Insight Guides Northern Spain (Travel Guide eBook)

By Insight Guides

This Insight Guide is a lavishly illustrated inspirational travel guide to Northern Spain and a beautiful souvenir of your trip. Perfect for travellers looking for a deeper dive into the destination's history and culture, it's ideal to inspire and help you plan your travels. With its great selection of places to see and colourful magazine-style layout, this Northern Spain guidebook is just the tool you need to accompany you before or during your trip. Whether it's deciding when to go, choosing what to see or creating a travel plan to cover key places like Picos de Europa, the Guggenheim Museum, it will answer all the questions you might have along the way. It will also help guide you when you'll be exploring Bilbao or discovering San Sebastian on the ground. Our Northern Spain travel guide was fully-updated post-COVID-19.

The Insight Guide NORTHERN SPAIN covers: Eastern and Central Pyrenees, The Basque Country, Cantabria, Picos de Europa, Asturias, Castilla Y León, Galicia.

In this guide book to Northern Spain you will find:

IN-DEPTH CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL FEATURES  
Created to explore the culture and the history of Northern Spain to get a greater understanding of its modern-day life, people and politics.

BEST OF
The top attractions and editor's choice featured in this Northern Spain guide book highlight the most special places to visit.

TIPS AND FACTS
Up-to-date historical timeline and in-depth cultural background to Northern Spain as well as an introduction to Northern Spain's food and drink and fun destination-specific features.   

PRACTICAL TRAVEL  INFORMATION
A-Z of useful advice on everything from when to go to Northern Spain, how to get there and how to get around, as well as Northern Spain's climate, advice on tipping, etiquette and more.

CURATED PLACES, HIGH-QUALITY MAPS
Geographically organised text cross-referenced against full-colour, high-quality travel maps for quick orientation in León, Navarra and many more locations in Northern Spain.

COLOUR-CODED CHAPTERS
Every part of the destination, from Pamplona to Galicia has its own colour assigned for easy navigation of this Northern Spain travel guide.

STRIKING PICTURES
This guide book to Northern Spain features inspirational colour photography, including the stunning Santiago de Compostela and the spectacular Ordesa National Park.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Insight Guides
• Release date: Mar 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9781839053627

Insight Guides

Insight Guides wherever possible uses local experts who provide insider know-how and share their love and knowledge of the destination.

Book preview

How To Use This E-Book

Getting around the e-book

This Insight Guide e-book is designed to give you inspiration for your visit to Northern Spain, as well as comprehensive planning advice to make sure you have the best travel experience. The guide begins with our selection of Top Attractions, as well as our Editor’s Choice categories of activities and experiences. Detailed features on history, people and culture paint a vivid portrait of contemporary life in Northern Spain. The extensive Places chapters give a complete guide to all the sights and areas worth visiting. The Travel Tips provide full information on getting around, activities from culture to shopping to sport, plus a wealth of practical information to help you plan your trip.

In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information and listings are also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.

Maps

All key attractions and sights in Northern Spain are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map] just tap this to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.

Images

You’ll find hundreds of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of Northern Spain. Simply double-tap on an image to see it full-screen.

About Insight Guides

Insight Guides have more than 40 years’ experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides. We produce 400 full-colour titles, in both print and digital form, covering more than 200 destinations across the globe, in a variety of formats to meet your different needs.

Insight Guides are written by local authors, whose expertise is evident in the extensive historical and cultural background features. Each destination is carefully researched by regional experts to ensure our guides provide the very latest information. All the reviews in Insight Guides are independent; we strive to maintain an impartial view. Our reviews are carefully selected to guide you to the best places to eat, go out and shop, so you can be confident that when we say a place is special, we really mean it.

