SPAIN! Asturias, Cantabria, Basque Country

TECH

Tripit is good but only if you remember to use it during the actual trip. I missed a cave that I had bought a ticket for, partly for the map issues but mostly for me issues and not paying attention to the times I had spent so much effort working out and noted on Tripit. It didn’t send notifications to the watch so putting things like ticket times on the calendar, where I know it will buzz me, would have been helpful.

Organic Maps for planning and bookmarking locations, and for offline driving directions. I’d use this again, with the caveat below under maps.

Tried Timeshifter for the way over since you get one free test and that worked out well enough that I’d give it another try even with the fee. I didn’t bother on the way back, which was a mistake since the flight home wasn’t good and using melatonin on the apps schedule might have helped.

Airalo was good. A friend gave me a code to get a discount but it’s not expensive anyway and so worth having data. I got the 10gb plan and used just over 5. I could have gotten by with 5 if I were more careful and didn’t switch to online maps much, but it’s too cheap to bother with that stress. There were a couple times I could have used a phone number (looking at you, Cueva Pindal) but it wasn’t otherwise necessary.

Anker Nano powerback 10k mAh. It’s not too terribly heavy to carry around while in the city (although it isn’t lightweight) but I really wanted it for the hiking days when I was tracking the hikes. It worked well, charged quickly enough, and I was glad to have it. Probably wouldn’t need it for a city day.

I don’t know where else to put this but BBVA charged over $7 to use their ATM. I only got out cash once as credit cards are taken everywhere, and my credit unions will reimburse for ATM fees, but FYI. Maybe another bank would be cheaper.

TECH – MAPS

I liked Organic maps for the most part, but it didn’t do so well in the smaller towns. It can’t tell the difference any more than I can between Roads That Aren’t Really Roads and Roads That We Promise Are OK to Drive On. (See: Comillas). It also got confused passing through Bilbao and sent me on a toll road. The toll was only a couple bucks, but that’s stressful thinking I’d have to then drive in the City although it worked out fine. It was otherwise good for getting from homebase to one of my bookmarks like the parking lot I wanted or from town to town. Highways are great and well-signed here. The best backup online map was Waze. I didn’t care for Apple Maps and Google tells you to turn on Such-and-Such Road, as though 1. the roads have signs, 2. that it speaks Spanish well enough to be understood, and 3. Drivers can read the sign in time to turn. No, no, and no. Waze would sometimes give road names, but defaulted to highway numbers and exit number in the roundabouts. Much easier. Organic maps only gave the exit order (enter the roundabout and take the second exit, etc.) which was fine as long as I was careful about counting. Having the map up on the car screen was invaluable without a partner to help navigate.

TECH – OTHER – SORRY IF THIS IS TMI

Does a pee-pee funnel count as tech? It’s my report so I’ll say yes. I’m a woman it that’s not obvious now, and why shouldn’t we also get to have privacy just by turning around? :) I planned for some longer hikes and having this was great when there wasn’t always a bush to go behind. It takes some practice at home and would only be worth carrying when doing a few multi-hour hikes, but I was glad to have it.

CLOTHES and SHOES

Altra waterproof hiking boots because I had them from another trip. I didn’t end up needing the waterproofness for this one, which was good because they aren’t built to last super long and they are at the end of their lifespan, but I knew these shoes were comfy doing multiple hiking days. Given the potential for wet days, waterproof is a good idea.

Bedrock hiking sandals. They are more minimalist hiking sandals than Keen or Tevas, and I’ve seen them in the wild on local trails, but they recently came out with ones that have a thicker base that I thought would be a good balance to the hiking boots for city use. My feet hurt a bit after walking all over Bilbao but that would be the case in any shoe. I didn’t want another pair of full-coverage shoes and these did the trick. They dry quickly enough, which is nice for the beach.

Purple Rain hiking kilt, brought in case it got warm. I only wore it once and with tights underneath since it was evening, but it can snap into shorts/skort so also worked as jammies bottoms (I usually bring an old pair of bike shorts or just wear whatever shirt is clean). I have this and the regular hiking skirt and they are both great. The style of the regular skirt is better and it’d be great for summer, but the kilt is a little longer and the flexibility to make it shorts is great for vacations.

