Hi !
What would you do/see with those requirements:
1) Arrival/Departure in Porto (less exepensive flights and car rental) Whithout the need to go around Portugul which we have seen for 2 weeks 6 years ago
2) 2 Adults and 2 teens
3) Not 3 weeks of intense heat (we can mange it for 4-5 days)
4) We are foodies, craft beer lovers, history fans. Beach ? Meh.
Thanks !
There are lots of nice towns; Baiona, Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Puebla de Sanabria, Ponferrada. To see, Castro de Santa Trega, Muxia (by the water), and As Catedrais beach. There are plenty of old churches and monasteries.
The list could go on and on depending on how far east you want to go.
Thanks about those ideas. We can go as much east as the time we got leaves us to do it !
Since it would be the first three weeks of july I guess we are too late for decent lodging.
We enjoy staying at Paradors, a government run hotel chain. Many are in historic buildings and located in smaller cities and towns.
I'd add Pontevedra, A Coruna and Betanzos as possibilities in Galicia. The smaller towns of Cambados and Combarra are worth a quick look, and Tui just north of the Spanish border.
Farther east there's Leon (though it's far enough inland I guess it could be pretty hot). Oviedo is a rather quiet city with several very old churches. Then there's the beautiful Picos de Europa area. Burgos is another good stop, but it's also an inland destination, so likely not to be cool as the coastal regions. You might even make it as far as the Basque Country since your car will be an efficient way to move around.
Pick up a book or two that covers the are comprehensively to get an idea of all the options.
I didn't have massive problems finding lodging in that part of Spain during my 2016 trip even though I didn't book rooms very far ahead. San Sebastian is very popular and could be the most expensive destination. Santiago de Compostela might be the second most expensive. It's where the pilgrims end their hikes, so there's a lot of demand there.
Since it would be the first three weeks of july I guess we are too late for decent lodging.
You're not too late, NW Spain is dominated by domestic tourism (except pilgrims) and high season only starts around 16 July (Día de la Virgen).
3 weeks could take you as far east as Picos de Europa, I think. Adding Basque Country would make the trip faster than I like, but is not impossible either.
To be more specific, July 16th is the day of the Virgen del Carmen, matron saint of the fishermen, a very popular festivity in coastal towns in Spain. The catholic world in Spain offers a huge variety of different Virgin Marys, probably about over 1000 thousand different names, looks, clothes and cults...even if we are not very religious any more, we love our traditions!
Seconding the recommendation for Oviedo, which has some lovely architecture and is a great base for excursions into the mountains or out to the beach villages. If you're headed that way you should also check out Cudillero, a town built around an inlet with gorgeous buildings and excellent seafood.
When you're in Asturias definitely try the sidra! (Locally made hard cider, traditionally poured from a great height into a glass.)
I would train from Porto to Donostia along the coast.
You will need to dig to find the rail routes.
