From Madrid to the north of Spain
- Mell Foldes
- Jan 19
- 6 min read
Updated: Jan 19
Madrid - Segovia - Asturias - Basque Country - Pamplona
Days 1, 2, 3 - Madrid
Back in Madrid
Our trip started in Madrid to visit the in-laws and spend time with friends and family.
With my parents in tow from the States, we took a free walking tour of Madrid's Old Town (Austrias) to hit the major tourist spots and added a few new ones to our list:
The Reina Sofía Museum to check out contemporary art, including Picasso's iconic Guernica, where there was an impromptu flamenco show!
The church of San Ginés in Calle Arenal, one of the oldest churches in Madrid.
El Rastro market on Sunday before lunch of roast suckling pig at Restaurante Sobrino de "Botín" - the famously oldest restaurant in the world... so they say.
Pride Parade - one of the largest, most international pride festivals!
My parents also took a day trip to Toledo and spent an evening seeing an opera show at the beautiful Teatro Real.
See my "¡Olá Portugal, Hola Spain!" post for more details on Madrid recs including:
Plaza de España
Palacio Real and Almudena Church
Plaza Mayor and Mercado de San Miguel
Puerta del Sol ("km 0")
Estadio Santiago Bernabeu
Chueca neighborhood
Azotea del Circulo de Bellas Artes
Fuente de Cibeles and Terraza Cibeles
El Retiro Park (Palacio de Cristal) and Puerta de Alcala
Flamenco shows and nightclubs
Day 4 - Segovia
A day trip to Segovia along the drive north
About an hour north of Madrid is the picturesque town of Segovia. Javi and I have been on a few previous trips, but we were excited to show my parents the medieval Alcázar, the Cathedral, and the ancient Roman aqueduct.
Had we not indulged at Botín the day before, lunch would be roast suckling pig at Jose María. But we had a surprisingly yummy meal with a view at Pizzeria Da Mario directly beside the aqueduct!
Days 5 & 6 - Asturias
To the north!
After the day in Segovia, we took a lovely drive through the mountains to arrive in Ribadesella, where we stayed at Hotel Verdemar - a low-frills hotel with pleasant rooms, a decent breakfast, and a great location!
Waking up early the next morning, we grabbed breakfast (and packed some extra bocadillos for lunch) from Café La Regenta along the river in Cangas de Onís. After checking out the Roman Bridge in town, we made our way to the station to catch the bus to Picos de Europa National Park (note: reserve the bus tickets ahead of time).
The day hiking around the Lagos de Covadonga in Picos de Europa National Park was one of my favorite travel days (of this trip but maybe also all-time)! We were lucky to have a clear morning before the clouds rolled in and eventually brought rain as we boarded the bus to go home, but rainy days are typical in these mountains. There were plenty of cows kindly posing for our pictures and our post-picnic-lunch siesta was interrupted by a herd of approaching (friendly) sheep! The pictures do not do this place justice.
For classic Asturian ingredients prepared in an elevated manner, we thoroughly enjoyed dinner at the Michelin-starred restaurant Ayalga. I lost track of the number of courses, but each one was creative, delicious, and made even more enjoyable by the ocean view.
Vamos a la playa
We picked Ribadesella as "home base" for our couple of days in Asturias because it's where many Spaniards vacation during the hot summer months.
We secured a spot on the beach (Playa de Santa Marina) before the crowds arrived, and enjoyed a beautiful morning in the sun. There's also a weekly Wednesday market in the town center on the other side of the harbor with plenty of local artisans and food vendors.
In the evening, we walked through the harbor and along the Paseo de la Grúa to the Ermita de la Guía for some history and a beautiful view of the town below. We luckily snagged the last table with two friends at a local pub to see Spain win the semi-finals of the Eurocup before enjoying a delicious, regionally typical dinner and pouring cider at Sidrería Carroceu.
Days 7 & 8 - Bilbao
Back to city tourism energy
Thanks to a surplus of Bonvoy points, we stayed at the Hotel Ercilla de Bilbao, Autograph Collection - a gorgeous, well-located Marriott with an overpriced breakfast option and a rooftop lounge.
For lunch, we had a potluck of almost all the food stalls in La Ribera Market, then took a free walking town of the old town (Casco Viejo) to see the sights and learn more about the history of the region. We walked along the river and through the main attractions including Plaza Nueva, Plaza Miguel de Unamuno, Catedral de Santiago, and Plaza del Arriaga.
In the evening, we explored Azkuna Zentroa (the cultural center) and had sunset cocktails at La Terraza Yandiola before dinner at Txirene. While the front is a busy “pintxos” bar, we enjoyed an elegant, reasonably priced, 100% from Bilbao meal including must-have txangurro, chuletón, and their classic tarta de queso. Highly recommend.
From old to new to much, much older
Following the day in Casco Viejo, we explored another side of Bilbao after breakfast at Amatxus along our route to: Estadio de San Mamés, Parque de Doña Casilda Iturrizar, the Ensanche district, the Guggenheim Museum, and the adorable Puppy monument.
We then headed out of the city and enjoyed lunch at Marisquería Ipar Itsaso, where you order fresh fish from the counter and select your preparation. Everything we ate was AMAZING, plus it was a unique experience with a scenic view of the coastline.
With full bellies, we were disappointed not to be able to access Castillo de Butron. But the next stop more than compensated... As Game of Thrones fans, we couldn't pass up a visit to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. (Make timed reservations and listen to their guidance about shoes and water - this trek was seriously no joke.)
Before my parents departed, we enjoyed a final meal together at Basuki in Bilbao, where we thoroughly enjoyed Asian fusion dishes and the tagliatelle carbonara prepared tableside in a wheel of parmesan cheese. Yum.
Day 9 - Donostia-San Sebastián
A day to ourselves
Per my last email, breakfast at the hotel was ridiculously overpriced, leading us to the nearby Cafetería Scala, which was packed with locals (the best sign, IMO).
Carbed up, we made our way to Txomin Etxaniz, a coastal bodega de Txakolí (the local wine varietal). Our tour with one of the owners - and his dog - was educational, fun, and filled with incredible views, in addition to the various txakolís and some light food pairings.
En la ciudad
With no crazy agenda, we were able to explore Old Town, San Sebastián in just a few hours. We started at Gipuzkoa Plaza, walked along the riverfront, and up Monte Urgull for a great view of La Concha Beach and the city. Walking down the other side of the hill, we strolled the beach and through the city to the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd of San Sebastian, before looping back to La Plaza de la Constitución.
The thing to do here is have "pintxos" (basically tapas on skewers or on top of a sliced baguette). So we bopped around to a few of the bar/restaurants and ordered a couple of pintxos at each. Our favorite spot was Bartolo House, but everywhere has a relatively similar menu and pricing. We capped off the afternoon with gelato from Heladería Piccola Venezia.
Note: I'm sure there's more to see and do in San Sebastián if we had more time, but I'm glad about how the trip played out. I didn't see the same charm here as the other northern towns and the streets/ beaches were swarmed!
Days 10, 11, 12 - Pamplona
¡Viva San Fermín!
While many American tourists come to Pamplona in July for the annual Festival of San Fermín, we were lucky to have local hosts for this overwhelming few days.
The party is NONSTOP including a daily running of the bulls, parades throughout the streets, and fairs with traditional Basque sports (crazy weight-lifting and ax-cutting stuff). We also joined in with some "txarangas" - local groups playing live music and partying in the streets. The week-long festivities close with the Pobre De Mi ceremony. This was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But once was sufficient.
Oh yea, and Spain won the Eurocup... ¡Vamos!
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