Going to be traveling from June 30-July 7 after landing in Madrid and it will be with my 3 sons, who are 20, 22 and 24. We will have already spent a week in Andalusia, so we were thinking about Northern Spain, but we are open to suggestions. We will have our own car the whole time. We generally like staying in an Airbnb for 2-3 days at a time and doing day trips from there. We all love hiking and outdoor activities, and my kids are usually not keen on touring museums. Any suggestions?
Posted by
Paris
6898 posts
This is a great time of the year for the north coast - right before the high season which typically starts on 16th July.
Llanes, for example, would be a lovely base to explore the Picos de Europa mountains as well as the coast of Asturias and nearby Cantabria.
Driving all the way there after landing is not a viable option: you could stop in Segovia for the first night - I think that's about the limit for a safe drive after a long overnight flight.
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
6541 posts
With their ages, I’d ask them what they’d like to visit. When I lived in Spain I was in that age range and I enjoyed the aqueduct and Alcázar in Segovia, the ruins in Mérida, castles, and all of Toledo.
There are plenty of areas with outdoor activities in the Picos de Europa area. One place I thoroughly enjoyed recently was Cañón del Río Lobos Natural Park. There are walking trails there as well as the Knights Templar built Hermitage of San Bartolomé. You must have a car to reach it. In the same area is the trail, Desfiladero de La Yecla.
Posted by
7667 posts
Definately do Segovia, then head to the Basque Region next to France, San Sebastian, Bilbao, Pamplona.
Posted by
Irving
2950 posts
Will you fly out of Madrid too? If, your sons don’t like museums then don’t spend time in Madrid. Instead, from Madrid’s airport drive to San Sebastián (5h 30m) and sleep there for four nights. St-Jean-de-Luz (45m) and Bayonne (1h) in France make good day trips from San Sebastián.
Leave your car in San Sebastián and take an early morning direct train to Barcelona Sants station (6h) and sleep in Barcelona for three nights. Try to reserve train tickets 60 days out to guarantee reservations at a lesser rate. Do not wait until the last minute because these trains sell out.
Posted by
San Francisco, CA (USA)
488 posts
Easy answer, Basque Country.
Carve some time visiting Bilbao and San Sebastian, maybe if you're willing, leave a night open to check out various coastal or, mountain towns. You Tubers Vaga Brothers have explored and do a great job of highlighting Basque Country
Posted by
762 posts
Does anyone in the group surf? Basque country has some renowned surfing destinations. Unfortunately, July is not peak wave season, but it still might be worth looking into. Also, the surf-friendly town of Zumaia will be instantly recognizable to Game of Thrones fans as Dragonstone.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
These are all great suggestions. I will check out the Vaga Brothers videos about the Basque Country. We might wind up doing 3 nights with Bilbao or San Sebastian as a base, and then 3 nights in Llanes for example as a base. None of my kids are surfers, and we will be heading back to Madrid for our return flight on July 7. Thank you to all!