© 2023 Apa Digital AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd

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Table of Contents

Northern Spain’s Top 10 Attractions

Editor’s Choice

Introduction: Spain’s Northern Kingdoms

People of Northern Spain

Decisive Dates

Cave Painters to Columbus

The Golden Age

Civil War to Autonomy

Nations within a State

Food

Wine

Insight: Cider: the drink from paradise

The Industrial Legacy

Fishing

The Pilgrim Route to Santiago de Compostela

Architecture

Fiestas

Running with the Bulls

Outdoor Activities

Insight: Games The competitive basques play

Wildlife

Introduction: Places

Eastern And Central Pyrenees

Navarra

La Rioja

The Basque Country

Insight: The Guggenheim in Bilbao

Cantabria

Picos De Europa

Asturias

Insight: Country Crafts and Museums

Castilla y León

Insight: Distinctive styles of granary stores

Galicia

Transport

A-Z: A Handy Summary of Practical Information

Language

Further Reading

NORTHERN SPAIN’S TOP 10 ATTRACTIONS

Top Attraction 1

Bilbao and the Guggenheim Museum. Frank Gehry’s futuristic, titanium-covered art gallery commands the riverside in the exciting Basque city of Bilbao, which has made a reputation for itself as a vibrant centre for art, culture − and good living. For more information, click here.

Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 2

San Sebastian. A wide beach extending around a perfect horseshoe bay with a castle at one end, a funfair at the other and an island in the middle make this Spain’s most stately resort. For more information, click here.

Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 3

Santiago de Compostela. Every year, thousands of pilgrims walk across northern Spain to this magnificent city. The city-centre, a harmonious cluster of historic buildings gathered around the Baroque facade of the cathedral, never disappoints. For more information, click here.

Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 4

Picos de Europa. These attractive mountains are easily accessible on a day-trip from the north coast. They offer a variety of dramatic scenery to drive or walk through, and a wealth of butterflies and wildflowers to discover. For more information, click here.

Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 5

Santillana del Mar. As if preserved in time, Santillana is the perfect, well-to-do medieval town and has been called the prettiest place in Spain. A great place to stroll and take in the atmosphere. For more information, click here.

Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 6

Sanfermines Fiesta, Pamplona. The fiesta lover’s fiesta is internationally famous for its early morning run of bulls mingled with humans through the narrow streets: an adrenalin rush just watching it from behind a barricade. For more information, click here.

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Top Attraction 7

Burgos Cathedral. The first of Spain’s great Gothic churches speaks of the power of the Castilian kings. It has magnificent star-shaped vaulting and holds the tomb of the conquering hero, El Cid. For more information, click here.

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Top Attraction 8

Ordesa National Park and the Pyrenees. Spectacular hikes and elusive wildlife lure hikers and climbers to this high-altitude national park that crosses the border into France. The scenery is magnificent even if you don’t feel energetic. For more information, click here.

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Top Attraction 9

Pre-Romanesque churches of Asturias. Exquisite early churches dot the ancient green landscapes of Asturias. They developed their singular characteristics apart from other architectural traditions and each is a gem worth visiting in its own right. For more information, click here.

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Top Attraction 10

San Juan de la Peña monastery. Built under a dramatic rock overhang in a remote location in the hills, this ancient Romanesque monastery is said for a time to have been one of the custodians of the Holy Grail. For more information, click here.

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EDITOR’S CHOICE

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The picturesque hill town of Alquézar.

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MOST BEAUTIFUL TOWNS AND VILLAGES

Covarrubias. This pretty town is a delightful cluster of half-timbered houses around a handsome church on the banks of the Río Arlanza. For more information, click here.

Laguardia. Rioja wine-making is the main trade of this medieval town on top of a hill enclosed by ramparts and gateways. For more information, click here.

Besalú. Important in the middle ages, this town has preserved a medieval nucleus together with a synagogue and a picturesque bridge. For more information, click here.

Alquézar. A well-restored medieval hill town in Aragon’s wild Sierra de Guara, organised around an 11th-century collegiate church. For more information, click here.

Anciles. A delightful renovated village of stone mansions and narrow streets at the end of a winding lane from Benasque. For more information, click here.

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Besalú’s medieval bridge.

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BEST CASTLES

Olite. A fantasy castle of fairy-tale spires built by Carlos the Noble in the 15th century, with Mudéjar decorations inside. For more information, click here.

Loarre. This Romanesque fortress stands on a superb vantage point in the foothills of the Pyrenees and looks over the lowlands of Aragón. For more information, click here.

Javier (Xavier). The birthplace of Saint Francis Xavier, the patron saint of Navarre is a pleasing fusion of three buildings, including a church. For more information, click here.

