Travel like a local: 5 Spanish coasts

(Vigo, O Grove, Corrubedo)

Here, the sea not only paints the landscape, it also defines it. On the Atlantic coast of Galicia , every port, every table, and every conversation has a touch of salt. From the Rías Baixas , passing through the Ría de Arousa to the wildest part of the Corrubedo Natural Park , this is one of the northern Spanish coasts where seafaring life continues to set the tone, amid seafood feasts, sun until late in the day, wind, and fog.

Vigo is a city in transformation: it preserves its fishing identity while creative spaces flourish, with market-style cuisine and an urban lifestyle that coexists with the Cíes Islands opposite and O Morrazo on the other side. The fish markets, the taverns with zinc tables, the chanting in the furanchos ( wooden houses) are key to understanding its essence.

O Grove smells of barnacles and Albariño wine , like a tavern with a checkered paper tablecloth and wooden benches, where seafood arrives from the port straight to your table. Here, everything happens near the water: boats constantly enter and leave, rafts mark the horizon of the Arousa estuary, and every walk along its beaches becomes a way to savor the most gastronomic Galician coast. And to contemplate some of the most unforgettable sunsets.

Corrubedo , on the other hand, is nature in its purest form. Immense dunes, coastal trails, and beaches open to the Atlantic. A landscape where wilderness isn't just a word, but a sensation. Ideal for those seeking a getaway surrounded by nature, relaxation, and a strong, purposeful breeze.

A coastline to explore leisurely, camera in hand or simply with an open palate. The Galicia Weekender Guides explore these key destinations— Vigo , O Grove , and Corrubedo —with local recommendations to explore from the inside: wild beaches, flavorful routes, honest accommodations, and pure Galician cuisine.

Here, the coast isn't just shoreline: it's jungle, mist, cliffs, hot food, and icy waves. The Costa Verde of Asturias is probably one of the wildest, most varied, and visually stunning stretches of coastline in the northern peninsula. A destination that opens onto the Cantabrian Sea without sacrificing the green of its mountains, and that encapsulates the essence of nature tourism : walking, taking a deep breath, and looking far ahead.

With over 200 km of coastline, the Asturian coast winds between hidden beaches, northern fishing villages with colorful facades, seaside towns that stand the test of time, and cliffs where viewpoints become memorable moments. Starting from Colombres and Llanes to Luarca , passing through gems like Lastres, Ribadesella, Tazones, and Cudillero , each stop is a picture postcard redolent of salt, freshly poured cider, and living tradition.

This stretch of coast isn't just perfect for a unique summer: it's also ideal for an off-season weekend getaway . Asturias can be enjoyed year-round, with seaside trails, sunsets from lighthouses, and cuisine that turns every stop into a celebration. Fabada (bean stew), chorizo in cider, scorpion fish pie, cachopo (a type of stew for the brave), pixín (a type of stew with marañuelas), or moscovitas (a type of stew with moscovitas). Here you eat with history, with identity, with care. And yes, also with views.

The Weekender Guide to Asturias proposes a route from east to west, stopping in those villages, beaches, and spots that still retain a sense of local flavor in everyday life. A contemplative and leisurely journey, designed for those seeking beauty, connection, and authenticity.

Urdaibai , in the Basque region of Busturialdea, is much more than a landscape: it's a way of being in the world. A haven of sustainable tourism and ecotourism in the Basque Country , just half an hour from Bilbao. Here, the Cantabrian Sea doesn't just strike, it caresses. And it blends with the gentle green of the hills, lush forests, and villages perched between the mountains and the sea.

The Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve , declared by UNESCO, is a privileged enclave where the Oka River traces its course until it merges with the sea in a spectacular estuary. Here, culture, biodiversity, endless trails, cliffs that frame the horizon, and a proud Basque identity intertwine. Everything tastes of tradition, of the sea, and of cold Txakolí , of local cuisine with a star rating.

On one side, Bermeo —seafaring, intense, and colorful—; on the other, the legendary left-hand wave of Mundaka , which attracts surfers from all over the world. Passing through towns like Elantxobe and Ea , Urdaibai isn't a destination: it's an experience. Here, the silence isn't empty: it's the sound of the forest, of birds, of waves breaking on the rocks.

Perfect for a weekend getaway , or to visit at any time of year, like autumn, when the colors of the beech forest and the sea blend. The Basque coast at its most curated, authentic, and accessible .

Our Weekender Guide to Urdaibai suggests a tour of this slow, sensorial region, where each stop is an invitation to explore something new. And if you want to go a little further, the French charm of Saint-Jean-de-Luz awaits you less than two hours away by road, where Basque culture intersects with red-shuttered facades and fish is served with butter.

The Costa Blanca begins in Dénia , a city where the Mediterranean becomes friendly, clear, and easy to live in. Its whitewashed houses, long beaches, the castle overlooking the bay, the Montgó Natural Park, and the cliffs of Cape San Antonio create a setting where nature and culture blend with the finest Mediterranean cuisine .

Dénia isn't just a starting point: it's the heart of the Marina Alta and the vital hub of a coastline that can be enjoyed year-round. From the Les Rotes neighborhood, with its quiet coves and seabed of posidonia, to the more lively and family-friendly Les Marines, everything invites you to enjoy a peaceful holiday, full of happy little routines. A stroll to the port, a rice dish on a terrace, a chilled glass of white wine at sunset.

The journey south along the Costa Blanca takes us through Jávea , Moraira , and Calpe , places where the landscape alternates between hidden coves and endless viewpoints, and where that rhythm that blends the local with the holiday is authentically maintained. Levante beaches with 300 days of sunshine a year, clear waters, vertigo-inducing cliffs, and secret coves make up a route designed for those who want to stop and feel. Because here, too, people come to return to the familiar, to repeat the same bar, the same beach, the same walk. And that's also the joy.

The internationally renowned local cuisine tops it all off: red shrimp, arròs del senyoret, fideuàs, dried octopus carpaccio, bread with aioli, Café Licor... Eating here, as they say, is top-notch .

Our Weekender Guide to Dénia and the Costa Blanca is the perfect invitation to escape, lose yourself between the sea and the mountains, and rediscover the Levante region with fresh eyes. A weekend getaway or a long vacation where simplicity once again has value.

The Almería coast , with Cabo de Gata as its emblem, is a place where time seems to stop. Volcanic landscapes , hidden coves without cover, fossilized dunes , and white houses silhouetted against the stark blue of the Mediterranean. An arid, almost unreal space, where every curve in the road holds an image that seems taken from another planet. Here, the south becomes lunar.

Cabo de Gata is a protected natural park with more than 60 kilometers of coastline. Beyond the "sea of plastic" that borders the Níjar countryside, a visual oasis opens up: cliffs, salt flats, caves, reddish mountains , and one of the most valuable seabeds in the Mediterranean. Here, beauty is not only scenic, it's also emotional: you walk on living earth, you listen to the silence, you discover the essential.

The journey begins in Rodalquilar , a poetic town where the streets evoke Lorca's verses, and continues to Las Negras or the Níjar market, with its pottery and blankets. Everything tastes authentic. Of cacti and bougainvillea, of rice shared at Los Taharis, of vermouth by the sea .

This destination is for those seeking seaside escapes , conscious tourism , and a breath of freedom. Summer or winter, Cabo de Gata isn't just a natural park: it's a state of mind. A place to return to when everything else overwhelms you.

Our Weekender guide to Cabo de Gata takes you to explore these pristine beaches , walk through towns frozen in time, and reconnect with the essence of everyday life.