COAST of ASTURIAS

I really liked Cudillero! There aren’t any sites to see, but the views of the water and the town from the various miradors are interesting and it doesn’t feel like it has been turned over to all tourism. It’s also a good location in between the beaches to the west, Oviedo to the south, and the cities of Asturias to the east. I missed Aviles and Oviedo entirely but would love to go back to see them. I’d stay here again in a heartbeat.

Stayed – Casona de la Paca in Cudillero. This hotel got very good reviews and for good reason, although I also picked it because it was on the edge of town and I didn’t want to try driving on skinny, small-town roads right after arriving. It’s a bit of a walk down (and then back up) from the main part of town, but it’s a beautiful site, nice rooms, a good location for driving, and has good breakfast. They also had a living room area where they’ll serve a glass of wine in the evening if you’re interested.

Ate – The hotel recommended a couple places that I tried, but I really liked El Faro. Freshest fish, and they accommodated a solo traveler just fine. I went twice. I’d go again just for the lenguado (sole). The French guys I chatted with rated it highly too, and they’re French so it must be good, right? La Gijonesa is good for pre-dinner snacks or light meals and they also sell the pates that are popular here. (The pates, made from various fish or deer or boar, are all really good wherever you get them from. I put them on bread for my hiking lunches).

The Beaches–
I live near the coast so don’t care about hanging out a warm beach all day, which is good because those days aren’t until July/August. But the entire coastline here from Galicia to Asturias is just so dang pretty, especially if you’re in to geology. I want to go back in time to college, study rocks, and come here “for school”. Beaches are listed from west to east.

Praia as Catedrais in Galicia. This one gets all the attention. High-season requires timed tickets but not in May. There were people there but not overly busy. You want to be there an hour or two on either side of low tide. It’s beautiful, fun and worth the drive. There is a small café here with a bathroom if you buy something- the coffee counts. If you’re a super planner, here is a place to check tides early - tides4fishing.com/es/asturias/castropol - should be confirmed close to your trip but it was close.

Cadavedo has a nice viewpoint from the Ermita de la Regalina, but everywhere on this coast is beautiful and the midday sun isn’t the best, if you’re a photographer.

Gueirua Beach would be better at low tide as well, which I couldn’t do but it’s still a nice visit. The thing with beaches here is that they are at sea level and the towns and roads are generally not. This one can’t be seen from town so the path goes generally downhill and then down lots of steps. A couch potato might take issue with the walk, but it’s a lovely area and worth the effort. You park in Santa Marina (near the small park in town works) and the path to the beach starts between the yellow and blue house. This sounds silly, but if you look online for more detailed writeups, it makes sense and there is a sign if you look for it.

Playa del Silencio as recommended by the hotel. Also down lots of stairs, but having to park along the edge of the road/cliff is worse. Not so bad that I couldn’t do it, but it helpfully wasn’t summer crowds, and the road is one-way. The beach is rocky rather than sandy so not for sunbathing, but it’s a beautiful cove and great for a snack break. I loved the sound of the waves of the rocks.

Cabo Vidio / Playa del Cueva- There is a lighthouse here at the end that you see from the outside with coastal views, and before that is a parking area with the path for the Playa de Cueva. Downhill, as per usual, but at the end is a rope you use to get over a boulder to the beach. I skipped it. Getting down the rope would have been fine but I was concerned about the back up part since I was alone. A beach wouldn’t be the worst place to get stuck in Spain but still.

La Griega Beach east of Gijon- for the dinosaur tracks. It was a good place to stop when passing by the area anyway but I don’t think I’d drive an hour just to see this. It’s interesting! But it’s a few tracks in the rocks where we all step in them, take our pics, and move on. There isn’t much else, although the town of Lastres and its beach looks like it’d be a nice stop when weather is better. On a rainy day in May, it’s very quiet.

Other non-beach stuff in the area-
I didn’t want to drive in Oviedo but there are a couple pre-romanesque churches outside the City that I went to. They are probably more interesting when they’re not closed for restoration. You can still see the outside, but check for restoration info if you want to see them.