Monterrei. This palace-fortress complex stands on a hill overlooking the Támega and is one of the best-preserved fortresses in Galicia. For more information, click here.

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Castle of Loarre.

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Replica of the Cave of Altamira.

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BEST CAVES

Altamira. The authentic Sistine Chapel of Stone Age Art can only be visited with luck, but the on-site museum contains a convincing replica. For more information, click here.

Tito Bustillo. Numbers of visitors are restricted to see the dozen marvellous prehistoric paintings here, which date from 40,000 years ago. For more information, click here.

Valporquero. This extensive limestone cavern in northern León has many chambers with beautiful stalactite and stalagmite formations that are sensitively illuminated. For more information, click here.

Covadonga. A shrine to the Virgin Mary has been built in this cavern on the edge of the Picos de Europa. For more information, click here.

Zugarramurdi. In olden days witches used to gather in this immense cavern in light woodland in Navarra, close to the French border. For more information, click here.

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The pretty coastal town of Cudillero.

Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

BEST COASTAL RESORTS

Cadaqués. An attractive whitewashed, flower-decked town on the northern part of the Costa Brava on the Mediterranean, associated with the artist Salvador Dalí. For more information, click here.

Castro Urdiales. A prominent Gothic church and the remains of a Templar castle stand by the attractive harbour filled with fishing boats. For more information, click here.

Hondarribia. A historic Basque town at the mouth of the Bidasoa river, connected by ferry to its opposite number, Hendaye in France. For more information, click here.

Costa Verde. The Green Coast of Asturias has several pretty harbour and beach towns, including Luarca and Cudillero. For more information, click here.

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Santo Domingo de Silos monastery.

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BEST CHURCHES AND MONASTERIES

Valle de Boí. This secluded valley in the Catalan Pyrenees has a stunning collection of Romanesque churches each distinguished by a tall bell tower. For more information, click here.

Santo Domingo de Silos. The monks’ regular Gregorian plainsong chanting is a highlight of this elegant working monastery, which is also a centre for Mozarabic studies. For more information, click here.

Monasterio de Suso. This curious, ancient cave church was carved out of the rock in Romanesque and Mozarabic style. For more information, click here.

Panteon de los Reyes, León. An extraordinary collection of brilliant 12th-century murals, showing religious scenes and medieval daily life, decorates this Romanesque chamber. For more information, click here.

León Catedral. Renowned for its extraordinary stained glass, this cathedral is illuminated by 125 large windows, the oldest dating from the 13th century. For more information, click here.

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Vineyards in autumn, La Rioja.

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BEST WINE REGIONS

Empordà. Producers in this wine region in the north of Catalonia have marked out a route for visitors to follow. For more information, click here.

La Rioja. Spain’s wine region par excellence is geared up for wine touring. Some of the more prestigious producers have invested in stunning architecture. For more information, click here.

Rías Baixas. The heavily indented Atlantic coastline of Galicia is not only a scenic treat but also produces fine white wines. For more information, click here.

Txakoli. This lesser-known light white wine is produced by vineyards on the Basque coast and best sampled in the town of Getaria. For more information, click here.

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Las Bardenas Reales, Navarra.

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BEST LANDSCAPES

Parc Nacional d’Aigüestortes. The lakes, woods and waterfalls of this mountain national park are home to golden eagles, otters and other wildlife. For more information, click here.

Bardenas Reales. When the road gives out you find yourself in a desert, with astonishing, eroded rock formations all around. For more information, click here.

Cies islands. To enjoy the wild seascapes of this Atlantic archipelago-cum-national park you have to take a boat trip from Vigo or Baiona. For more information, click here.

Río Sil gorges, Galicia. There are a great many scenic gorges all across northern Spain and this is one of the longest and finest. For more information, click here.

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Estany Negre, Parc Nacional d’Aïguestortes.

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BEST MUSEUMS

Mining Museum, El Entrego. Asturias’s industrial heritage is explained in this repurposed coal mine where the hard life of the miner is recreated. For more information, click here.

