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Northern Spain and the Basque region defy the common perception of what most think of the country. Beautiful rocky coast filled with hundreds of beautiful hidden beaches that dot the northern part of the country. Just a few miles south, I was to find and experience one of the best surprises of my travels through the area. The Picos de Europa National Park rivals any place that I have ever visited in its majesty and natural beauty.
Bilbao
Bilbao
In the heart of the Basque Country, Bilbao has transformed itself from a once bleak industrial city to a vigorous service city that is experiencing an ongoing social, economic, and aesthetic revitalization process, started by the iconic Bilbao Guggenheim Museum.
Bilbao is known for the best Pintxos or Tapas in Spain. A pincho, pintxo, or pinchu is a small snack, typically eaten in bars. The practice of bar surfing, trying numerous forms of pintxos is a way of life for the locals. It seemed like a very civilized thing to do around 3 or 4 pm, considering dinner isn't until 9!
Some of the best Tapas or Pintxos in Spain. Yes, it is also customary to throw your napkins on the floor!
In 1991, the Basque government suggested to the Guggenheim Foundation that it would fund a Guggenheim museum to be built in Bilbao's decrepit port area, once the city's main source of income. It was opened to the public in 1997, and it was immediately hailed as one of the world's most spectacular buildings.
The museum was opened as part of a revitalization effort for the city of Bilbao. The building has paid for itself and the taxes used to build it many times over and the impact on the city has been enormous.
The La Salve Bridge
This mural is painted on the north side green concrete wall supporting the bridge. Located just under the bridge this street runs along the river running through Bilbao. The Guggenheim Museum is directly across the bridge on the south side.
Although it is known as La Salve Bridge, its official name is the ‘Prince and Princess of Spain Bridge’. It is made of green concrete and was the first bridge in Spain to be built with a cable-stayed system and one of the few with a steel deck. It was built in the early 1970s to connect the heart of the city with the suburbs, and now it also links up with the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.
Llanes
Llanes
Just a short and beautiful drive west of Bilbao, along the northern coast of Spain, is the small town of Llanes, located in the province of Asturias. It has become one of my favorite places.
At the northern part of Llanes runs the Paseo San Pedro, a grassy clifftop promenade path that runs along the ocean. It is one of the most tranquil places on Earth.
Sitting in this field, you are surrounded on one side by the mountains, and then as you turn to face the cliffside you overlook the vast blue sea.
Llanes is known for its rugged coastline, framed by the long limestone Sierra del Cuera ridge. Llanes is a traditional fishing port, with an active harbor.
The region is part of the Costa Verde (Green Coast) of Spain, which is known for its spectacular coastal scenery
The municipality of Llanes lies on a beautiful bluff overlooking the Bay of Biscay and the Atlantic ocean to its north and the Picos de Europa mountains to its south.
A port town, Llanes is home to a medieval castle , the Gothic Santa María del Conceyu church and the modern Llanes Casino.
Parts of the surviving town walls date to 1206 with the medieval Tower of Llanes remaining.
Llanes has traditional shops and restaurants, both in and around the town, and the zona de copas is lively at night in summer.
Llanes is a small town that is easy to walk in and has a great old center with lots to do. Walk the coastal path and then enjoy the traditional foods and cider in town later. Rumor has it that this place gets very busy with Spanish tourists during the summer months, though!
Celorio
Celorio
Just a few miles drive west you will come across several unique, rugged, and beautiful beaches.
The beach near Celorio can be confusing as the high tide splits this cove into 2 beaches.
The beach to the west is called Palombina Beach (the area in the middle also has a name, it’s called La Fuentona but it’s not considered a beach), and the one to the east, right below the walls of the monastery is Las Cámaras beach.
Just above the beach at Las Cámaras are the walls of the 13th-century monastery, San Salvador of Celorio.
The Camino de Santiago runs through this area. It is known in English as the Way of Saint James, among other names, and is a network of pilgrims' paths leading to its final destination in northwestern Spain. Many follow its routes as a form of spiritual path or retreat for their spiritual growth. It's also popular with hiking and cycling enthusiasts and organized tour groups. I saw many pilgrims hiking along the way as I played on the beach.
Playa de Poo
Playa de Poo
Just a mile east of Celorio is Poo Beach.
Poo Beach is a long, narrow inlet accessible from the village of Poo (you can read it as Po). The mouth of the bay is protected by an island that takes the battering from the waves of the Bay of Biscay. The waters on Poo Beach are very gentle compared to other beaches on the north coast of Spain.
A small, triangular beach, Poo almost disappears with high tide but low tide uncovers a huge sandy surface. The sandy beach surface can extend very close to the island of Almenada.
