Three Faces of Green Spain

If future clients want to take advantage of any of the prehistoric caves in Asturias, please suggest that they make reservations ahead of time. They book up quickly, even in what we thought was the off-season. We particularly enjoyed the small inns on this holiday. The meals in both Collia and Barriolacuesta were fantastic! Molino del Canto was such a special experience. We found Javier, Valvanera, and Carlota to be warm and welcoming, with good alternative hiking suggestions. The birding tour there is an absolute must! Getaria is an absolutely walkable and interesting town, especially the trail to the lighthouse. We ended up going to San Sebastian on a rainy day - and it was totally worth the visit as there were a number of very worthwhile sights. Most of the hikes had no facilities (or public restrooms) nearby. Be prepared!

This is an excellent holiday. The first hotel is very well run with excellent food and the owner is an experienced walker who can provide details of additional walks in the area as well as tips on the walks in the Inntravel pack. The second hotel is wonderful in a truly undiscovered and beautiful area, again the owner is very knowledgable about walks in the area. From the third hotel it is possible to visit San Sebastian which is a lovely city, we found it easy to get there by a direct bus service which runs every 30 mins (rather than by train as suggested in the pack as that involves driving to the next town). 

We had a stunning holiday experiencing the Three Faces of Green Spain in early September. We had warm sunshine for most of the trip and were able to do almost all of the walks suggested, each one of which was enjoyable in contrasting ways. Real variety of scenery and excellent food and accommodation in all three locations. As usual, the walking notes were exemplary, and the booking arrangements very smooth. 

Had a truly wonderful holiday and will definitely book with Inntravel again. The 3 different locations were an excellent contrast and allowed us to see the diversity of northern Spain.

This was our first time with Inntravel and it was a delight.   Highlights for us were: the birdwatching tour with Javier at El Molino del Canto; the walks at Hotel Posada del Valle (and the food - lots of vegetables at last after a few weeks in Spain!); the amazing geomorphology at Zumaia.   Tip for travelling between Getaria and Zumaia - the bus is easy, quick and cheap.

Three first class holidays in one!

All the hotels were very comfortable and welcoming and the walking was superb.

Our best ever Inntravel holiday. Thank you.

The highlight for us was the stay in El Molino del Canto. Javier and Valvanera are incredibly welcoming and Valvanera's cooking was wonderful and plentiful! Possibly one of the best experiences we've had on a holiday. I would recommend taking a bird tour with Javier (again with a wonderful lunch!) - he's clearly very passionate and knowledgeable about his subject and has an amazing ability to spot birds from a distance which those of us on the tour just didn't see. We wish we had stayed an extra night or two there, instead of having 3 nights in Getaria, as it was so peaceful and there were lots of great walking in the area. The 1hr 30min walk from Obaneja del Castillo up to the plateau and back is particularly nice in the evening as the light is perfect and it's not quite so warm. On the 17.7km walk, Pesquera del Ebro we had a really nice, reasonably priced lunch at the midway point in Valdelateja (if you want to eat outside you need to go into the bar to order and bring your food out yourself as they only do table service inside).

In Getaria we liked the pintxo bars - Kusa and Politena, which were excellent but unfortunately closed for most of the time we were there (Mon to Wed) so we only got to eat/drink in each once. A trip to one of the many txacoli vineyards in the hills around Getaria is recommended although you do need to book in advance (at least 48 hours). Having had no luck getting a slot on a tour we went to a couple of vineyards just to buy some cases of wine and got lucky at Txomin Etxaniz as we were there just as a tour was starting and they had a couple of people drop out. 

Overall a lovely introduction to the area of northern Spain with some great walking highlights. The hotels were contrasting and we feel we would like to return and discover these areas further.

This was a very enjoyable holiday with an excellent selction of locations and hotels. The scenery was magnificent and our stay at Molino del Canto was unforgettable. The walks were very varied and the notes made them easy to follow. All arrangements went smoothly, and the staff in all three hotels could not have been more helpful.

The three centres all provided a very different experience in terms of accommodation, walking terrain and activities in the areas. As all good holidays we wished we could have stayed longer.

We loved our holiday which visited 3 quite different areas with 3 different styles of accommodation, each having its particular strengths. It was good to be able to tailor your walking to your own abilities, preferences and the weather while Inntravel's comprehensive walking information made the all the walks easy to follow.