Bike ride on the Senda de Oso- This was great, although it’s really more “coasting downhill” than riding. There are a couple places that rent bikes and then pick you up at the end to take you back up, but I used TeverAstur. They had Whatsapp to reserve ahead and to call them at the end of the bike ride for a pickup so data plan is needed. The ride is through a beautiful area and ends near a bear sanctuary for a couple critters that can’t go back to the wild. One poked its head out, but you can’t count on them being interested in what’s outside, especially when it’s raining. This was the day the rain pants were nice and dry in the car where I left them while I got soaked. Still worth it! There is a town you can stop in for lunch or the grocery store but I stuck with trail mix and waited for dinner.

The Museo Etnografico in Gijon was interesting and free. It doesn’t take too long to walk through the museum and the site where old buildings are reconstructed. It’s also where the bagpipe museum is- Museo de la Gaita. I would have liked to have heard more of the actual music, but it was still a good stop to see and easy enough to get to if you don’t like city driving. Learned that bagpipes were more widespread in Europe than I thought.

To return for- Somiedo National Park. Aviles, where I’d like to see the old town and some of the newer architecture. Gijon to maybe see more of the actual town. Oviedo, ditto. Back to the beaches again. Back to El Faro.

HIKES in ASTURIAS/CANTABRIA –

The original trip had a couple days in Cangas de Onis, a couple in Arenas de Cabrales, and a couple in Fuente De. I combined the first two stops into one longer stop at an apartment to be able to adjust my schedule for weather, have an early breakfast (hotel breakfasts tend to start a little late for hiking), and do laundry at leisure. I stopped in Cangas to look around and get lunch. It’s larger with going on and would be a good place to stay if you want more shops and choices for food. Potes seemed very similar, but I was happy to have chosen to stay in Arenas de Cabrales.

Stayed- Lapaserina in Arenas, through Booking. Arenas was a nice town- a couple shops for tourist stuff, enough good restaurants and grocery stores, and the apartment was an easy walk to the main part of town. It’s not big so probably everywhere is an easy walk. Also getting good reviews here was the Hotel Rural de Torrejon, which did look nice if you don’t want an apartment or need a frig. The only problem with apartments is that you don’t get help with things like phone calls or getting info on local stuff (construction, events) going on. I also spent two nights at the Fuente De Parador, which I loved. It was cloudy the two nights, so no getting to see stars, but the hotel was great and the scenery is amazing once the clouds go away.

Ate- Santelmo in Arenas for a couple dinners. It was the only place open one night so got busy, but the food was good and wait staff accommodating to my bad Spanish. Bar Guias was good too for a light dinner one night. This is where I realized the large bottles of the local cider cost less than 4 euro! I hadn’t tried it because of being solo and a reasonable drinker, but for that price, I’m willing to let a bit go to waste. Stopped at Meson del Oso, as recommended here, on my way to Fuente De for a late lunch of Lebaniego stew- you get a broth with fideos first, and save the broth to add the second plate of meat and garbanzos. It’s so very filling for one but was worth trying. A reservation would probably be a good idea in high season. Fuente De Parador food was really good and I was happy to have paid for half-board here.

The Hikes-
Most of my hiking prep came from kevmrc-dot-com. He has good info about the hikes in Los Picos and rates them fairly accurately, although I think “almost no elevation” has a different meaning to serious hikers than to everyone else. Flat is relative to going up a mountain. Still a good resource though. Goats, wild and domestic, are common around here and will probably come up to say hi, see if you have food, or use you as a salt lick if you refuse to give them snacks. Goats aren’t shy.

Ruta de Cares, near Arenas- There is a lot about this online and it’s popular for good reason. Getting to Poncebos by 9 at the end of May still got me parking on the dirt road near the trailhead, but I’d be there by 8 in high season. The route goes to town of Cain and back. The sun was mostly at my back both ways and light changes from morning to afternoon made it interesting. The beginning is a big hill- about a 1600-foot gain uphill according to kevmrd- but it’s mild up and down from there. If you don’t do uphill but really want to do this, try getting a ride to Cain and walking from there. That’s probably the prettiest part and Cain is lovely, with restaurants to get food before heading back if you’re doing round trip. The town has picnic tables too but a little dessert and coffee at the restaurant is a nice reward. At one point I stopped for some trail mix, heard someone shouting a warning, and turned around to see one of the wild goats running towards me! I did not share my trail mix because I’m rude. The wild goats don’t seem to bother or be bothered by the humans, but they are apparently fed. They also weren’t afraid of the other person’s dog, who was barking like crazy.

