Advice on driving Santiago de Compostella to San Sebastion route

Some smallish places I liked that might be along your path, working roughly from west to east: Cambados, Combarra, Tui (on the Spanish border), Betanzos (larger but worth more time), Potes in the Picos de Europa area (lovely, scenic drives there) and Zumaia/Getaria/Zarautz (between Bilbao and San Sebastian). I should be able to come up with more later.

A couple of larger places in Galicia that I enjoyed were Pontevedra and A Coruna. And I liked Vitoria-Gasteiz, the non-tourist capital of the interior Basque province of Alava.

Hi!
I am just back from 2 weeks spent between Santiago de Compostela and Oviedo, and I have visited other parts of that coast in previous trips. Here are the coastal places I would recommend, arranged by region from the Portuguese to the French border. Three weeks allows for thorough exploring but you'll still need to make a few choices. Overall I'd allow 6-7 days for coastal Galicia, 7-8 days for Asturias + Cantabria, and 7 days for Euskadi (Basque country).

Galicia

• Baiona: quite charming place, and if you can afford it (there are senior discounts) the Parador is an amazing place to stay.

• Cambados: pleasant harbor town with a surprising number of elegant 16th c. and 17th c. palaces. Good base for the area.
  Nearby "O Grove" península often gets a mention, but I found it overdeveloped 15 years ago already.

• Santiago: I am "not into cathedrals" either, but I find that a visit (even just for a few hours) is still worth it due to the historical and cultural significance of the place and the abundance of beautiful monuments.

• Coast between Muros and Fisterra (Finisterre): very wild, with stunning beaches and some pretty harbors (Muros, Pindo, Fistera), and dramatic views at Cabo Finisterre. Quite off the beaten track, too (except Cabo Finisterre itself).

• Coast between Fisterra and A Coruña: similar vibe, but worse weather 😂. This said, a Parador recently opened near Muxia and looks stunning (haven't been). A Coruña itself is a very pleasant city, though - definitely worth a stop.

• Coast between Ferrol and the Asturian border: I discovered it last week and was slightly disappointed. There are some dramatic vistas (Herbeira cliffs, Playa de las Catedrales at low tide) but even in high season, the towns (Celeira, Viveiro, Ortigueira) were a bit too forlorn to my taste, and definitely have seen better days.

Asturias

• I have not made it there but the area around Taramundi is recommended if you're after somewhere remote in the hills

• The coast between Luarca and Cudillero is simply stunning, Cudillero itself is a very charming base but it is worth exploring the various headlands (Cabo Busto, a little chapel above the ocean in Cadavedo, Cabo Vidio). And I had the best meal in years at the Hotel Cabo Vidio a few miles west of Cudillero.

• I won't comment on Oviedo and Gijón: except the 9th century monuments in Oviedo (beautifully preserved but cumbersome visit logistics - Spanish guided tours with limited hours), I have not been

• Lastres and Tazones are postcard-perfect harbor villages.

• Even if you're not into hiking, the Picos de Europa mountain range is a recommended detour from the coast. On the Asturian side, you can easily make the trip up to the Lagos de Covadonga.
  In nearby Ribadesella, Tito Bustillo cave has cave paintings and you can visit the real cave if you book well in advance.

Cantabria

• Picos de Europa extend into Cantabria. On that side, Potes is a lovely place with a charming "mountain" atmosphere despite being only 30 km from the coast.

• San Vincente de la Barquera and Comillas would make for good coastal bases.

• Santillana del Mar is a super touristy but very well preserved village, worth a stop (but not a stay)! Altamira cave réplica is nearby.

• Santander has a great beach but can probably be skipped, otherwise.

• Similarly, I am not in love with the stretch between Santander and the border with Euskadi. If you drive that stretch around lunchtime, there are some roadside restaurants with a good view around Castro-Urdiales.

Euskadi

To be continued

Euskadi

There is more info on this region already, which is rightfully more visited.

• Bilbao: worth a stop at least for the Guggenheim museum even if you shun cities.

• Mundaka: surfing hub with a very cute harbor

• Gernika: historically significant, but a quick visit is enough in my opinion

• Lekeitio: another beautiful harbor set along a pretty bay, with a good beach, too. Nearby Elantxobe is great too if you're after somewhere more peaceful, but it is a very steep village.

• Getaria: very touristy fishing village but a fun lunch stop!

• Donostia (San Sebastián): yes it's a city, but it checks most of your boxes (I do miss the long-gone Mercado de San Martín, though).

• Hondarribia: last but not least, this is a surprisingly attractive border town, very cute and lively.

Toll roads are few and far between so they should not be a concern for your trip. The main stretches are the A9 in Galicia and the A8 in Euskadi: the former is easily bypassed, the latter is frustrating to bypass so I would use it regardless.

Brilliant! So helpful ....thanks so much!