We loved this part of Spain having never been before. The choice of locations for the three hotels was excellent, so varied giving very different experiences but all good in their own way. Highlights for us were the food at Posada del Valle and the warmth of the welcome and care of Javier and especially Valvanera At Barrio La Cuesta. We enjoyed the variety of walking and the lengths of walk were about right for us.

We enjoyed the opportunity to experience 3 different areas of northern Spain, and the 3 hotels complemented each other perfectly. The peaceful setting of El Molino and the variety of walks available particularly stood out. We would highly recommend a guided birding trip with Javier, whose knowledge and enthusiasm were outstanding. We are not bird-watchers, but really enjoyed the chance to learn from him. La Pasada del Valle extended a very warm welcome, and offered a huge variety of walks. No wonder most of the other guests had stayed before. It was worth upgrading our room at Getaria for the sea view and beautiful sunsets. We would recommend taking the train to San Sebastian to enjoy the pintxos (and everything else). The food was outstanding at both El Molina and La Pasada del Valle. In Getaria, there were plenty of good restaurants to eat at. We enjoyed watching the fishing fleet preparing to set sail whilst we ate. The drives between each hotel was not an issue. We preferred to take the scenic route rather than the motorways, and the Spanish roads are generally quiet, wide and pot-hole free!

Glorious area to explore on foot and we thoroughly appreciated the variety of locations and walks offered.  Accommodation lived up to expectations - and we ate so well!  In mid-May the spring flowers were a pure delight, and whilst still seeing snow on the mountain tops we walked in pleasant temperatures every day.

The whole holiday was great. Loved the birding with Javier at Molino del Canto.

We really enjoy your holidays. Of course, we love Spain. Tomorrow we are going to Venice where 5 cruise ships are calling. Wish us luck.

Once again Inntravel doesn't disappoint.  A marvellous varied, itinerary in a very special area of Spain.  We loved the remoteness, views and lack of other visitors which meant the locals weren't jaded with tourists and were happy to chat.  Also loved that most of the walks werent accessible by car - ie the canyon walk around Pesquera.  This walk is stunning for the views and wildflowers.  Also walk 3 from Getaria - circular walk from Zumaia is suggested to be an easy option.  Well it isnt really!  Again stunning views and lovely wildflowers at the end.  

We loved the care taken with the food at La Posada del Valle and recommend drinking the local cider there which is more like an apple wine. Nigel took care to ask everyone where they were walking to and made sure they had maps and instructions. It is a beautiful location - the view from our bedroom window was a verdant panorama.

We had a whole day birding with Javier at El Molino which was really amazing - he has a wealth of knowledge and such enthusiasm. Watching an Egyptian vulture as we ate our picnic lunch was a special moment. He also took photos and emailed them to me with a list of the birds we'd seen. He and Valvanera are most welcoming hosts and generous with their food.

This was a truly special holiday! The weather in May was perfect for walking and the wild flowers were prolific.

Lovely area to walk in. Very varied holiday but a lot of driving!

For both of us the birding trip from Molino del Canto was a real highlight; lunching with griffin vultures circling around and a magnificent view was a never-to-be-forgotten moment.

All three hotels were wonderful and any less than perfect scores were due to the limited facilities due to the isolated nature and location of the posadas, which was part of their perfection. We needed longer in both the first hotels, and will probably book them again.

We really enjoyed the contrasts between the three areas/hotels. The startling contrast from Collia and the hills to the flat plateau and gorges of Barrio la Cuesta was amazing, something for which we were unprepared. Even in August (although fortunately not fiesta week) the roads were not busy, and nowhere especially busy. The local people all very helpful and charming, very few other British tourists in general and very little English spoken. There was plenty to do, to walk, drive, explore, places to visit etc, and we would love to have stayed longer at each place. The food in Collia and Barrio La Cuesta was very special and became a highlight for us! 

Beautiful scenery and lovely hotels. 

At Molino del Canto: the location is very remote and utterly quiet - which we loved - but can appreciate that this would not be to everyone's taste. Javier's half-day birding tour by car was fantastic and we saw 37 species, including rare Montagu's Harriers.

The variety of walks suggested at each location offered wonderful contrasts: from the grandeur of the Cares Gorge in the Picos to the scope of the Ebro Canyon to the coatsal route from Zumaia to Deba.

