Looking at 24 day trip after landing in Barcelona. We are thinking of round trip into Portugal and then back to Barcelona to fly home. We like to have a car to explore off of the beaten track, do some hiking, and stop if we see something interesting. Any suggestions on route? We like history and outdoor activity like hike and cycling. Beaches are not needed, however we like the scenic drives along the sea. Nightlife not important as we usually tire ourselves out during the day.
Thanks
Posted by
Washington DC
28100 posts
Time of year?
Posted by
OP
24 posts
April into May or just May
Posted by
Miami
338 posts
The drive from San Sebastian to Santiago de Compostela is very scenic. On the way you can spend a few hours in Santillana del Mar (medieval town) and maybe a night or two in Oviedo. San Sebastian and Santiago de Compostela are also worth a couple of nights each.
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
7162 posts
That’s a nice amount of time. I could spend it all in one region and never make it over to Portugal or even Burgos, so you will need to make some decisions. How fast you want to get from point A to B will determine which route to take. Also, even in late May it can be in the 30s in the mountainous areas. When we travel we generally try to visit no more than a couple sites per day and no more than three hours driving.
In Catalunya itself, Vic, Rupit, Besalú, Castellfollit de la Roca, Núria are all worth seeing. Moving west, a couple main sites are Monasterio Nuevo de San Juan de la Peña and Loarre Castle. Javier castle and the nearby Monastery de Leyre are worth visiting. For walks in that area, there’s Foz de Lumbier. There are a number of small towns in the Olite area worth stopping in; Artajona, Estella, and Puente la Reina are examples.
It would take a while to list all the sites worthy of visiting, so I’ll just mention a few; Mogarraz, La Alberca, Lugo, Picos de Europa and Covadonga, Cañón del Río Lobos Natural Park, Burgo de Osma, Laguardia, San Vicente de la Sonsierra, Puebla de Sanabria, As Catedrais beach, etc.
Good luck deciding.