Real Guests Lyn and Kim Review Northern Spain

With its elegant cities stepped in history, quaint villages and sandy beaches, Northern Spain a must-visit destination. Not to mention the sensational cuisine. But don’t just take our word for it, discover the highlights through the eyes of past Insight Vacations guests Lyn and Kim. Whether you’re planning your first Spanish trip or dreaming of seeing more of this fabulous country, read on for a dose of Iberian travel inspiration.

A Fabulous Destination

“We usually travel overseas once a year, it’s a long way from Australia,” Lyn tells us. “When I turned 50, I said I wanted to travel every year until we couldn’t travel anymore.

“This was our third tour with Insight Vacations, and our first time in Spain. We chose to go to the north of Spain as the Northern Spain tour looked really interesting and fitted the dates that we were available to travel. My sister traveled with us, as she has on all of our Insight tours. This is something we love about Insight Vacations, that we are able to enjoy travel together.

“Spain was an amazing destination. I wasn’t really sure what to expect but it was wonderful to see the big cities as well as some of the smaller villages. The people were really friendly and welcoming, we loved the food, and the local guides were great as they add that extra knowledge to what we are experiencing.”

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A Journey Through Classic Spain

On the 11 Day tour Northern Spain tour, the cities of Barcelona, Segovia, Santander and San Sebastian take center stage. Spain’s historic cities, architecture, and monuments bear witness to a rich past that dates back over 2,000 years with the arrival of the Roman Empire. The country is dotted with significant archaeological sites that reveal over a million years of prehistory. As you explore, you’ll find reminders of warring kingdoms, the grandeur of colonial times, the scars of a civil war, and the evolution of European statehood all around you.

Northern Spain is famous for its modern Spanish cuisine and produces some of the country’s best wines. It is also where you will find the Basque Country, straddling the border between France and Spain on the coast of the Bay of Biscay.

Highlights of the Northern Spain tour include joining a Local Expert to explore Oviedo’s 9th Century churches, wandering the cobbled streets of picturesque Santillana del Mar and sampling pinxos in San Sebastian. One day you are relaxing at a luxury beach resort in Santander, and another walking around Barcelona’s famous Sagrada Família.

Lyn and Kim’s Highlights

“It’s so hard to pick one highlight,” says Lyn. “We loved Santiago de Compostela as it is the place my eldest sister finished the two Camino trails she walked, and it made me feel close to her.

The Camino de Santiago, or the Way of St. James, is a vast network of ancient pilgrimage paths that weave through Europe, converging at the tomb of St. James (Santiago in Spanish) located in Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain. One of the most renowned walking routes in the world, it draws pilgrims from around the globe, with the most frequented path being the 800 km Camino Francés.

“San Sebastian was also beautiful,” says Kim of the coastal city, known as Donostia in Basque. “The beaches were lovely, and the city also had so much to offer in the way of great bars restaurants and shops.”  A haven for food lovers, in San Sebastian you’ll see that the Basque Country has a totally unique culture that doesn’t seem to fit the typical image of Spain at all, with most of their heritage and culture still intact.

“We took an optional experience day trip to Biarritz in France which was fabulous,” Kim adds. An elegant seaside town on the France Basque coats, Biarritz is rich in architectural heritage and history, popular with surfers and now known as a major hub for galleries and contemporary art. “The landscape here is very distinctive, and the town itself is kind of postcard perfect. You have art-deco buildings mixed with Basque style villas, the seaside promenade and craggy cliffs to admire.”

A Culinary Extravaganza

There’s few who haven’t heard of Paella, gazpacho, gambas and patatas bravas, or melt in the mouth Iberian jamon.  Spain’s gastronomy is world famous for good reason, and the country is one of the leading exponents of the Mediterranean diet. Based on olive oil, fresh vegetables and other fresh seasonal food, this healthy, flavorful tradition has earned Spanish cuisine UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status.

A key ingredient for every Insight Vacations journey, your selection of dining choices on dining on Northern Spain offer a peek into the country’s historic and cultural traditions. A careful balance of top restaurants and local cuisine (with a thoughtful vegetarian option on every included meal) are matched with the freedom to choose how you dine, with your Travel Director always on hand for recommendations.

“Our welcome dinner in Madrid was delicious,” says Kim of the local meal on the first day of the tour. “We met some lovely people that night.” A key starter for every Insight Vacations journey, the welcome dinner gives guests a chance to get a taste for the country and for their fellow travelers.

“I had thought I may struggle to find nice vegetarian food in Spain,” Lyn tells us “But I was wrong. I enjoyed many vegetarian Pinxos,” she says of the traditional finger food famous in San Sebastian, “and I even embraced eating later!” (The Spanish are well known for starting dinner around 9pm and going on into the small hours).

MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® in Gijon

“Our dining experience in Gijon was a once in a lifetime experience,” says Lyn of this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. Created to leave a positive impact as you travel, you’ll find at least one of these sustainable experiences on 90% of Insight Vacations tours, with a goal of 100% by 2025. In Gijon, on Spain’s Green Coast of Asturias, you’ll meet locals for a delicious meal of locally sourced produce that has been prepared just for you.

“The way the restaurant was decorated with its cider bottles was something I have never seen before and the seating was like we were in large wooden barrels. The food was nonstop and catering to everyone’s tastes and dietary needs. Dessert was to die for.  Drinking the cider made in this region was a great connection to the area.”

Each MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience is aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, with this experience supporting 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.

A Great Pace for Us

Taking in 11 cities over 11 days, the Northern Spain tour covers a lot of ground. “The pace of the tour was perfect for us,” Lyn says. “We had some relaxed starts help to recharge your batteries and fits perfect with the late evenings you experience in Spain.

“The weather was a little cooler and wet when we were there, so it maybe limited some of our views but overall, we saw everything we wanted. As always, when I get to a place I wish we had a few more days to do some self-exploring but we saw all of the highlights and had enough free time to ourselves as well.”

Stylish Stays

With so much to see and take in, you need great places to rest your head. From the modern Hilton Barcelona to the stylish designer hotel Barceló in Oviedo, you’ll travel “Business Class” style every step of the way.

“My favorite hotel was actually a historic hotel called The Hotel Real in Santander. The old world feel and history behind the hotel really appealed to me,” Lyn tells us. Facing the Playa de los Peligros beach the 5-star Eurostars Hotel Real towers over the bay of Santander from atop the hill on which it stands, surrounded by its own gardens.

“We loved the huge elegant halls with their large windows. The hotel has great views out over the bay and excellent service.”

Appreciation for our Travel Director and the Coaches

“Our Travel Director Angela did a wonderful job,” says Kim. “She made us feel very welcome and catering to our different dietary needs. If we needed anything Angela was there to help. I think that the Travel Director makes a huge difference to the tour and is one of the things we love about Insight Vacations. Every detail is taken care off, you really don’t have to worry about anything.”

“Getting from place to place was very easy, the insight coaches are amazing,” Lyn adds. “Our coach was only two weeks old and was so clean and comfortable. There was always plenty of room and places to charge your devices if needed. Insight also has very experienced drivers which you can trust, so you just enjoy the ride and arrive at your next stop ready to go.”

Don’t miss out on the magic for yourself, book yourself a place on Northern Spain.