Poo Beach
Picos de Europa
Picos de Europa
Just a short distance through a beautiful winding road south of Llanes, you will enter one of the best surprises Spain has to offer. Picos de Europa, a Spanish national park, is a magnificent natural wilderness just 15 miles from the coast. It is full of high peaks, deep ravines, and canyons. You can find incredible fishing for river salmon as well as year-round snowfields on top of the more than 8000 ft high mountains. Bears, wolves, and many other species of wild animals are often seen here.
Fishermen find this river running through the park one of the best places to find large river salmon.
I was amazed to see their large fishing poles and reels. They looked more like deep-sea fishing rigs but I guess the wild salmon in this river must have been some tough fighters!
I have been fortunate in most of my travels to meet some great people who have shown extraordinary kindness to me. This proved to be the case in Spain and particularly in the Picos de Europa.
Wandering off a remote path I came across these three fellows who initially wondered who I was and how I had found this place.
I was as curious about them as they were about me and after some attempts at Spanish and English, I found out that they were simply fishing for salmon in their very special and very hidden fishing spot.
Not long after our meeting they stopped fishing and decided to take a break. It didn't take long for them to break out the homemade cheese, bread, and sausage and an invitation to join them for a snack. As they cut pieces of the sausage and cheese, and tore off pieces of fresh baguette they invited me to join in their feast. Of course with each meal goes some wine and as traditional Spanish wine is consumed by drinking it from a goatskin bladder they soon offered me some. They demonstrated how it was done and it looked pretty easy.
Well, it wasn't as easy as it looked! After a few attempts, I finally was able to take a decent drink of this homemade wine without getting it all over my face and jacket.
A great time with some very kind Spaniards and their great "peasant" foods.
Espinama is a small village of about 150 inhabitants. It has several small family-run hotels and restaurants serving some of the best local "farmers" meals. Other than the hotels and restaurants there isn't much here except the great hospitality and views of the majestic mountains!
Espinama is a great place to start your trek in the Picos. Just 3 miles to the end of the paved road to the mountain peaks you will find adventure here for sure! Just a few minutes south of Potes, where the tourists stay it felt like I was centuries away.
This charming little village was a real treat. It served perfectly as an oasis from the tourist traps in the Picos and the home feel of the place made it a great choice for a stay in the area. Only 20 minutes from Potes and 5 from Fuente de it was a wonderful find.
A few family-run restaurants, local foods, and some very nice places to stay. The only traffic light within a 20-minute drive was on this hill. Still don't understand why it was there.
Once inside the park you are hard pressed to find many signs of civilization. Only a few small villages exist and visiting one of them is a wonderful experience.
Small hotels with restaurants serving traditional "farmer" meals a culinary delight that I will not soon forget. Meals of homemade beans and ham soups, pork tenderloins, fresh vegetables, home made bread, and local home made cider and wine were common.
The small road from Espinama to Fuente de is an idyllic and picturesque experience. There aren't many people and the views are outstanding. This photo was taken from the peak of Fuente de looking down at Espinama which is located to the bottom left of the photo.
Espinama only has two roads and the other one, the Espinama-Sotres, also known as Ruta de la Reconquista, is a very exciting drive trough the heart of Picos de Europa National Park.
Ruta de la Reconquista is only 8.5 miles long and usually impassable from November to May (sometimes snowed up until mid-June). Avoid driving in this area if unpaved mountain roads aren't your strong point. After heavy rains, the road can be impassable due to several low bridges that can be washed away. Rain is a fact of life here, and sudden dramatic changes in the weather are common. Stay away if you're scared of heights. Expect a pretty steep ride. Many sections have an 8 to 10% grade, and there are many big, loose rocks around. It is known as one of the most dangerous drives in the world!
Near the village of Espinama, you can find a cable car at Fuente de that will transport you to the top of the mountain. The ride is less than 4 minutes and you eventually reach the end at an elevation of over 6000 ft. A ticket gets you a round trip back down or you can choose to hike back to Espinama if you are so inclined.
Once at the top you immediately feel the change in weather. Starting in a field below it was a beautiful spring morning, once on top I was back on a beautiful, but cold winter day!
As you leave the cable car you can find restrooms, a small exhibit about the area, and a pretty good mountainside restaurant.
At this point, you can continue to climb and explore the snow-capped peaks of the area. You may run into hikers, skiers, or even people with mountain bikes along the way. The highest peak here is over 8000 ft! If you look closely you may see a few mountain climbers and wild chamois climbing the rocky cliffs too.
A few miles from where the cable car ends is an upscale hotel where the only way to reach it is to either walk or ride a horse!