This was our first Inntravel holiday and really cannot fault it in any way. Hotels all first class with excellent food (where included) - El Molino in particular is a real treasure - beautifully restored and characterful accommodation, charming hosts and delicious food, all in a tranquil setting beside the Ebro river in an amazing undiscovered part of rural Spain. Getaria offers masses of restaurants and pintxo bars with some fabulous food on offer all within a few minutes walk of the hotel.

The three areas visited are all totally different offering fantastic contrasts and the drives between are straightforward - we'd strongly recommend taking a diversion between hotels 2 and 3 and going an hour south to Burgos as its a really lovely and often over-looked city. The walk selection is just right and the notes were highly detailed, accurate yet easy to use - helped as well by the obvious care taken in each area for good way-marks and path maintenance. 

This holiday is well named as the 3 venues are in great contrast. The green hills of Asturias, the high plateau and canyons of the Province of Burgos and the pretty port of Getaria provided very different lodging and walking experiences, all of them interesting and enjoyable. The 3 hotels were all excellent in their own ways. If we had to pick a favourite it would probably be the Molina del Canto, where Javier and his wife provided wonderful home cooking in their charming restored mill. Their breakfasts were extraordinary and different each day. We had a wonderful day birdwatching with him. An enthusiastic expert, he identified 53 different species for us in English including eagles and vultures. This was a truly memorable day. Getaria is a delightful little fishing port but it was very crowded with day trippers on Saturday and Sunday, and on Monday many of the shops and restaurants are closed. We would suggest trying to plan the holiday so that it finishes in Getaria during midweek.

The three-centre holiday offers wonderfully varied routes, and the collection of routes from Inntravel, and the hotel itself, at Posada Del Valle, made for a excellent holiday.

Had a lovely trip to N Spain (3 faces of Green Spain). Covadonga Lakes walk a fantastic opener (blue sky day) but get there early to get a spot in top car park (we got the last one at around 1000!). Orbaneja del Castillo/walk also fantastic - best to try and book when you arrive if you want lunch there after your walk. Try an evening drive to Tudanca (across river from Molino del Canto) - waved to bride & groom on packhorse bridge en route and lovely riverside parking at Tudanca. Super swimming at surfing beach in Getaria overlooked by the hotel. Recommend bus to Zumaia for train to San Sebastian. Had amazing meals at Mayflower & Elkano restaurants in Getaria, Kaskazuri in SS (3 course lunch in modern gastro restaurant with sea view - 3 courses, bottle of wine, bread etc for 22 Euros) & Zallo Barri in Gernika.

Generally we were happy with this trip - the scenery was magnificent especially around the Posada del Valle. We found driving between the three places difficult at times as the roads were sometimes very narrow and winding around in the mountains. All the walking is up and down which is difficult when it is hot and humid. We had booked this trip for the third week in May as it had said the average temperatures at that time would be 19C to 20 C. It was actually 27/28C and very humid - up to 90% at times. Too hot to walk in. El Molino del Canto is a remote, charming old converted Water Mill and the host Javier is vey nice and helpful. The meals are good local dishes but rather big portions. Javier is an expert birder and his bird watching excursions are really interesting and worthwhile doing. Hotel Saiaz Getaria has the most amazing sea views as it is built on a cliff but otherwise the least interesting hotel of the three. We paid more for a room with a sea view but that was worth it. People were friendly everywhere. 

Excellent area to visit - beautiful scenery, quiet and unusual. Everything we hoped for.

A wonderful holiday staying in quality small hotels often tucked away in quiet Spanish country backwaters with friendly, helpful hosts and wholesome food lovingly prepared from fresh local ingredients. The walks from Hotel Posada del Valle that we particularly enjoyed were walk 2, the Covadonga circuit where the variety of Alpine mountain flowers in May were spectacular. The other walk we enjoyed from this hotel (even in the rain) was walk 4, the Asturias Village Trail along hidden paths through farmland and pretty settlements. El Molino del Canto in the Ebro Valley was set in countryside that could easily have been out of a 'Wild West' movie as it was so different. We particularly enjoyed walk 1 here around Orbaneja del Castillo and spent ages up on the plateau among the circular stone Chozos admiring unusual butterflies and flowers and even spotting a hen harrier overhead. The limestone pools at the start of the walk were also quite spectacular. Thank you for helping us to enjoy a marvellous holiday in a little known part of Spain.