Museum of Evolution, Burgos. The human story from the earliest times is explored in this museum related to the revolutionary excavations in the Sierra de Atapuerca. For more information, click here.

Cider Museum. Cider is the preferred drink in much of the north and here you can discover the secrets of its elaboration. For more information, click here.

Teatre-Museu Dalí (Figueres). The eccentric, surrealist artist Salvador Dalí is responsible for this uniquely theatrical museum of the absurd, which amuses and bemuses in equal measure. For more information, click here.

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San Sebastián is famous for its pintxos.

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BEST CITIES FOR TAPAS

San Sebastián. Famous for its ranks of bar-top tapas, here known as pintxos. One good street to start with is Calle 21 de Agosto. For more information, click here.

Logroño. The capital of Riojan wine is supposed to have Spain’s greatest concentration of tapas bars. Try especially Calle del Laurel and Calle San Juan. For more information, click here.

León. The open secret here is that the tapas are free. Start in the Barrio Humedo then move on to the Barrio Romántico. For more information, click here.

Vigo. Fish and other seafood are to the fore in this port city and oysters are a speciality. Calle Bouzas is the best place to head for. For more information, click here.

Bilbao. There are pintxo bars all over the city. The old quarter, Casco Viejo, is a favourite but also try Calles Ledesma, Diputación and Poza. For more information, click here.

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The Mae West room at the Teatre-Museu Dalí.

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BEST CAMINO DE SANTIAGO STOPS

Roncesvalles. This town beneath a mountain pass on the border with France is the starting point of the pilgrimage in Spain. For more information, click here.

Puente la Reina. The two main routes of the pilgrimage meet here to cross a photogenic hump-backed bridge. Just outside the town is the enigmatic chapel of Eunate. For more information, click here.

Santo Domingo de la Calzada. The cathedral here permanently houses a cock and a hen in commemoration of a local miracle by St Dominic. For more information, click here.

Estella. Several remarkable churches and a royal palace draw visitors to this historic town on a meander of the Río Ega. For more information, click here.

Astorga. The Catalan architect, Antoni Gaudí, better known for his work in Barcelona, designed the bishop’s palace in this town. For more information, click here.

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The bishop’s palace in Astorga.

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The Camino de Santiago near Castrojeriz, Burgos.

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Wild horses rounded up during the Rapa das Bestas (Shearing of the Beasts) festival in Sabucedo, Galicia.

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Sheep grazing in Parque Natural Bardenas Reales.

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The causeway at Cudillero.

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SPAIN’S NORTHERN KINGDOMS

Northern Spain is a wild and rugged landscape, divided by many mountains, cultures and tongues.

The writer H.V. Morton, visiting the Picos de Europa in the early 1950s, wrote: Nothing I had seen in Spain impressed me more than this glimpse of the Asturias.

The world’s stereotypical image of Spain is all to do with flamenco, bulls, guitars and gypsy folklore, but all of these belong to the south. There is an entirely different country to the north of the great central meseta, around Madrid, which is just as Spanish but less well known. The mountainous topography and cooler, wetter climate, which is influenced more by the Atlantic than the Mediterranean (with the Pyrenees linking the two seas), gives rise to lush landscapes: deep green valleys, forests of conifers, meadows and Alpine pastures.

Yet the north could claim to be more than another Spain. The emergence of the modern Spanish state and the fusion of Islamic and Christian cultures owe much to the tenacity of the northern kingdoms of Asturias, Navarra, Aragón, Galicia, Castile and León, whose legacy is some of the most important medieval palaces, churches and cathedrals in Europe.

This is a diverse region. The fact that, within just a few hundred miles, no fewer than 14 distinct dialects and languages still flourish is a measure of the remoteness, as well as the fierce individuality of the people. The scenery varies from the desert of Navarra’s Bardenas Reales to the forests of Asturias, home to the brown bear.

For the visitor, there are plenty of reasons to spend a holiday in the north. There are fantastic festivals – such as Pamplona’s celebrated early morning bull running – and fabulous food fresh from the land and the sea. Hay meadows and fertile valleys produce refreshing wcider and intensely aromatic cheese, as well as some of the best wines in Spain. Wildlife abounds in remoter areas. There are even holiday resorts: smaller, more modest and more charming than those in the south.

