Green Spain
Green Spain in four seasons
You can enjoy an incredible journey at any time of the year. Here are a few options for you to choose from.
Summer
Relax in delightful, deserted coves or take your family to enjoy comfortable town beaches like the one in Samil in Galicia. From there you can take a boat to a paradise of dunes and cliffs in the Cíes Islands (Vigo), where you’ll find the Playa de Rodas, the best beach in the world according to the famous British newspaper, The Guardian.
Then there are the emerald waters of the Playa de Poo beach in Asturias, surrounded by verdant pastures. Go diving in Muros de Nalón and forget your daily routine on the beach under the cliffs of El Silencio. In Cantabria you can take long walks along the huge Playa del Sardinero beach. From the Playa de La Concha beach you’ll have incredible views over the bay of San Sebastián. If you visit this beautiful city in Euskadi in mid-August you’ll be able to enjoy what they call the Semana Grande, one of the year’s most spectacular festivals. The programme includes concerts, firework displays and a pirate incursion from the port on the Playa de La Concha. The San Sebastián International Film Festival, which takes place at the end of the summer is another good reason to visit this city. If you book far enough in advance you can attend the galas and screenings..
Autumn
In Green Spain there are so many places where you can enjoy the beautiful colours of the autumn canvas. One of those is the Forest of Muniellos, in Asturias, the largest oak forest in Spain and one of the best preserved in the country. This season is ideal for hiking and photography through landscapes tinged with ochre, yellow and red. Walk amongst trees which are over 6 metres in diameter and remember to book your trip early as the number of visitors is limited.
The autumn is also the time to gather in and celebrate the harvest. In the Rioja Alavesa Region they really do it in style during the Grape Harvest Festival. Enjoy a real wine festival with firework displays and popular music while witnessing a unique ritual, treading the grapes which have just been picked.
Winter
Is quite a treat to see the spectacular camellias in bloom in the gardens of stately homes in Galicia, locally known as pazos. Here, legend has it that Marco Polo brought these delicate flowers as a souvenir of the Silk Road. Follow their trail to the Pazo de Oca (Pontevedra), where you’ll find some of the oldest examples in Europe.
January is the start of the cider season in Euskadi. It’s now the turn of the txotx when the cider makers open their doors to offer the season’s cider accompanied by traditional menus. You can drink all the cider you want directly from the kupela (barrel) and try traditional Basque dishes like cod omelette, fried cod with peppers, txuleta or barbecued meat and for dessert, Idiazabal cheese, quince jam and walnuts.
Spring
Spring in Cantabria is mild. It’s the ideal time to take the Route of the Santoña Anchovies, a port which is famous for its exquisite tinned tuna fish and anchovies in olive oil. If you have a passion for bird-watching, here you’ll find an ecological paradise in the Marismas de Santoña Nature Reserve, one of the most important wetlands in the north of Spain.
At this time of year nature awakes after a long winter. It can be a real adventure following the tracks left by brown bears and other wild animals in the nature reserves in Asturias. You’ll find them amongst the spectacular landscapes of Somiedo or the Fuentes de Narcea Nature Reserve and enjoy an unforgettable experience.