One symbol of the national park is the "rebeco", or chamois, a small antelope-goat-like animal that is almost always seen when venturing into these high altitudes. They are graceful and agile, putting even the best mountaineer to shame. Somehow, they find enough to eat in the high mountain landscape, moving down to lower altitudes over winter. I was fortunate to see several of these beautiful animals climbing the rocky peaks as well as foraging for food in the numerous snowfields on the mountains.
There isn't a bad view up here. Each direction you wander you find something more incredible. The red moss on the rock in the photo on the left looked like blood until I got close enough to see and touch, just some colorful lichen.
The nearby Atlantic Ocean plays a major role in the weather here. Being so close to the winds off the ocean often bring fog and winds that can quickly change the conditions on the mountain.
Once off the cable car, you can explore in many directions. The peak is over 8000 feet!
The Picos de Europa served as a location for several "Game of Thrones" episodes.
The Picos de Europa National Park is definitely a place to explore. What I enjoyed most was the ability to get high up on the mountain with ease and still have the opportunity to continue to explore at my choosing the many options available on the mountain. During the summer months several outfitters provide numerous options for exploring the area, including biking, hiking paragliding and rafting.
I will be back!
Returning to the base of the mountain to Fuente de you may come across this shepherd, his flock of sheep and his trusty dog. Just be quiet!
Burgos
Burgos
Cathedral of Burgos (Santa Iglesia Catedral Basílica Metropolitana de Santa María de Burgos.)
At the center of the city and the most prominent building in the city is the magnificent Cathedral of Burgos.
Construction on the Cathedral began in 1221 and was completed in 1567. It is an example of the evolution of the Gothic style, with the entire history of Gothic art exhibited in its superb architecture and unique collection of art, including paintings, choir stalls, reredos, tombs, and stained-glass windows.
After a hiatus of nearly 200 years, work resumed on the Burgos Cathedral towards the middle of the 15th century and continued for more than 100 years. The work done during this time consisted of embellishments of great splendor, assuring the Cathedral’s continued world-renowned status.
Renaissance and Baroque elements as well. The construction and renovations were made with limestone extracted from the quarries of a nearby town.
Chapel & tomb of Saint Nicholas.
Burgos has many historic landmarks, of particular importance; the Cathedral of Burgos (declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984), the Las Huelgas Reales Monastery, and the Miraflores Charterhouse. A large number of churches, palaces, and other buildings from the medieval age remain.
Pamplona
Pamplona
The "new" Gayarre Theater dates back to 1932 and is located just off the main plaza in Pamplona. The origin of the theater dates back to 1841, built as a Principal Theater in the Plaza. This theater replaced the old Patio and Casa de Comedias, located on the street of the same name since 1608. It was know as The Teatro Principal until 1903, when it changed its name in honor of the roconcales tenor Julian Gayarre.
I was fortunate to see a show that depicted the history of the Basque people while I was there. Although performed in Spanish and Basque I was able to understand and enjoyed the performance.
The Monumento al Encierro (Bull Run Monument) is a full-scale bronze sculpture designed by Bilbao sculptor Rafael Huerta that pays tribute to Pamplona’s famous running of the bulls.
Local residents take great pride in this significant symbol of Pamplona and the San Fermin festival running of the bulls.
The iconic monument is made of cast bronze and measures 13 feet wide and 36 feet long. Monumento al Encierro captures the wild energy and excitement of the daring bull runs that take over the entire city each July during the San Fermin Fiesta
Plaza de Toros de Pamplona is a bullring in Pamplona, Spain. It is still currently used for bullfighting. Built in 1922, the stadium holds 19,720 people. It is the endpoint of the famous "Running of the Bulls" during the festival of San Fermin.
St. Nicolas Street is one of the hot spots in Pamplona, sporting numerous restaurants and clubs. I was fortunate to have my Airbnb here and was in the middle of all the festivities.
Pamplona is the capital of Navarre province in northern Spain. It’s best known for the Running of the Bulls (Feast of San Fermín) in July. During this legendary multi-day festival, bulls are led through the city streets by daredevil runners.
A major stop along the Camino de Santiago, a medieval-era pilgrimage route, Pamplona is also home to Gothic-style churches, including fortress-like San Nicolás.
The people here seem to be free-wheeling and like to dance and party in the streets and plazas as witnessed by me several times during my visit. Very much in the Basque Country, the city has a vibrant feel and is very much fun to visit.
Running with the stuffed Bulls!
Town Hall in Pamplona
In the Basque country, you feel a sense of local pride and independence. The Basque people of this region practice their customs and speak their unique language. Most signs are in both Spanish and Basque.
A short slideshow of travels through northern Spain, including the Basque region.
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