Spain is the third most visited country with over 55 million tourists each year.
Many of those visitors stick to the more well known areas and larger cities.
A great way to experience a country is to get out of the larger tourist areas. Here are our picks for a road trip through Northern Spain.
Donostia-San Sebastian is a beautiful seaside city popular for domestic and international travel
especially in the summer due to the blue water and amazing beaches.
While we visited in March when it was still too cold for a swim there were still locals surfing.
We enjoyed the funicular ride up to Monte Igueldo with a pretty view of the bay
and then explored old town and ate pintxos which are kind of like the Basque version of tapas.
Tapas are usually served on a plate while pintxos are served on bread with a toothpick.
San Sebastian is in Basque Country so the drive from Madrid has beautiful views of green rolling hills speckled with little white houses.
This islet off the coast looks like it's straight out of a movie.
Well it really is seen in the show Game of Thrones, but the view from the cliffs is amazing
and the hike although long and difficult is definitely worth it.
You'll be stopping every so often to caught your breath and take more pictures from new angles.
At the top is a small church dating back to the 10th century,
but it has been destroyed numerous times by fire, so it's not the original.
The church bell should be rung three times to attract good luck.
After your hike you'll be ready for lunch in Bilbao.
The Lagos de Covadonga are nestles away in the Picos de Europa National Park.
The lakes are a beautiful blue that sparkle in the sun and are perfect for a family friendly hike.
The Sanctuary of Covadonga is a must-see masterpiece as well.
In the summer months you have to drive up early in the morning before they close the road
or take the shuttle buses up to the lakes from Covadonga.
Food is always a priority for us and eating in Covadonga was going to be rather expensive.
So we drove 20 minutes to Cangas de Onis
and found a very reasonably priced restaurant and enjoyed walking around the town.
There are tons of picturesque villages along the coast of Northern Spain.
Cudillero reminded us of Cinque Terre in Italy
with its colorful houses along the turquoise water.
It's said that the color of the houses match the color of the fisherman's boat.
This quiet village was a perfect stop for breakfast and we got the best cheese at a local shop.
We also picked up bread, meat and fruit for lunch on the beach at our next stop.
As Catedrais beach is in the Galicia region of Spain
and is known for its towering sea caves and beautiful natural stone arches
that rival man-made cathedrals in beauty.
During the Summer months you will need a reservation
as the number of visitors allowed on the beach at one time is limited.
It is especially important to keep an eye on the tide as it rises quickly
which we learned firsthand.
Our original plan going to Combarro was to take the ferry
to see the white sand beaches and crystal clear water of the Las Islas Cies,
but the ferry wasn't running so instead we drove up and down the coast
exploring different beaches and towns.
Our favorite was Praia de Foxos with it's golden sand and tiny church.
It was the perfect last stop for relaxing after driving across the country.
We hope you're inspired to explore Spain and thank you for watching.
Please like and subscribe for more videos to help you travel more.
You can also check out our blog for an additional location not shown in the video
and more details of where you can make reservations for the locations we visited.