Brian Schaefer Dreyer lives in Madrid, but the whole of Spain is his workplace, giving him an in-depth knowledge of the entire country. Brian has a special love for the northern part of Spain. Here are his personal tips for overlooked places worth visiting in Northern Spain.
Text and photos: Brian Schaefer Dreyer
When I met my Spanish girlfriend in 2012, it was not only the start of our relationship but also the start of my relationship with Spain. We met in Wales, and after some years of moving back and forth between the UK, Denmark and Spain we settled in her hometown of Madrid.
Before my first visit to capital in the summer of 2012, I had only been visiting coastal Spain a few times, so there was a lot to discover.
I quickly fell in love with Madrid and all its treasures and opportunities. And as my girlfriend’s family is from Galicia, it was my perfect introduction to not only that region but also Northern Spain in general. So, through the years, we have been exploring the ”green belt” of Northern Spain – from Galicia to Asturias, Cantabria, The Basque Country, La Rioja and Aragón.
Being based in the heart of the Iberian Peninsula, I have been able to explore most of the Spanish regions and the diversity of this country always impresses me. Every place has its own charm, but coming from a pancake-flat country like Denmark, the mountainous regions of the North are my clear favourites.
You might be familiar with places like San Sebastian, Bilbao and Santiago de Compostela, but here I’ll give you a handful of tips to some more unknown or overlooked places in Northern Spain.
1. La Coruña, Galicia
Outside of Spain, Galicia is probably mostly known as the finish line for the pilgrims and hikers following Camino de Santiago, but this lush and mountainous region has a lot to offer outside of Santiago de Compostela. From historic cities to the steep vineyards surrounding the river Sil and the dramatic Northern coastline with stunning beaches like Praia das Catedrais – Cathedral Beach.
Citywise La Coruña was a big positive surprise for me. And I am convinced that this city would be a very popular tourist destination, if it wasn’t for its remote location in the far corner of the peninsula.
Among the highlights of La Coruña is the charming harbour with a backdrop of glass-covered balconies known as galerías – the reason for the city being nicknamed ”the glass city”.
La Coruña’s most famous sight stands on a peninsula facing the Atlantic Nearby on Plaza de María Pita you will find one of the prettiest townhalls in all of Spain, and the city is blessed with a big crescent-shaped bay of long sandy beaches. Just mind that this is the Atlantic and not the Mediterranean Sea, which means that the water temperatures are naturally much lower.
2. Las Médulas, Castilla y León
It surprised me that I had never heard of Las Médulas before my girlfriend’s uncle told us about the place. An extraordinary landscape in the northwestern corner of Castilla y León – near the border to Galicia. An area dominated by orange-coloured cliffs that pop up through a dense green forest and makes it look like something straight out of Jurassic Park.
This natural art is partly man-made though, because this area was one of the most important gold-mining areas for the Roman Empire. Back then, they eroded the cliffs by digging tunnels and filling them with water until they broke down and made it possible to extract the gold within.
Today, you can hike through the area on several paths and even get access to some of the still existing tunnels that end up in a spectacular viewpoint.
3. Astorga, Castilla y León
Spain has a ton of exciting big cities like Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Sevilla… the list goes on, and I love most of them. But I also love to discover smaller towns that seem to go under the radar with foreign tourists.
When we go to visit my girlfriend’s family in the province of Ourense in Galicia, it is a 5+ hour drive from Madrid. A trip that begs for a couple of stops along the way, and one of our favourite spots to stop is the town of Astorga in Castilla y León.
Astorga is a stop for pilmgrims walking the Camino de Santiago and its towering cathedral is not surprisingly one of its hightlights. It stands nearby the city’s Episcopal Palace which is one of only three Gaudí-buildings in Spain outside of Catalonia.
Despite being a smaller town, Astorga has one of the most impressive street art murals I have seen in Spain – a battle scene from the Peninsular War created by the artist known as Dadospuntocero.
Don’t leave the town without trying the popular pastries known as merles from Confitería Flor y Nata on Calle San José de Mayo 2.
4. Huesca Province, Aragón
Northern Spain is generally a wonderland for hikers and campers, and not at least the province of Huesca in the region of Aragón. A province dominated by the spectacular mountainous landscapes in the Spanish Pyrenées.
I can highly recommend the campsite Camping Ordesa near the rustic mountain towns of Torla and Broto. It is based on the edge of the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park which is protected by UNESCO and offers some of the most beautiful nature I have seen in Spain.
Get up early and catch the bus from Torla to the entrance of the national park (no private cars allowed in the park) and experience the nature first hand along Ruta del Cola de Caballo – The Horse’s Tail Route. It’s named like that because of the waterfall at the end of the trail resembles a horse’s tail.
The route takes you back on the same path, and depending on where you check on the internet, it is measured to be between 17-19 kilometres in total.
5. Mogrovejo and Fuente Dé, Cantabria
Cantabria is one of the smallest regions in Spain and therefore it might be overlooked between its northern neighbours of Asturias and The Basque Country. But despite its size, Cantabria offers the perfect mix of charming towns and extraordinary landscapes.
The favourite example is found on the edge of the Picos de Europa National Park that Cantabria shares with Asturias and Castilla y León. Near the ”border” to the park, the Cantabrian town of Potes offers a rustic charm around the rivers Quiviesa and Deva, but it’s also a bit touristy.
A more idyllic option is the rural village of Mogrovejo a bit further west, where less than 50 inhabitants and a few sleepy dogs enjoy a magical setting between the Cantabrian mountains. A sign states that the village was used as a movie set for ‘Heidi: Queen of the Mountains’.
Not far from Mogrovejo you can take the cable car of Fuente Dé up to the mountains of the national park where hiking paths are just waiting to be explored.
About Brian Schæfer Dreyer
- From Odense in Denmark.
- Been based in Madrid on-and-off since 2013 – also living in Wales, England and Denmark.
- Educated as a graphic designer and furniture salesman but started writing travel articles as a freelancer in 2012. Travel journalism and photography has since been his full-time job.
- His portfolio can be found at travelooney.com and you can follow him on Instagram @travelooneywriter
