North Spain Recomendations?

[warp9]

Hi. We're catching the ferry to Santander, mooching around north Spain for a few weeks and travelling back from Bilbau at the end of Sept, beginning Oct. Any suggestions on things to see, do or eat?

[rsv gone!]

We had a great time in Northern Spain over Easter. Some pointers and routes in our thread.

http://pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&amp...

[prand]

Norther Spain was my favourite holiday ever.

Hired a car from Bilbao and we headed off to San Sebastian for a loger than expected weekend:

Brilliant town which to me was a combination, two great beaches (one for swimming and one for surfing) and a lively town. We stayed in a hostel type place in the old town and went up and down the streets with unbelievable tapas bars, drinking cider and red wine sampling delicious intricate plates of pinxtos. Great times...

Then went to Logrono (we drove out into the Rioja region via Pamplona no bulls this time tho), we visited a few vineyards, but again in the evening we hit the "Zona Pixtos" for more drinking and eating -

Then for my birthday we went to a trip round and lunch at the Frank Gehry designed Marquis De Riscal winery. and then stayed the night at Laguardia - which is on a hill in the middle of the valley, surrounded by vines. Stunning location and more great wine and food!

We then took another day trip to Haro, picked up some Muga, and another great lunch in the town and drove up to the coast again to Castro to meet some friends. This place was a bit more off th ebeaten track but still had some great seafood and tapas, wine and cider places. We investigated a few of the places along the coast which all had great beaches and good surfing (didn't try this but it all looked good).

I can't wait to get back to San Sebastian - trying to work out when BIarritz play Wasps in the Heineken Cup, which would be a great trip.

[s2ooz]

Logrono, head into the centre for a tapas crawl.

[Kneetrembler]

The very best Tapas & Pinchos in the whole of Spain are 1 hrs drive from Bilbao in San Sebastian in the Casco Viejo, get in there about 7.30pm most nights, make sure that you take a camera with you it is a spectacular City as well.

With the time that you have you can have a decent hoon along to Galicia La Coruna for some more fantastic Tapas, probably some of the best scenery & roads in Spain,I lived and worked there for over 5 years.
Some more great driving roads are in the Picos de Europa a short drive for you would be up to Covadonga and see one of the Black Virgins and stay in one of the Paradors which cover most of Spain.