Ruta de la Canal de Texu, near Arenas- Starts near the Ruta de Cares trailhead but goes uphill to the town of Bulnes. You could also take the funicular (in a tunnel) but that doesn’t count as hiking, which is what I came for. Met some goats here too, although these were domestic. Be sure to go up to the Mirador just past the town that looks to Naranjo de Bulnes peak. It’s a little steep but near town and when the clouds clear, it’s stunning. I cheated by taking the funicular down, but in my defense, it was about to rain. It’s expensive but worth the round trip cost if you aren’t hiking but still want to get into the mountains. There is a parking lot near the funicular but I think it’s closed to tourists in high season. They start running buses from Arenas then for non-drivers, which weren’t running in May.

Lagos de Covadonga and Mirador del Rey, a little closer to Cangas de Onis but not by much- If you want to go up to Los Lagos de Covadonga, you’ll need to check the website for info on whether you can drive up yourself (time restricted in high season) or have to take a cab (all seasons) or bus (only in high season or for special events). They generally provide good info but if you have your heart set on a day-long hike on the weekend, contact them and make sure there isn’t a special event that is closing the road, which will not be noted online. The road was “interrupted” on the day I went, meaning it was closed to private cars even on this May day when it’s usually open, and we’d have to go by bus or group taxi and come back too early to do the 12-mile hike I had planned. This turned out to be fine because this was the day I found out the sunscreen was fake and more hours in the sun might have killed me, and I still managed to get in some miles in a beautiful location. I had also driven up here the day before just to check it out and my hands cramped from holding the wheel so tightly. The roads are "two-way" and the Spaniards don’t seem to have a problem, but a few more guardrails would be nice. And the buses that come up here are BUSES buses, not the short kind. Being on that road after a long hike with those buses and the sunburn would have been a bit much. It was all for the best. Of note if you aren’t especially active, the main parking lot, where I think the buses drop off, requires a walk uphill to the visitor’s center or to the viewpoints. It’s totally doable, but if you have mobility issues, try to park or get dropped off by taxi at the restaurant between the lakes. I think it’s flatter from here to the visitor’s center and the vistas are nice. I didn’t go to the center so not sure what’s there, but some people I met on the group taxi went and they got walk recs. Only open weekends in May.

Brez-Canal de Arrondiondas, near Fuente De- Starts at the very small town of Brez, with only a few spaces to park, but the clouds opened up enough to enjoy some fine views. It’s not as flat as described by kevnrc, but not too bad. This is where I saw the signs posted all around this area describing the dogs they use to guard the sheep and goat herds. They basically say the dogs are working to protect the herds so don’t get too close to either.

Horcados Rojos Summit, at Fuente De- I’m proud of having done this one, even though it only happened because I met a couple Spaniards going to top who were happy to help me hike through the large patches of snow still there in May, and then talked me through the rocks and up to the top of the peak. It was maybe not the smartest thing to do as a solo traveler but it worked out and the views from the top were worth the risk of them being murderers. It’s not something I would have tried if I had been alone and I'm grateful to them. Even if you aren’t a hiker, the views are amazing from the top of the funicular, but not if it’s cloudy. It had been cloudy the day I planned on going up, so I bought a ticket for the first funicular the next day (starts at 10am) so I could go up right after checking out of the hotel. You can only buy tickets online 24 hours or more in advance and I highly recommend it in high season. I was happy to have done this after getting to the funicular about 15 minutes before the first car went up and there were already about 40 people in line. The car holds 15-20 people so lots of them had to wait. If you don’t want to plan ahead but want to go in the morning, either get there by 9:15-9:30 or plan to wait it out at the nearby café after you get your timed ticket. Walking up to the top is also an option but not one I was interested in. I have limits.

Non-hike stuff-

Tito Bustillo cave- see below, because it’s a cave and should be filed with the other caves even though it’s in Asturias and closer to Arenas or Cangas de Onis.

Covadonga- The church in the cave is interesting enough but the basilica was typical. It’s popular for religious pilgrims but I wouldn’t need to go back.

Mirador del Oso/Collado de Llesba, on the south side of Los Picos- The views from here are probably really good when it’s not all cloudy like the day I went. But I wasn’t paying for the funicular on this cloudy day and had to do something. It was still fun (and free) despite the lack of view.

