Day
1 - Saturday: Santiago de Compostela to Viveiro. Meet
at noon in
Santiago de Compostela, at the
Parador Nacional de Los Reyes Católicos.
After lunch, you will be taken from Santiago by motor coach to Ferrol, where you
will board the train and start your journey. The first stop will be Viveiro, a
beautiful walled city. Dinner and overnight in Viveiro.
Day
2 - Sunday: Viveiro to Luarca.
Breakfast on board while traveling to Ribadeo, on the boundary between Galicia
and Asturias. From here you will visit Taramundi and Teixois, in an area of great
natural beauty. Then on to Ribadeo for lunch and afternoon travel to Luarca, the
"White Village" of the Green Coast. Dinner and overnight in Luarca.
Day
3 - Monday: Luarca to Gijon. Entering
the Principality of Asturias, the train heads to the capital city of Oviedo, where
you will sample its traditional gastronomy at lunch. Also in Oviedo, you will
visit the most remarkable Pre-Romanesque monuments of Spain. Afternoon arrival
in Gijón, the other great city of Asturias. Dinner and overnight in Gijón.
Day
4 - Tuesday: Gijon to Llanes.
Today you will visit the heart of rugged, mountainous Asturias: the National Park
of Picos de Europa, Lake Enol, the Sanctuary of Covadonga, and finally Cangas
de Onís, where you will have lunch. After lunch, you will continue on to
Ribadesella and the picturesque fishing village of Llanes. Dinner and overnight
in Llanes.
Day
5 - Wednesday: Llanes to Cabezon de la Sal.
Entering Cantabria, you will travel by motor coach from Unquera through the Gorge
of La Hermida to the Sanctuary of Santo Toribio de Liébana, one of the
oldest shrines in Spain. After lunch in Liébana, you will return to the
train via the picturesque village of Potes. Continue on the train to to Cabezón
de la Sal for dinner and overnight.
Day
6 - Thursday: Cabezon de la Sal to Santander. Morning visit to Santillana
del Mar, a medieval town with a Romanesque church. The tour includes a visit to
Altamira, a replica of the nearby stone-age caves which have become world-famous
because of their rare and unique prehistoric paintings. After lunch in Santillana
del Mar, you will continue by train to the port city of Santander, where you will
have dinner and spend the night.
Day
7 - Friday: Santander to San Sebastian. Today
you will go by train from Santander to Bilbao, where you can visit the Guggenheim
Museum and tour the old quarter. After lunch, you will visit the Guipuzcoan coast,
Zarautz and Guetaria. Dinner and overnight in San Sebastián.
Day
8 - Saturday: San Sebastian.
After breakfast, visit the old quarter of San Sebastián and La Cocha beach.
This
tour also operates in the reverse direction. The itinerary is subject to change
without notice.
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Highlights
- Santiago
de Compostela (end point of "The Way of St. James" pilgrimage route)
- Walled
city of Viveiro
- Ribadeo
and the "white village" of Luarca
- Oviedo:
pre-Romanesque monuments
- The
"Picos de Europa" mountains
- The
sanctuary and basilica of Covadonga
- Gorge
of La Hermida
- Sanctuary
of Santo Toribio de Liebana
- The
rugged coast of "Green Spain" with its fishing villages
- The
prehistoric caves of Altamira
- Port
city of Santander
- City
tour of Bilbaos, with visit to the Guggenheim Museum
- San
Sebastian: visit the old quarter and La Cocha beach
