Where to stay for one night on the coast between Oviedo and Bilbao?

Llanes, San Vicente de la Barquera or Comillas would make nice stops.

Comillas would make nice stops

Thanks MikelBasqueGuide, Comillas looks ideal. It will give us an opportunity to see a different Gaudi building, or just stroll about.

Hoping we can arrive and leave on the FEVE railway but I can't see a station at Comillas. Is Cabezon de la Sal or San Vincente de la Baquera the best station to use?

Cabezón de la Sal is probably the best stop for Comillas. San Vicente de la Barquera is a small stop without services and has much fewer trains.
You'd need to arrange transportation to and from Comillas. Maybe your accommodation or the tourist office in Comillas could advise.

Llanes would be a bit more convenient since the FEVE station is in town.

FEVE trains run on narrow gauge rails, so expect a small commuter-like train running through beautiful landscapes and towns, but speed is not its strong point as it stops in many towns along the way. Bus may be more convenient to get to Comillas, as there´s no train station at this town. The Pontifical University, Sobrellano Palace and El Capricho are the three most important things to see in Comillas, and I would not by any means miss its beautiful cemetery by the sea, with the statue of the Exterminating Angel on top of it. Also, beautiful old quarter and great food.

Llanes.
Not many monuments but the city itself and harbor are wonderful for walking and sitting in cafes. I've stayed at the Hotel Don Paco twice and would certainly recommend it, as well as Sideria El Puerto for harbor-side dining.

I liked Comillas.

We stayed in both Comillas and Llanes last Spring. Liked both but Llanes more.

FEVE trains run on narrow gauge rails, so expect a small commuter-like train running through beautiful landscapes and towns, but speed is not its strong point as it stops in many towns along the way.

Slow is fine by us. We will be in Spain for 60 days and the FEVE will be a nice chance to slow down for a while.

We are planning to start FEVE from Ferrol, then overnight in Ribadeo. Continue on FEVE from there to Oviedo, stay two nights in Oviedo then take FEVE from there to Comillas or similar. So three days of trundling along by the ocean sounds ideal.

My travel companion leaves most of the planning up to me but he has asked for FEVE and FEVE he shall get! I think he wants to compare it with the narrow gauge trains we have had such fun on in the Czech Republic.

Hi from Wisconsin,

I know this is close to Oviedo, but Gijon is a worthy place to visit. Underground parking is available in city center.

Say, "hi", for me to Woody Allen while you are in Oviedo.

wayne iNWI

Hi Wayne from Wisconsin
We are hoping to visit Gijon from Oviedo as a half day trip. Will depend on the weather and our level of exhaustion on the day.

We have booked a two night stay in Santillana del Mar as when I asked my husband for about the fourth time what did he want to see in Cantabria he muttered "bison painting". Yes, we know it's not going to be the real cave but it looks like it will be a nice walk and a nice museum. There seems to be a bike path all the way from the town to the museum and we are assuming that we can walk on that.

If I can recommend otherwise...the Altamira cave is more a museum than a real cave and it´s a very touristy replica. I would no doubt try to visit the real thing, for example the caves of El Castillo and Las Monedas (you can see both in one morning) or Cullalvera and Covalanas, all in the area, among many others. Santillana and the Altamira cave might be a bit disappointing...

The Altamira museum itself is actually quite good and does a great job telling the story of the area in prehistoric times using many different real artifacts they discovered.

The question also arises if it is ethical to visit those last remaining authentic caves and what damage are you contributing as a tourist. It's much more ethical to visit the full-scale replica I think.

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The Altamira museum itself is actually quite good and does a great job telling the story of the area in prehistoric times using many different real artifacts they discovered.

The question also arises if it is ethical to visit those last remaining authentic caves and what damage are you contributing as a tourist. It's much more ethical to visit the full-scale replica I think.

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Well, it really depends on your expectations. If, as the OP says, he wants to see "bison paintings" in a cave, the replica is not the appropriate place. If you want to enter a museum of paleolithic art, it´s the perfect place. Regarding the entry to the caves, numbers are heavily restricted and controlled, under the direction of an expert guide and under the management of the Government of Cantabria, that makes sure no damage is done to the paintings. I may agree that they caves are better closed, but I´m not an expert in cave art and how to keep it undamaged. In the Basque Country, where I live, all caves with paintings have been closed to the general public (and we have quite a few, that I was lucky to see when I was a kid), based on this conservation issue.

My husband knows it will only be a replica and is very happy with that. Where we live in Australia there has been recent controversies surrounding mining companies blowing up irreplaceable 46,000 year old indigenous sites of cultural significance, so we are very aware of the fragility of ancient sites.

We both liked the look of Santillana del Mar town and have got a good deal at a lovely hotel. As we are travelling by public transportation we are a little limited in where we can go.

We have spectacular limestone caves in Australia so we aren't really looking for an underground cave experience in Spain. My husband has left the itinerary for our 60 day trip almost entirely up to me, so when he does say he wants to see something I have tried to accommodate him. So far, all he has said is "FEVE, bison painting, Malaga, strange robes".

We loved Comillas, enjoyed our time there. There was only one town in northern Spain we did not like and that was Santillana del Mar. I would choose to stay in Comillas or Llanes.

The caves by themselves are not spectacular...what is really, really amazing is the cave paintings, some dated as back as 34,000 years ago, that you can see right in front of you. And what is the "strange robes" that your husband wants to see?

And what is the "strange robes" that your husband wants to see?

The brotherhoods in the Easter processions. We will be in Valladolid for Easter.

They have a meaning. Each "cofradía" or "hermandad" (a kind of brotherhood) has a different robe colour, including the "capirote" ("hood") that they wear for privacy, as they are penants and it´s supposed to be anonymous. Many will march barefoot, some play the trumpets, some play the drums or other instruments, and many hermandades will also have kids among them. Colourful, solemn, noisy, spectacular...even if not a believer (Spain is far from being Catholic any more, but we love these traditions). Enjoy!!