While everyone else heads for the Mediterranean, the wild green north of Spain stays gloriously, stubbornly quiet.
Say Spain and most people picture the sun-baked south, the packed costas and the party islands. But drive north to where the country turns green and the Atlantic rolls in cold and clean, and you find a different Spain entirely. This is a coast of misty cliffs, hidden coves and fishing towns that have never once tried to be a resort. It is my favourite stretch of European coast, and I am almost reluctant to write about it.
A greener, cooler kind of coast
The northern coast runs from Galicia in the west through Asturias and Cantabria to the Basque Country in the east, and rain keeps it emerald all year. The light is soft and grey-gold rather than harsh, the sea is bracing, and the hills come right down to the water. For anyone who finds the Mediterranean too hot and too busy, this cooler, wilder coast is a revelation. Bring a jumper, not just a swimsuit.
Towns that still work for a living
The pleasure of the north is that its towns are real. In small ports the boats still go out at dawn, the catch comes in by mid-morning, and lunch is whatever they landed. I like to base myself in a working fishing town, walk the harbour wall, and eat percebes and grilled sardines at a counter with the fishermen. Nobody is performing for tourists because there are so few of us. You are simply allowed to be there.
Slow days between the cliffs
My days here have a simple shape. A morning walk along the clifftop paths, a swim if I am brave enough, a long seafood lunch, and an afternoon reading with the window open to the sound of the surf. The weather turns on a whim, which only adds to the drama — a squall blows through, the sun returns, and the cliffs glow greener than ever. If you want a coast that asks nothing of you but attention, this is the one to seek out.
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