Picos de Europa & The Pyrenees

Sixteen nights across northern Spain, the Pyrenees and Andorra, self-guided, in the guest’s own car, with the ferry from Britain included.

The route sails to Spain rather than driving down through France, which saves two days at either end and puts the car in Cantabria on the first morning.

Santillana del Mar opens it, a medieval town of cobbled streets near the Altamira caves, then three nights at Cangas de Onis for the Picos de Europa, a limestone massif rising to two and a half thousand metres within twenty miles of the sea, with the road up to Fuente De beneath the cable car. Rioja follows for the wine, then Sos del Rey Catolico, a walled hill town in Aragon, and the Eje Pirenaico, the road that runs the length of the Pyrenees from end to end. Two nights in Andorra come next, then the French side of the range, San Sebastian for the food, and Limpias for the ferry home. Most of the hotels are Spanish Paradores, which are state-run and housed in castles, monasteries and convents.

The return Brittany Ferries crossing with a two-berth cabin, twelve nights in the named hotels plus two in Andorra and one in Pau, thirteen breakfasts, eleven dinners including a welcome dinner, a road book, a rally plate and hotel parking are all included; lunches, fuel and travel insurance are not itemised on the page and are worth confirming at booking. Seventeen days at this price, with the ferry and most of the meals in it, is remarkable value. Late spring and early autumn are the seasons, since the Pyrenean passes carry snow in winter.