Second Balso's call to dip inland to the Picos de Europa. Be ready to pull over for the vistas!

If I may, as a Basque local, some comments on the previous proposal on the Basque Country:

Bilbao: worth a stop at least for the Guggenheim museum even if you shun cities. Beautiful old quarter with a very vibrant atmosphere and wonderful arquitecture all over the city.

Mundaka: surfing hub with a very cute harbor. Quaint little town, with not much space for parking.

Gernika: historically significant, but a quick visit us enough in my opinion. The main visit here is the Casa de Juntas, home to one of the oldest forms of democracy and government in the world, dating back to the 9th century. In front of the Gernika Tree is where the Basque President promises his office.

Lekeitio: another beautiful harbor set along a pretty bay, with a good beach, too. Nearby Elantxobe is great too if you're after somewhere more peaceful, but it is a very steep village. Ea is not far and makes a really good visit.

Getaria: very touristy fishing village but a fun lunch stop! if you like fish and seafood, this is the best place anywhere!

Donostia (San Sebastián): yes it's a city, but it checks most of your boxes (I do miss the long-gone Mercado de San Martín, though).

Hondarribia: last but not least, this is a surprisingly attractive border town, very cute and lively. Two areas: the upper part with the Castle (now a Parador) and the beautiful houses, and then San Pedro street with all the quaint fishermen houses, a very vibrant atmosphere in the evenings.

Most of the places I was going to mention have already been mentioned. West of Santiago is Muxia. It’s good for a short visit. Beside the lighthouse on the rocky coast is a small chapel, Nuestra Señora de la Barca. If you happened to have seen the movie “The Way” with Martin Sheen, the last scene was filmed there. I have not been to the new parador there since it opened after my visit. There isn’t much to the town itself; the view is from the chapel.

A little out of the way is Cabo Ortegal. It has stunning views. There used to be wild horses roaming around.

Along the north coast prior to Ribadeo is As Catedrais beach. If you can get there at low tide you’ll be able to enjoy it more.

If going to Picos de Europa, Cangas de Onis is nice to walk around and in the park itself visit the Sanctuary of Covadonga.

If you make it to Zumaia one gets a great view of the beach and Flysch rock formations from the Érmita de San Telmo.

When we drove that route, after leaving Santiago we spent nights at Paradors in Ribadeo, Santillana Del Mar, and Hondarriba.

We drove along the coast from Ribadeo to Santillana with detours into the Picos and Somiedo Park. There is no shortage of charming little fishing villages each one worthy. A side trip into the Picos is a great idea. From Potes you can take a cable car up to stunning terrain without strenuous hiking. The highways are in great shape, and free of tolls and traffic.

Great advice all, thank you . Starting trip in about 5 weeks - Lisbon - Porto - Santiago to Basque country - and on to Paris departure 4 weeks later.

Be sure you are aware renting a car in Spain and dropping in France will be very expensive. You may want to consult your cardiologist. Otherwise drop the car in Spain and get another in France.

Brad

Thanks Brad we were aware of this . Costs $37 extra to drop off in Balbao etc. and as you say go another way into France. Maybe public transport to Paris or...?

Drop in Donostia / San Sebastián if you can. From there, it is quite easy to take the train to Paris: local train to Hendaye, TGV to Paris, travel time about 5.5 hours total.

Baiona, Luarca , Cudillero,Getaria and Hondarribia were our favorites when we did a similar trip. There was only one place we wish we had skipped, Santillana Del Mar, very touristy and the Parador was in bad shape, the only one we didn’t enjoy. We loved the Paradors in Baiona and Hondarribia.

I agree with all of Balso and Jaime on Galicia and Asturias. We hit most of those in the past two weeks. Consider going inland from Ribadasella and then east on AS 114. Consider Las Arenas de Cabrales as a base for a few days, in addition to Lagos de Covadonga where you can find a hike to suit your tastes from easy to hard. From Las Arenas you can take a funicular from Poncebos up to Bulnes for spectacular scenery, lunch and a easy hike back to the funicular, or skip one or both trips on the funicular for a spectacular yet somewhat strenuous hike.

Agree that the Tito Bustillo cave in Ribadasella is a must. The art rivals Altamira, and it’s the real thing, not a simulation. Book in advance, access is limited. If you like that stuff, you can do the caves of El Castillo and Las Monedas in a single morning or afternoon.

In Galicia, the Costa do Morte is a good drive. Agree Cabo Ortega is a good stop, as is Punta Fuciño do Porco. As Catedrais beach is worth a stop, but in summer, do not expect to have it to yourself.

Thank you again - great advice.
Now, we are thinking not to go direct to Paris from the Spanish border but to go to Tours first . This seems difficult to arrange for some reason and we are being directed to go first to Paris and that is not ideal.

Ok, booked Hendaye and train from there to Saint-Pierre des Corps, with a connection in Bordeaux.
Thanks for assistance with this....