The Spanish trip you didn’t know you needed

Do you ever feel that holiday anticipation gets blunted by endless decisions and over-googling the destination in advance?

According to an article in Thrillist, there is now a growing appetite for “mystery destination” trips. SAS airline offers a mystery flight, where people board with no idea where they’re off to (not even the flight attendants know), while cruise lines are adding secret port stops. The Faroe Islands have also started pushing mystery-route road trips to guide travellers to secret places.

Holiday time is precious, claro, but what if you could research less, allow for spontaneity, and still be sure of enjoying it to the max? You can. Close those open browser tabs and rely on me to do all the research and planning for you. I have first-hand knowledge of the places I recommend. Plus, it's my job to get to know your style, wishes and absolute no-nos, so your trip will be tailored to a T. 

So, where to next?

Our Lady of the Barca Church, Galicia

I don’t moonlight for the Spanish Tourist Board, but I do like their new campaign (“Think You Know Spain? Think Again”) to lure people away from heaving tourist spots to explore the rest of this multifaceted land. There’s just so much to see!

Where would I recommend to people who want to get to know more of Spain? Here are a few of my favourite places and the pictures I took there...

Wild, green Galicia

Parador de Santo Estevo

Galicia in the northwest of Spain is its own world. This is camino territory, of course, and its capital Santiago de Compostela the end point for weary walkers. 

In a week you can wander the cliff-fringed beaches on the “Coast of Death" to the westernmost point at Fisterra, considered by the Romans as the end of the world. Then head along windy roads and thick forests to Ourense's thermal river pools and the vine-clad canyon of the Ribeira Sacra valley. 

Spend an atmospheric night at the sprawling Parador de Santo Estevo in the Ribeira Sacra, once a 6th Century Benedictine monastery and now a restored (and reasonably priced) hotel. 

Throw in some barnacles plucked straight from the sea, blonde beef and Albariño wine and you've got yourself a vacation. 

Asturias for hikers, bikers and cheese lovers

Asturias really has it going on for hikers, bikers and climbers. Its star attraction is the huge Picos de Europa national park, full of jagged mountains and lakes. The coastal towns and beaches rival those of Galicia, and the local food is designed to power you through the adventure.

Famous local dishes include cachopo (a massive schnitzel with ham and cheese) and fabada asturiana (bean stew with sausages and smoked ham). It's the home of feisty Cabrales and Gamonéu blue cheese and you can tour the caves where they are aged. 

To sleep it all off, I recommend the Puebloastur Eco Resort (pictured).

Teruel Exists!

I promise never to use the words h***** g**, so let's just say that Teruel in Aragon is gorgeous and under-explored by foreign tourists. Feeling ignored by the government, its citizens founded a movement in 1999 called Teruel Exists to demand more investment and infrastructure.

When you go there, you'll wonder why it's not on the tourist radar. It's full of well-preserved Mudéjar architecture, history and exceptional ham.

This high-altitude provincial capital is surrounded by medieval villages like Rubielos de Mora, Mora de Rubielos (not a typo, they're two different places) and Albarracin, which is always on the list of Spain's prettiest pueblos.

If you’re ready to dive deeper into Spain, or plan a larger European vacation, don't hesitate to get in touch for a free chat. I’d also appreciate it if you would share my newsletter with your friends and family.
¡Buen verano! 🌞