The Basque Region or Galicia & Asturias for a first time trip to Spain

Either itinerary will give you plenty of what you are fond of. The Basque route is a bit more “focused” for the time you have. Asturias is fantastic. From the Picos to SDC by way of the coast….it’s a long way. Check to see about flying into Bilbao or SDC and saving a day or two since you express no interest in Madrid.
I have picked up a car in both SDC and Bilbao no problemo. Driving in N Spain is a pleasure.
Bon viaje Brad

I'm curious why you have narrowed it down to these two specific itineraries and why you are not considering other regions. Not that there's anything wrong with your two ideas, but architecture, local history and cuisine, hiking, and nature walks are pretty much available wherever you go in Spain (or almost anywhere, for that matter).

Understanding your specific interest in those two regions for your first visit to Spain would make it easier to offer you feedback.

Been to both areas, my preference was the Basque Region.

We definitely will visit Madrid in the future, so that we can explore the place as we have to fly either to Madrid or Lisbon from Toronto.
The plan for our trip, is to fly out either to Bilbao or SDC but cannot seem to nail it down to which one we should go to, with so little time on hand.

The reason for narrowing it down to these specific itineraries is to get feedback from all those who have travelled to to places and offer us tips to help us put together an itinerary. This is not a final travel plan but just a guideline so that we do not come across like novices but have done some reading of the various posts on this forum and are aware of the places and what to expect.

For a general idea on why we chose these cities on reading through different posts is that we want a mix of everything. We would welcome any ideas, from those who have visited the Northern region of Spain.
We enjoy going to museums, visiting Churches, going to small eateries visited by the local people, what most people do on holidays.
We are aware that the above can be done anywhere and everywhere but maybe this would narrow down the feedback we are looking for to go ahead with our itineraries and make the required booking of places to stay, car rental, etc.

Thank you for any insight, valuable tips and your valuable time. A good weekend to all.

I'd choose the second, only based on the time of year.
BTW: I've found it important to book well in advance for SDC, due to Pilgrimage tourism in the warmer months...

Which ever you choose, you are bound to have a marvelous vacation..

Have not been to SS, but spent time in Oviedo in fall 2024. It definitely would meet your goals. We flew to the Asturias airport from London and took the bus into Oviedo. (Cash only on the buses) We stayed at the Barcelo which was very nice. Fresh grilled fish, cider, almond cookies- the food is amazing. Happened on a beautiful concert in the cathedral. The town is colorful and lovely! If you decide on Oviedo, check out Ribadesella. We took the high speed train to Madrid from Oviedo- 3hrs to the Charmartin station. Loved Asturias -very beautiful!

Agree about Ribasedella..lovely town, great restaurants.

Prehistoric caves of Tito Bustillo:

https://www.centrotitobustillo.com/en/visita-la-cueva-de-tito-bustillo

But I'd still vote for Galicia at that time of year...I think nine days are too short to cover the best of both regions.

You could spend two nights in Santiago de Compostela, and then drive to a base on or near one of the great beaches of Galicia.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/spain/galicia-costa-artabra-rias-baixas-opinions-and-which-towns-are-beautiful

Thank you to all those who offered advice/tips and information in helping us with our travel plans. We have decided, we will not be visiting SDC or SS, this time as it seems like a very short visit, where we do not want to feel rushed to just check out different cities without enjoying them.

We will be flying from Madrid to Oviedo and stay there for either 3-4 days. Ribadesella has been bookmarked as a definite must visit. On our way to the Picos de Europa we will be going to Cangas de Onis to see the Santa Cueva and the Basilica de Santa Maria of Covadonga.
We plan to stay in Bilbao for 3-4 days and one night in Madrid before flying to Toronto the next day.

We would welcome any tweaks to our itinerary, tips/information on places to visit, where to stay etc. We are now looking for places to stay in Oviedo and Bilbao.
Not sure if we would have to spend a night in Santander though as the drive to from Oviedo to Bilbao seems to offer a lot in way of different towns to visit and see.

Thank you once again for all your input. Have a great weekend.

There is a good market in Cangas, on Sundays. Very strong on local cheeses.

You say that food is of interest, so I will strongly recommend booking a table for lunch at MOLIN DE MINGO, located close to Arriondas/Cangas de Onis. You will drive up a narrow, rutted road and think you have made a wrong turn. Just follow the road that will take you to the restaurant. I cannot think of a better place to explore the unique cuisine of Asturias than that place; and you can see the animals including the famous chickens that appear on local tables, including this one.

One of the finest seafood restaurants in Spain is not far from Ribasedella; the name is GUEYU MAR and they are famed for their virrey, a local red-colored fish with giant eyes. The other top restaurant, closer to the town, is LA HUERTONA; they also offer the red fish, along with other seafood and meats;

Look for the bronze statues scattered about in Oviedo. Woody Allen's glasses had been stolen but he has a new pair, now:

https://www.villaerasi.com/en/

We stayed at the NH PRINCIPADO in Oviedo. (The RECONQUISTA, a EuroStars hotel, was booked out because there was a big event in the city, the Princess of Asturias Awards, and the then Prince, and Princess, were staying there..).

The NH has a good location; it's next to a wonderful restaurant, CASA FERMIN, and a few doors down from a historic bakery selling the region's famous pastries. There's nothing memorable about the hotel but there were no problems, either, and I would recommend if the price is ok for you. (If you can go higher in price, the RECONQUISTA is the grand historic property in the city; from the 18th Century until the '60s, it was a hospital. But the location is a bit further, across from a large park...it's now a EUROSTARS property)

Thank you Ekscrunchy for all these great recommendations. We will check out these restaurants and make the booking for lunch as MOLIN DE MINGO. We both love fish and I am curious to eat this red coloured fish with giant eyes. I am a pescatarian so definitely will enjoy eating all the fish and seafood that is available.
We will check out the other restaurants too.
Wish we could bring some of the local cheeses with us but Canada does not allow it. Please do not hesitate to share any information that will help us.

You're very welcome..I just added a few things to the post, above.

Not in Asturias, but in Cantabria, El Molino de Vejorís offers a great homemade local food at excellent prices. Pan de Cuco, in Suesa, is one of my favorites, too. And Las Peñas, in Ampuero. In Ramales de la Victoria, an absolute must is El Ronquillo restaurant, and you can also stop to visit some of the many the prehistoric caves in the area (prior reservation needed).