where to go next?

[Dilano]

i have a few days holiday to take in late september and would like to go somewhere that is not yet overrun by tourists. i do like towns and cities so am thinking of checking out Leon or Gijon.

Has anyone been to either of these places? would appreciate some inf.thanks

[Ben]

Leon is really interesting for a couple of days, the old part of town, in particular the Barrio Humedo, is famous for its tapas, and rightly so, they are amazing and mostly come free with every drink! Gijon is also very nice, but also I think just for a day or two. It certainly provides a nice jumping off point for the rest of Asturias though, and if you have a car you must check out the Picos de Europa mountains and places along the coast such as Llanes or Ribadesella and all the wonderful beaches in between.

Definitely a lot less tourists in those places, and though you may get rain in September anywhere in the north, if the weather is good then the scenery will be stunning. If it rains then you just have an extra excuse to eat non-stop!

[Sampson]

I have some friends who visited Gijon last winter and said it was amazing. They are big hikers and climers so they loved the abundance of exploration territory. They said the locals along the way were extremely friendly and offered a great cultural experience to get lost in. Their pics were stunning.

[TotallyKen]

The choice really depends on what you feel like. A historic city in the interior or a nice city by the coast with a pleasant promenade and beach.

Both have their pluses. Gijon provides easy access to some beautiful coastline whether you travel east or west. Also the nearby capital of Oviedo is also worth checking out. In fact Woody Allen will be there soon filming part of his new movie being shot in both Barcelona and Oviedo. September is a lovely time to visitg Asturias and if you like good food and natural cider then Gijon is your best choice.

Leon is historically very interesting. It´s on the Camino de Santiago and the cathedral is amazing especially the stained glass. Here you´ll also find one of the few works by Gaudi (Palacio Botines) outside of Catalunya. Nearby Astorga also features a pilgrim museum in a building designed by Gaudi. For me Leon, while charming, is a bit on the small side unless you´re only going for a night or two. Any longer and I think you´d be better to plug for Gijon.

That´s my tupence worth anyway.

[ribeirasacra]

Another suggestion is the city of Burgos. Small but worth a days visit and is near Leon.

[Juanjo]

Another suggestion is the city of Burgos. Small but worth a days visit and is near Leon.[/quote]

Ávila and Salamanca (maybe even Segovia, in the evening after the "Spain-in-a-Week" crowds have left.)

Juanjo

[djS]

Well you say you from London so you few airport to go from that fly in every part of Spain . and few good places say so far so here my 2 cents worth .
hope on the plane and hit for Spain (Ha ha ha ) well Alicante
just down the road by taxi is Santa Pola it is not yet overrun by tourists.
and you got Elche real Spanish town and la marina

[Marina]

Hi Dilano,

I much prefered Oviedo to Gijón, it has a very nice old pedestrian part full of nice bars and a lovely market. You can listen to more info about it in this Notes from Spain podcast. (http://www.notesfromspain.com/243/)

Galicia would be another good option if you like authentic places that are not full of turists. More info of Galicia can be found in Santiago's podcast (http://www.notesfromspain.com/181/) and Rias Bajas podcast. (http://www.notesfromspain.com/190/)

[ribeirasacra]

SdC is not Galicia, the Rias Baixas is great place and if you want to visit a great town go to Lugo. Or the countryside around us!!!!!

[xan]

i have a few days holiday to take in late september and would like to go somewhere that is not yet overrun by tourists. i do like towns and cities so am thinking of checking out Leon or Gijon.

Has anyone been to either of these places? would appreciate some inf.thanks

España verde. That´s where you should go. I can´t speak directly for Galicia, never been there, but Asturias and Cantabria are rewarding. There is tourism along the coast, e.g, Santander, Llanes, but it is almost all Spanish tourism, Madrileños escaping the summer heat. There are very few foreigners anywhere in Asturias. My personal favorite, the wild forested zones, especially the far Southwest (Cangas del Narcea, Ibías) and around Parque natural de Redes, just W of the Picos de Europa. Authentic rural Spain. The Picos de Europa, which are a national park, also have their charms, and are quite scenic, although there is significant tourism there and some foreigners. There is a Picos de Europa "Parque Natural" in Palencia immediately S of the national park, which is wild and empty, if you go for that kind of stuff.

I agree that Oviedo is quite a nice town, and essentially tourist-free. If I had a sabbatical year that's probably where I would take it. Gijón is somewhat more industrial.

In general there is little english-speaking infrastructure in these places, so you should be prepared to get along in spanish.

[natalia]

I've been to Leon and Gijon for the day, and both seemed like nice cities but nothing jumped out to me. I guess it depends what type of holiday you want really. I mean the weather up there is more similar to English (or it was when I went)- like the beaches in Gijon made me feel like I was back home! And they even had bag pipes hahaha :)

[omeyas]

hope on the plane and hit for Spain (Ha ha ha ) well Alicante
just down the road by taxi is Santa Pola it is not yet overrun by tourists.
and you got Elche real Spanish town and la marina

My 2c's worth would be to avoid that area completely!! :) Alicante itself is not so bad, but Santa Polo has loads of Brits, and whatever you do, don't go further south to Torrevieja, it's horrible! Absolutely overrun with Brits! I'd opt for some of the other suggestions in northern Spain.

[ribeirasacra]

yep Bagpipes...or as they are called here Gaitas are found along the northern edge of Spain, from Galicia into Asturias.

jWRIQ49puEw


posted this link in case the insert does not work
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=jWRIQ49puEw