Sotame Visitor’s Center north of Potes- It’s not very big but definitely worth a stop for some good info about Los Picos. I recommend it.

To do next time- There are a lot of smaller towns and other viewpoints that would be interesting to check out, given the time and good weather. More hiking. I like Los Picos a lot and want to go back.

ROAD NOTE IF YOU’RE GOING THIS YEAR- There is lots of construction on the road between Panes and Potes where there is only one lane available. They let one side through at a time so it’s slow going, especially if you get behind a big ole bus. If I had known (and even Google maps didn’t pick up on this), I might have gone up and over the mountain through Sotres, but the drive is otherwise pretty and easy enough, if slow.

CAVES in CANTABRIA (mostly)

Stayed- La Solana Montanesa in Comillas. It was a nice hotel and I paid for a balcony, which I loved, but I don’t think I’m capable of staying in the middle of a town like this. (See above under Maps about the Actually a Road or Definitely Not a Road game). I was getting looks from someone while leaving town one day and asked if this was an exit. No, and luckily I was able to back out ok. So the next day when the map was directing me home, I didn’t believe it and drove around three times trying to get back to the hotel. It’s funny now but at the time I was very unhappy (I was also in a mood) and about ready to park wherever and walk. Finally decided I just wanted snacks and beers to have dinner on my very nice balcony, so made it to the local Lupa Market right before they closed, and from Lupa I could get back to the hotel. Hallelujah. Comillas was great for the Gaudi sites and the beach looked nice for summer if you want that, but I would probably stay somewhere else next time. Somewhere closer to a highway.

Ate- El Carel, as recommended by the hotel. But it was closed one night (more places close on Thursday than I would have expected and don’t believe the operating hours on google), so I went to Adolfo’s even though they didn’t open until 9. None of the other places that were open before 9 looked worth trying. Adolfo’s a nicer, quieter restaurant than El Carel, but very good for seafood.

The Caves-
Of note, assume all cave visits will be in Spanish. The guides, or some of them, also speak English but the rule is if there is a Spaniard in the group, they have to do the tour in Spanish. You can ask questions in English if they understand it, but they’ll be answered in Spanish. It’s the rule. One guide was a little more flexible about this and spoke slowly and threw in some English for the foreigners, but another was very strict about it and I couldn’t catch everything he said. It’s still worth going to see the paintings but helps to read a little first. The light is as limited as possible inside all the caves to protect the paintings- the heat of the lamps encourages moss growth- and grounds are often wet, so wear proper shoes and tread carefully. The guides have lights to help out but it’s still quite dim.

Tito Bustillo- This one is actually in Ribadesella, Asturias. It’s a highlight and requires planning ahead for tickets, especially if you want to go on the free Wednesday or are particular about the time. Tickets were still available a couple weeks before I went, and maybe even the day before on a very limited basis, but you never know. And this was in May. The website is filled with good info, including what times work to also go to the Cuevona Ardines, which doesn’t show paintings but is still interesting. There is also a museum, which is where you pick up the tickets you bought online, and it’s worth at least an hour. You can go before or after the cave visit, or both. I would go before, at least for the video in Section 4, unless you understand Spanish well. The museum explains the geology, the history, and the findings really well. Inside the cave area before you actually go in, there is a QR code you can scan for a link to a Tito Bustillo recorded tour in English. I don’t know if you can actually use it during the cave visit, or if it’d be worth it but I saved the link to listen to later and it’s not bad. No photos allowed, so I doubt guides would like seeing a phone in your hands, and even without knowing Spanish, it’s easy enough to follow the guide’s flashlight to see the art. There is a restaurant nearby but still driving distance that was pretty good, Meson la Fuente.

For all the Cantabrian caves, there is a website with info and ticket purchases but the times they say the caves are open aren’t always correct. When you go to buy the tickets (start looking at least 2 months out for summer but they don’t all open for sales at the same time), you’ll see when they are actually available for a specific day, and sometimes days open up. There were still times available for some of these on the day of, but El Castillo sells out. See cuevas (dot) culturadecantabria (dot) com.