A NOTE TO READERS

At Insight Guides, we always strive to bring you the most up-to-date information. This book was produced during a period of continuing uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, so please note that content is more subject to change than usual. We recommend checking the latest restrictions and official guidance.

PEOPLE OF NORTHERN SPAIN

The identity of the people of northern Spain is a complex tapestry formed by history, language and territory in interaction with the modern world.

Zarramaco, La Vijanera carnival.

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Cross the bridge from Hendaye into Irún in the Basque Country; or traverse the Minho river to reach Tui in Galicia; or take the coast road from Cerbere to Portbou in Catalonia; or step off the ferry from Britain onto the harbourside of Santander in Cantabria and one thing is sure: you will be in another country to the one you left. The language spoken and written up around you will be different; the shops and bars will be different; and so will be the lifestyle of the people you encounter.

So far, so obvious, but that will only give you the most superficial information about the inhabitants of northern Spain. To get a fuller understanding of their thoughts and motivations, its necessary to answer four questions simultaneously: What makes the Spanish, Spanish? How do the people of northern Spain differ from the people of the rest of the country (the centre and the south)? How do the people of northern Spain differ among themselves? How is the society of northern Spain evolving?

Being Spanish

To be Spanish means, of course, to live in a particular unit of political geography that corresponds pretty well to an area of physical geography. Spain is neatly defined by seas and oceans on three sides and the Pyrenees across a fourth – forming as clear a demarcation line as you could wish for across its northern border. Only the frontier with Portugal is the result of rivalry and negotiation rather than topography, sometimes following rivers sometimes not.

The modern nation of Spain is the result of waves of historical unification. Sometimes this has been with the consent of the peoples; sometimes without. The shared capital and seat of central government is Madrid although Barcelona fulfils many of the functions of a joint-capital city, such as hosting the headquarters of the mass media.

Basque muscians in Irún.

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The people are therefore held together by common geography, history and politics but the greatest tie between them is the lingua franca of Castilian, known in other countries as Spanish, which has formed the country’s lowbrow and highbrow culture.

Another common denominator is religion that, with few exceptions, means Roman Catholicism. Not everyone is a believer and attendance at mass everywhere is very sparse, but the Church still has great influence over society. Catholicism permeates much of life, providing the most common Christian names; the names of streets and squares; and innumerable saying and jokes. Religion also dictates the structure of the calendar: almost all public holidays are connected to holy feast days even if they are celebrated in earthly, secular ways.

The people in Spain also have many daily customs in common, notably their attitude to eating. Mealtimes are often described as late for people from other countries and, having eaten dinner at 10pm or later, Spaniards think nothing of going out for the night when other Europeans are going to bed.

A Coruña fish market.

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OPUS DEI

Opus Dei, the conservative Catholic lay order, has long been a networking path to success in Spain. Encouraging endeavour in business and the professions, it acts as a kind of masonic lodge. It was founded in 1928 by Monsignor José María Escrivá de Balaguer, son of a shopkeeper from Aragón, and flourished under Franco. Opus members consider their works to be religious statements, and the strictest live in celibacy in the order’s private dormitories. Its main centre, the Estudio General de Navarra near Pamplona, attracts the high flyers. Escrivá was beatified in 1992, a record 17 years after his death, and canonised in October 2002.

It is always a mistake, however, to generalise too far about any country and it is essential to remember the differences between people. The two most significant of these in Spain are gender and age. Despite decades of advances in the rights of Spanish women, their experiences of life can still vary greatly from men’s. The deepest division, though, is generational: a clear distinction can be drawn between those who remember life under a dictatorship and have a personal connection to the strife of the past, and those who have known nothing but the freedoms granted by democracy.

The North versus the rest

You only have to spend a short while in northern Spain to realise that it does not conform to the image of typical Spain: bulls, flamenco, guitars, package holidays, windmills, arid plains and all the rest. There is no exact dividing line between northern Spain and the rest of the country but there is certainly a zone of transition somewhere north of a line drawn from Barcelona to Valladolid via Zaragoza (roughly following the Ebro river in the east). Northern Spain begins where the meseta, the great plateau that forms of the centre of Spain, gives way to the mountains of the Pyrenees and the Cordillera Cantabrica.

