes.
Add an active river experience suited to couples and families.
Beaches, cliffs and fishing villages line the Atlantic.
One of Northern Spain's most memorable maritime villages.
Finish with architecture, history and a relaxed city evening.
Santiago de Compostela, the wild Atlantic coast, A Coruña, dramatic viewpoints and the deep river landscapes of Ribeira Sacra.
Galicia feels like a world at the edge of Spain — a land of stone cities, green valleys, powerful Atlantic landscapes, fishing villages, river canyons and journeys that have drawn travellers westward for centuries.
Galicia can be experienced in completely different ways within the same journey. Walk beneath the stone arcades of Santiago, stand beside a Roman lighthouse overlooking the Atlantic, drive towards the legendary cliffs of Costa da Morte or leave the coast behind for the deep river landscapes of Ribeira Sacra.
Santiago is far more than the finishing point of the Camino. Its UNESCO-listed historic centre unfolds through granite streets, arcades, secluded squares and monumental architecture centred around the Cathedral and Plaza del Obradoiro. It is a city best discovered slowly, on foot.
For travellers interested in the experience, we can arrange a short scenic section of the Camino before entering Santiago on foot. It adds meaning to the arrival without turning the holiday into a full trekking programme.
A Coruña gives Galicia another character entirely: broad Atlantic views, waterfront promenades, beaches and one extraordinary landmark — the Tower of Hercules. The Roman lighthouse has watched over this coast for almost two millennia and remains in operation today.
West of Santiago and A Coruña lies one of Galicia's most dramatic landscapes — a coast of cliffs, lighthouses, enormous beaches and maritime villages.
Follow the coastline towards Fisterra and Muxía, stopping at isolated viewpoints, fishing villages, beaches and lighthouses facing directly into the Atlantic. This is Galicia at its wildest — and one of the finest scenic road days in Northern Spain.
Deep inside Galicia, the Sil and Miño rivers carve through extraordinary green canyons surrounded by forests, viewpoints and centuries-old monasteries.
Ribeira Sacra is ideal for travellers wanting one final surprise before leaving Northern Spain. Take a boat journey through the Sil Canyon, follow roads towards panoramic viewpoints and discover Romanesque monasteries hidden among forests and steep hillsides.
Walk through historic streets towards Plaza del Obradoiro.
Visit the Tower of Hercules and A Coruña's coastline.
Follow Costa da Morte towards Fisterra and its lighthouses.
Experience Ribeira Sacra from the canyon below.
Consider a historic Parador stay in Santiago or Ribeira Sacra.
The regional journey is complete. Next, we bring everything together through the signature experiences that make Northern Spain worth travelling for.
Northern Spain does not need to be sold as one fixed itinerary. The same landscapes can become a family adventure, a romantic escape, a scenic road journey or a slower premium holiday. Choose the way you would like to travel.
01
Families
Wildlife, beaches, cable cars, mountain lakes and activities that keep different generations interested.
Explore this style →
02
Road Journey
Travel from Bilbao to Galicia at your own pace through coastlines, valleys, villages and mountain roads.
Explore this style →
03
Couples
Elegant coastal cities, waterfront walks, intimate villages and beautiful countryside stays.
Explore this style →
04
Outdoors
Picos de Europa, Covadonga Lakes, hiking routes, river adventures and extraordinary viewpoints.
Explore this style →
05
Atlantic
San Sebastián, Santander, Cudillero and Galicia linked by cliffs, beaches and fishing villages.
Explore this style →
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Premium
Fewer hotel changes, private transfers, premium stays and time to genuinely enjoy each destination.
Explore this style →Build the journey around experiences everyone can enjoy together — wildlife at Cabárceno, beaches, scenic cable cars, gentle lake walks, boat journeys and colourful coastal towns.
For an east-to-west Northern Spain journey, Bilbao is the natural starting point and Santiago de Compostela is the natural finish. This reduces unnecessary driving and helps every travel day move the holiday forward.
The best gateway depends on the international flight, whether Madrid or Barcelona is part of the holiday, and how much time the traveller wants to spend reaching Bilbao.
A logical option for Kuwait travellers who want to begin the Northern Spain experience immediately in the Basque Country.
Ideal when travellers would like to add Madrid before continuing north by a domestic connection or rail journey.
Best when Barcelona is already part of the holiday. Continue to Bilbao by domestic flight and begin the road journey there.
Begin the holiday directly in Northern Spain. Connect through Istanbul and arrive in Bilbao, avoiding the need to travel north from Madrid or Barcelona before the road journey even begins.
Once the journey reaches Galicia, returning hundreds of kilometres east simply to catch the return flight wastes both time and energy. Instead, finish around Santiago de Compostela and connect onward through Madrid or Barcelona for the international journey home.
There is no single arrival plan that suits every traveller. Depending on airline schedules, travel dates, preferred cabin, stopover plans and holiday duration, KAPICO can combine the international flights with the most practical Northern Spain gateway and onward journey.
Next, choose between carefully paced Northern Spain itineraries designed around different holiday lengths.
Northern Spain can be enjoyed as a compact introduction or explored as a slower road journey. Choose your preferred duration below and see how KAPICO can shape the route from Bilbao to Galicia.
KAPICO can adjust the number of nights, driving pace, hotel category, sightseeing and experiences according to the traveller's dates, family composition and preferred travel style.
Tell us how you like to travel and KAPICO can transform the route into a Northern Spain journey designed specifically around you.
Tell us when you would like to travel, who is travelling with you and how you want the journey to feel. KAPICO will shape the route, flights, accommodation and experiences into one personalised Northern Spain journey.
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