Cueva Hornos de la Pena- Parking is past the cave on the side of the road. There is also a walking path that starts here with carved sculptures along it that might have been interesting, but I didn’t have the time. It wasn’t too hard to get find. The cave is still active and growing, so wet and beautiful even without the engravings, which this one has instead of paintings. The guide spoke slowly enough that I was able to understand and I was glad to have gone to this one. You have to wear a hard hat as it’s a little tighter in some areas, and with the engravings, it was something different to see. I really enjoyed this one.

Cueva el Pendo- Here is where the maps started going off because of the nearby construction. But I found it and was there with two other people. The cave is very open and large, like a caveman theater, but the main paintings are very visible. It was harder for me to catch everything the guide said but he tolerated my questions just fine even it was about something he had already said that I missed.

Covalanas- I would like to tell you about this but I missed it. The cave site in Ramales de la Victoria is well-signed but you first pick up the tickets- even if you prebought online- an hour before the visit from the Cullavera cave site, which has no signs. The website is clear about this but the site is at least a 10 minute walk from the nearest parking in town, and might be longer depending on where you find a spot. Given how far away this was from where I was staying, it would have been better as a stop while moving from one town to another. If you go, allow lots of extra time to get there and park.

El Castillo/Las Monedas- El Castillo sells out so plan ahead for these. These are near each other and the website has you buy both tickets (if you’re doing both) at the same time so the visits don’t overlap. It also makes clear that you stop first at the Centre de Arte Rupestre in Puente Viesgo to collect the tickets. The center has a museum but I skipped it. It does sell a very nice book in English about all the main Cantabrian caves, which I appreciated. Once you pick up the tickets, you can drive up to the parking lot before walking to the caves. You can also walk up there but I was there on a rainy day and didn’t even consider it so am not sure how hard the walk is. From the upper parking area, it’s about 5 minutes to El Castillo and maybe another 10 to Las Monedas. They’re were good about giving out timing info. The entry area at El Castillo after you show your tickets has some interesting exhibits but you’ll want to look them over before the tour starts. You might be able to stay to look after the tour but not if they’re closing for lunch then. There is a reason that El Castillo sells out, but I found Las Monedas very interesting too. Maybe because the guide was really good. He was also good about including someone’s kid in the discussion, although these might not be the places for young children. Someone on the EC tour had two very young kids. They bailed on the tour, to my relief and I think the guides, because one child was scared and crying, but I’m a little surprised that they’d let someone that young in. Not for concern for the kid but because they really don’t want you touching anything and kids aren’t good at not touching. In some areas, they’ll tell you if you can touch the walls to help get through an area, but the general rule is don’t.

Altamira- Ok, this is a reproduction, but it’s not a bad museum. It’s not Lascaux where they’ve done a more realistic reproduction of the whole cave, but it’s still well-done for what it is. There are other exhibits as well and I was happy to see it.

Other caves that I didn’t see – There are several smaller ones in the area that don’t presell tickets online. You have to call in the afternoons on certain days between 3 and 5 pm to reserve a time. They don’t use Whatsapp so you’ll have to have a normal phone number or ask the hotel to help out.

Non-cave stuff-

Santillana del Mar- This is probably nice but I was there after the Covalanas visit and I was in a bad mood. It was also very quiet with not much open, and parking was more difficult because there was construction around town and the main lot was only open to residents. I found a place to park but only stayed long enough to decide I didn’t care about seeing it. Maybe I’ll appreciate it more next time.

Bosque de Secuoyas, near Comillas- There is a forest of Sequoias here! They were planted in the 40’s by someone thinking in the very long term, I guess, because these don’t grow very fast, but it’s a lovely spot for a short walk. I got there about 10, or a little before, and when I got back, the small lot was full.

Sites in Comillas. I caught an English tour at the Capricho de Gaudi and enjoyed that. The site can be self-guided with QR codes in areas to link to talks- bring earphones- but I liked the tour too. Next door is the Palacio de Sobrellano, which I saw inside with a Spanish language tour. It was worth it if you like olde timey architecture or design. The park area and seeing it from the outside is ok too, though. The hotel gave me a map with a walking tour through town, which I followed, and this was worth doing to see a few other things and just be able to wander the town.

To do next time- Playa de Arnia for the rock formations. Santander for the museums. There are probably other coastal towns to check out but I’d really like to see Santander.

