Day
1 - Saturday: Leon to Cistierna. Meet
at noon in Leon, at the Parador de San Marcos, a magnificent 16th-century building
with an exquisitely ornate Plateresque façade, a cloister and a chapel.
Lunch in Leon. Board the train and settle in while traveling to Cistierna in the
Esla Valley, where you can visit the Iron, Steel, and Mining Industry Museum.
Dinner and overnight in Cistierna.
Day
2 - Sunday: Cistierna to Villasana de Mena.
During breakfast the train travels to Guardo. From there, you'll go by coach to
visit Olmeda's Roman Villa and the Romanesque architecture of Palencia, Carrion
de Los Condes, Villacazar de Sirga and Fromista. Lunch in Villacazar. In the afternoon
you'll take the train from Mataporquera to Mercadillo. Enjoy the scenery as the
train curves around the rim of the impressive Ebro dam and the beautiful marshland
region of Las Merindades. Dinner and overnight in Villasana de Mena.
Day
3 - Monday: Villasana de Mena to Santander. During
breakfast the train winds its way through the Valley of Mena and the region of
Vizcaya (the Basque Country) to reach Bilbao, a bustling modern city on the Atlantic
Ocean. The tour of the city includes a visit to the famous Guggenheim Museum (July
and August only, as the museum is closed on Mondays the rest of the year). Visit
the classic car museum in the Loizaga Tower of the medieval castle of Concejuelo
in Galdames. The museum has 75 classic cars, including 43 Rolls Royce models.
Lunch, then afternoon ride to Santander, capital of Cantabria, a beautiful coastal
resort with an enchanting past. Tour of the city and dinner. Optional excursion
to the local casino after dinner.
Day
4 - Tuesday: Santander to Arriondas.
During breakfast the train will reach Cabezon de la Sal. From there, the coach
will take you to Santillana del Mar, a beautiful medieval village frozen in time.
The tour includes a visit to Altamira, a replica of the nearby stone-age caves
which have become world-famous because of their rare and unique prehistoric paintings.
After lunch, continue by train to the province of Asturias, where you'll visit
the beautiful seaside resort towns of Llanes, Ribadesella, and Arriondas. Later,
enjoy dinner in Cangas de Onis. Overnight in Arriondas.
Day
5 - Wednesday: Arriondas to Gijon.
Today you'll travel through the heart of Asturias. The coach will take you up
to the magnificent National Park "Picos de Europa" for a visit of the
beautiful lakes and the sanctuary of Covadonga. After lunch, continue by train
to Gijon, an impressive Asturian seaside city. Dinner and overnight in Gijon.
Day
6 - Thursday: Gijon to Luarca. A short ride takes you from Gijon to
the capital of the principality of Asturias, Oviedo, a city known for its gastronomy
and some of the finest pre-Romanesque monuments in Europe. Lunch in Oviedo. Then
on to Luarca, the 'White Town' of Green Spain. Dinner and overnight in Luarca.
Day
7 - Friday: Luarca to Viveiro. This
morning you'll head along the coast to the province of Galicia and the city of
Ribadeo, located on the estuary of the Eo River. The region along the coast is
called the "Rias Altas" (Upper Estuaries) and is stunningly picturesque.
Visit Las Catedrales Beach, where the rocks form natural arches resembling a cathedral.
Lunch in Ribadeo. In the afternoon, continue by train to Viveiro, a beautiful
walled city. Dinner in Viveiro.
Day
8 - Saturday: Viveiro to Santiago de Compostela.
For your last journey by train, you'll travel from Viveiro to Ferrol (near A Coruña).
You'll then board the coach for Santiago de Compostela, your final destination.
A city tour will treat you to the quaint old quarter and the Obradoiro Square
in front of the wonderful Cathedral with its interesting mixture of Romanesque,
Gothic and Baroque styles
This
tour also operates in the reverse direction, which includes the Guggenheim Museum
visit all year. This itinerary is subject to change without notice.
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Highlights
- Cistierna:
Iron, Steel and Mining Industry Museum
- Roman
villa of La Olmeda
- City
tour of Bilbaos, with visit to the Guggenheim Museum - selected departures only
(see above)
- Classic
car museum in Galdames
- Santander:
city tour and casino night
- The
prehistoric caves of Altamira
- The
rugged coast of "Green Spain" with its fishing villages
- The
"Picos de Europa" mountains
- The
sanctuary and basilica of Covadonga
- Oviedo:
pre-Romanesque monuments
- Ribadeo:
Las Catedrales Beach
- Walled
city of Viveiro
- Santiago
de Compostela (end point of "The Way of St. James" pilgrimage route)
