La Costa Verde – The Green Coast of Spain – Travelling Diary

Spain is one of the most popular holiday destinations due to its reliable climate, beautiful beaches and good value food and drink. When we think Spain we normally think of traditional and familiar holiday destinations such as Benidorm, Magaluf, Marbella, Tenerife etc on the Costa Del Sol, Costa Blanca, in Majorca or the Canary Islands. Less familiar but infinitely more beautiful is La Costa Verde, or the Green Coast in Northern Spain.

If you prefer a less commercial holiday, with breathtaking scenery and cooler temperatures the aptly named Green Coast may be more to your taste. This is the name given to the Coastal strip in the North of Spain lying north of the Cantabrian and Basque mountains, along the Bay of Biscay. This land strip includes Asturias, Cantabria and the northern half of the Basque country from Galicia through to the French border. Although you are more likely to see rain in this area than the rest of Spain, especially through the summer months the sun is out most of the time and the sea is warm enough to swim.

It is the warm, moist climate that has created the forests and rich vegetation that give this region its name and it is a very popular holiday resort for the Spanish. The area has many old and elegant seaside towns, and a dramatic landscape featuring tiny, isolated coves along the coast and inland mountains and forests. Beauty, unique gastronomy, tradition, and rural essence are the the components of the Green Coast.

There are several airports from which you can start your journey, renting a car to have the opportunity to travel around the area, either on a circular route and dropping back at the same airport or maybe picking up from one airport and dropping off at another. Asturias, La Coruña, Santiago de Compostela, Vigo, Oviedo, Santander, Bilbao and San Sebastian are all airports along the Costa Verde.

Green Spain is for travellers who want the beach, but also want to see more authentic Spain, and you will be surprised at the greenness and lusciousness of the countryside. The Green Coast is often described as the green beauty of the Scottish Highlands but with sun!!!

Asturias and Cantabria are two Northen Regions that share Green Spain´s most picturesque mountains, the Picos de Europa, along with pastoral landscapes of river valleys and gorges, misty hills and an unspoilt coast. A driving holiday would be perfect and why not treat yourself and rent a cabriolet to really make the most of the scenery, with the sun on your face and the wind in your hair. Fabulous.

There are many choices of places to stay, one of the best things about Spain is the variety and value of accommodation. You can go low budget from approximately 20 euros per night for a double room, but even a four or 5 star hotel will cost you less than you think, maybe only 40/45 euros if not in peak season. Try www.littlehotels.co.uk/spain/ for economic hotels with character and charm, or there are many cottages and villas for rent, Sites such as www.ownersdirect.co.uk are also informative and useful.

Renting a car means that you can travel around, driving in Spain is generally a pleasure as there is a noticeable absence of traffic outside the big cities due to the fact that Spain is a huge country with a small population. With a car, you can make sure you make the most of your trip to the exquisite Green and often forgotten Coast of Spain.

If you are interested in hiring a car for your trip to Spain or indeed anywhere in the world and need some guidance in terms of vehicles or any other special requirements then our reservation agents will be happy to assist you. Contact us directly by calling +44 (0)113 880 0748 or emailing us at [email protected] and we will get right back to you.

Having worked in the car rental industry for over 15 years, he really knows his stuff. Rob heads up our marketing department and as a keen traveller, always has a new location to talk about. Particularly if there is a golf course nearby.