BASQUE REGION but mostly BILBAO

Stayed- Spent one night in Mundaka at the Hotel Atalaya, which I picked mostly for the free parking but the hotel was good. The original trip included Lekeitio but the hotel I had chosen wasn’t available and I decided it was too much driving after coming from Comillas. I liked Mundaka! I got here in the afternoon, had some food, walked the whole town, shopped, had ice cream, and was done by 9. But the town was lively, with locals out with families until after 10. Having a beer at the kiosk by the church made for a fine dinner and a nice rest before going to Bilbao the next day.

Bilder Boutique Hotel in Casco Viejo. Worth the splurge, although it wasn’t too expensive, relatively. Location was perfect- across from the taxi stands (taxis can’t go into the Casco Viejo so keep that in mind if you have mobility issues); plenty of places nearby for breakfast; near the metro station; near Plaza Barria. I would definitely stay here again.

Ate- Pinxos. So many pinxos. I did a pinxos food tour the first night in town where the guide helps to explain the whole process, and would recommend this even though it’s a little pricey. I went with Best of Basque but there are others and they are probably all pretty good. I especially liked La Olla in Plaza Barria (the new plaza) but I didn’t go anywhere that was bad.

Did –
Gaztelugatxeko, the chapel out on a point that was shown in Game of Thrones making it much busier than it might have been pre-GoT. No timed tickets were needed on the first of June but parking cost 3 euro. The walk is down a long hill to the bottom then up the stairs to the site. The hill back up was worse than going up the stairs. I was a little underwhelmed. It’s interesting to look at but I think going on a tour where you get more info about it would have made it better. I stopped here on my way to Mundaka but tours are available from Bilbao.

Urdaibai Biosphere. Mundaka is known for surfing and the waves come from the shape of the cove that hit the mouth of the river, and the river estuary is very pretty but also a popular stop for birds migrating between Europe and Africa. This is all to say that the Urdaibai Bird Center is worth a stop unless you really hate birds or nature. It only takes about an hour to go through it with their well-done audio guide, and they have telescopes at the end to see what happens to be sitting out in the water that day. It was a little quiet when I went, but I enjoyed it and recommend it.

Guernika. Tickets for the Municipal Hall tour, as recommended here, were sold out a few days before I went, so I just saw the Museum of Peace. With more time, it might be worth a walk around but the museum is definitely worth going to. I was there at least a couple hours or so. There is paid street parking around but the Zearreta lot is free and a short walk away from the museum.

Bilbao- I mostly did the most talked about things- the Guggenheim, the Bellas Artes (free now because of construction but I still found it interesting), Funicular de Artzanda for the view, Casco Viejo. Bilbao is very walkable for what most tourists are going to and I liked it a lot. Even in the old town, it still felt like locals actually lived and shopped there. I had two full days plus one evening, and I would consider that a minimum for me. I could have used another day, although I say that about most places.

Besides the food tour, I bought a self-guided walking tour of Casco Viejo from Get Your Guide. There wasn’t a tour guide available when I wanted one and this was a fine and affordable substitute. It ended at the Market in Casco Viejo where I got some good breakfast pinxos. Also bought some cheese to bring home but it was quiet here on Monday morning.

Across from the hotel and the Arriaga Theater is a plaza where booksellers operate during the days and evenings. This was fun to see and shop at. All the books are, naturally, in local languages but I picked a couple Spanish books to practice with. Learning Basque is a step too far but it’s a fascinating language.

Puente Colgante- I enjoyed this more than I expected, but I like engineering feats as much as I like nature. You have to take the metro to get out here, but the area looked really nice and I would have walked around more with more time. I did pick out the building I’d live in though - an interesting modern design. But since I won’t be buying real estate in Spain anytime soon, I just stopped at Restaurant el Puente at the base of the bridge for a coffee before buying the ticket for the bridge. The ticket gets you an elevator ride up, you walk across and enjoy the view and the boards with information about the bridge and the area, and then you ride the hanging ferry back to the beginning. I liked it.

So that’s that. I'll be better at editing next time but hope there is something that will help and I highly recommend this part of Spain!

Thank you for the detailed reports. I went to Asturias and loved it.

Such a great detailed report. I know this took a look of work, but it will be so useful for others in the future. Thanks for doing it.

You have given Fodors’ readers such a valuable gift with your detailed report! Excellent report!

This is a fantastic report! Asturias is near and dear to my heart so I'm thrilled you had such a wonderful visit.