We head north to Llanes, a small town in northern Spain, that sits in the province of Asturias. To the north there is the Picos de Europa, a mountain range made up almost entirely of limestone and the region is part of the Costa Verde (Green Coast) of Spain, which is known for its spectacular coastal scenery, lots of white sandy beaches, and beautiful mountains.
It started to rain so we found ourselves a small hotel and stayed the night. Llanes is a lovely little town with a really nice vibe. After 7pm, every man and his dog comes out of the woodwork and the place is humming in the evening – despite the rain!
From Llanes, we carry on up the coast toward France and head into Basque Country. The Basque Country is the name given to the home of the Basque people in the western Pyrenees that straddles the border between France and Spain on the Atlantic coast.
We stop for lunch in Bakio which unfortunately wasn’t the best as the waitress got our order mixed up and gave us a meat dish. Sigh!
Under advisement from my friend Francoise, we hug the coast and visit San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, which is a small chapel dedicated to John the Baptist, sitting on the islet of Gaztelugatxe in the Bay of Biscay. Its quite a stunning vista looking out across to the islet. You can take the steep downward walk which takes 1/2 hour to reach the islet and according to the legend, once you arrive you ring the bell three times, and make a wish. We didn’t do the walk this time round – next visit!
Views down the coast and along our drive
We weave our way down through the mountains, arriving at Hasparren late afternoon. I’m keen to catch up with Francoise and discover more about the Pays Basque region.