Heading north off the meseta, there is a definite change in the landscape and climate and this has an effect on how people live. Simply put, northern Spain is cooler and wetter than the rest. Much of it is influenced by the Atlantic rather than the Mediterranean: travelling along the Pyrenees you actually notice the shift from one climate zone to the other. The characteristic types of vegetation of the north are evergreen woods and lush prairies filled with wildflowers.

Whereas in southern and central Spain you actively seek shade, in the north you are grateful to see the sun at all. The south expects and gets little rainfall and life is lived outdoors; in the north people live with one wary eye on the clouds and traditionally they made much larger houses in which to endure the long months of winter. The colder climate allows farmers only a shorter growing season and limits the crops they can plant. All this has made the people of the north generally more introverted and prudent: planning and storing are prized as virtues over spontaneity and exuberance.

Local villagers mark a wild horse, Galicia.

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Divisions across the north

That’s where the similarities across the north end. Now things get more complicated. There is one glaring issue that divides up the people of north: whether or not they describe Spanish as their primary form of identity.

At either end of the Pyrenees two great nation groups exist uneasily within the Spanish State. In both the Basque Country and Catalonia, the respective regional language, history and culture are extoled and there are even calls for independence. Galicia also has a strong conception of its own regional identity but to a much lesser extent.

Significantly, both the Basque Country and Catalonia are places of industry and enterprise, and hence prosperity and employment, underpinning the self-confidence felt in these two regions. They are also the only two regions of Spain with easy access to the rest of Europe and they pride themselves on being open to influences from the north more than the south.

Basques

The most conspicuously self-identifying group in northern Spain are the Basques. Just how different they are – whether they can claim to be a separate race or not – is a controversial topic. They have certainly preserved their culture for centuries and their own language, Euskara. The only non-Indo-European language still spoken in Western Europe, Euskara is thought to be descended from the language spoken by Aboriginal Iberian peoples. In other parts of Spain, the Basques are frequently portrayed as gruff, grave, dour and not very sociable characters, but also businesslike and efficient. In their defence, Basques say they might not be overly friendly at first meeting, but that when they finally offer you friendship, they give it completely and honestly. Culturally, they value plain talking and physical strength – as demonstrated by their muscle-breaking sports: stone-lifting, wood-chopping, weight-carrying, caber-tossing (for more information, click here).

Catalans

The Catalans have a strong sense of their own history and written culture as being connected to that of Spain but also independent from it. The Catalan language has similarities to both French and Castilian but has been a separate language since at least the 12th century.

Tapas bar on Calle del Laurel in the old town of Logroño.

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Stereotypically, Catalans are seen by outsiders as materialistic, humourless and stingy. But to Catalans, this is to misread their virtues as vices. To them, the essence of being Catalan is seny, a term as vague as it is useful, which is usually translated as profound common sense. Instead of being indolent or frivolous, Catalans like to think of themselves as deeply pragmatic types who are able to exercise sound commercial judgement and prudence. To Catalan entrepreneurs, to have seny means to be formal when conducting business, to fulfil all contractual obligations strictly and to treat honourably everyone involved in economic production, from worker to businessman.

Galicians

Gallegos (Galicians) have the reputation among other Spaniards of being thrifty, energetic characters. But since they inhabit a traditionally impoverished corner of the peninsula that is only now gaining economic power, the term Gallego has also come to mean a boor or country bumpkin. Rural Galicians are often seen as superstitious, mainly because many of them so easily blend their popular form of Catholicism with beliefs about the evil eye, the efficacy of magic, and the existence of witches and sorcerers. General Franco, the dictator of Spain for three and a half decades, was Galician.

People in between

With the Basques and Catalans (and Galicians much less so) getting all the headlines, it is easy to overlook the regions in between them, which have a much less defined sense of identity. Aragón, Asturias, Cantabria, La Rioja and Castilla y León are all autonomous regions in their own right and their inhabitants are proud of where they live but for mainly historical reasons none of them have developed a strong, clear regional cultural identity. They do not claim their particular dialects are separate languages