Do you think you know Spain? Do you think everything is sangria and paella? So you haven’t been to northwestern Spain. Known as ‘Green Spain’, the regions of Asturias and Galicia (as well as parts of Castilla y León) are very, very different from the rest of Spain.
Cities and towns in northwestern Spain
Main cities and towns in the northwest of Spain, in order of ‘importance’ for tourists:
- Santiago de Compostela
- Fisterra
- A Coruña
- Oviedo
- Leon
Reflexes
- Enjoy the fabulous green landscape, it is everywhere. Let your ideas dissipate of what Spain looks like while surrounded by hills and green pastures.
- Visit the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, the final destination of those on the Camino de Santiago.
- Drink Sidra (Spanish cider) in Oviedo (on Boulevard de la Sidra)
- Visit the end of the world in Fisterra. Fisterra was the westernmost point of the Roman Empire and it was believed that the sun went out every night as it set out to sea. The horrible weather there really adds to the feeling that you’ve reached the end of the planet!
- Eat Pulpo a la Gallega, octopus boiled with paprika, in a restaurant in A Coruña or Santiago de Compostela. It may sound gross, and it’s certainly not to everyone’s taste, but it’s an essential part of Galician cuisine and many people can’t get enough of it. Read more about Galician food.
- Climb the Tower of Hercules in A Coruña and take a look at the stunning coastline.
- Eat free tapas in León (and also visit the city’s cathedral)
Places to add if you have time
Other popular cities in northwestern Spain include Ourense, Vigo, Pontevedra, and Gijón.
Northwest Spain itinerary
This suggested itinerary is for those who did not come to Spain to sunbathe, but who are interested in the diversity of Spain, from ancient Castile (where Spanish originates from) to Galicia and Asturias, where there are bagpipes and cider. instead of flamenco. Guitars and sangria.
This itinerary is self-guided.
- Day 1-4: Madrid
- Day 5-6: Segovia
- Day 6: Ávila (half day)
- Day 7-8: Salamanca
- Day 9-10: Santiago de Compostela.
- Day 11-12: A Coruña
- Day 13-14: Oviedo
- Day 15: León (half a day, or even just for lunch)
- Day 15: Madrid
Total travel time
- By bus 22h (Total price: € 88)
- By train 10:45 pm * (Total price: € 90.50) *
* It is not possible to do the whole trip by train alone. If necessary, the time and the price of the bus have been added to the total.
Longer travel time
- By bus Salamanca to Santiago de Compostela and A Coruña to Oviedo are six hours. There are no trains on these routes.
- By train Leon to Madrid takes four hours. The bus is a little faster.
Trip details
Below are the schedules and prices for traveling by bus and train. All train tickets can be booked through Rail Europe. Not much of this itinerary is served by trains.
In general, buses can be half the price of the train, with travel times approximately 30% longer, although on the itinerary route the schedules are more or less the same. The bus is a much better value than the train, but it can be quite difficult to book. The Spanish bus network is divided into several different companies. I have indicated below with which bus company to book. For most (but frustratingly not all) bus schedules, see Movelia. Movelia allows you to print tickets, which saves time as you can go directly to the bus with your printing, but as Movelia has not yet integrated all the bus companies into its network, this service cannot be trusted.
- Madrid – Segovia
- By bus: 1h15 (€ 6 with La Sepulvedana
- By train: 1h15 (€ 5.50)
- Segovia – Avila
- By bus: 1h with Auto-Res (price: 5.30 €)
- By train: no train
- Avila – Salamanca
- By bus: 1h30 with Auto-Res (price: € 6)
- By train: 1h (€ 8)
- Salamanca – Santiago de Compostela
- By bus: 6h (€ 22 with Dainco)
- By train: no train
- Santiago de Compostela – A Coruña
- By bus: 1h (€ 4 – use local buses)
- By train: 1h (3.50-5 €)
- A Coruña – Oviedo
- By bus: 6h (€ 19 with Alsa)
- By train: no train
- Oviedo – Leon
- By bus: 1h45 (€ 7.50 with Alsa)
- By train: 2h30 (€ 6.50 – note: there are some faster trains (saving 40 minutes) that are three times the price)
- Leon – Madrid
- By bus: 3h30 (€ 19.50 with Alsa)
- By train: 4h (22 € – note: there are some slower trains that are strangely more expensive)
