Northern spain

[Ollie913]

Hi all , we are heading back to France this year via Spain . We’ve done the Bilbao ferry before then up via biarritz , Lacanau etc then home via Amsterdam. This year we would like to try the Santander ferry and spend a bit of time around there and possibly towards Portugal then back on ourselves via Lacanau etc then home . Does anybody have any experience of this part of northern Spain in particular any aires that you have used or campsites near the beach with nice town/good surf vibe ( like Lacanau essentially) oh and I don’t suppose anybody has access to any discount codes for Brittany ferries

 

[Azteccamper]

Hi all , we are heading back to France this year via Spain . We’ve done the Bilbao ferry before then up via biarritz , Lacanau etc then home via Amsterdam. This year we would like to try the Santander ferry and spend a bit of time around there and possibly towards Portugal then back on ourselves via Lacanau etc then home . Does anybody have any experience of this part of northern Spain in particular any aires that you have used or campsites near the beach with nice town/good surf vibe ( like Lacanau essentially) oh and I don’t suppose anybody has access to any discount codes for Brittany ferries

Cracking area - coast and inland. What time of the year are you going though as we found it extremely busy in July and August (bliss in April - just stayed on sites where we wanted). And the weather can be a bit changeable, but well worth visiting.

 

[Ollie913]

We will be there end of July and taking 3 weeks off , we love the west coast of France so pretty clued up on where to go , times/distances etc but not that part of Spain

 

[drdaveboycali]

picos are stunning , toured on a motorcycle , spain is cheaper than france for nearly everything

 

[CALI FATE]

Northern Spain is the best area for wild camping ...... ever - maybe apart from Albania
We were there two years ago spend 4 weeks drifting along the amazing coast - we didnt stay at a campsite or anything 'organised'. We followed the pilgrimage route in and out of all the coves / towns and villages parking up on cliff tops and beaches - Its so lovely. The sea is wild and you will have to find swimming opportunities - we took our blow up kayak and didnt find anywhere to launch it. We used the lonely planet and dont think we missed a thing - if you have a sense of adventure youll love it - if you get to portugal you went too fast

 

[briwy]

picos are stunning , toured on a motorcycle , spain is cheaper than france for nearly everything

Agree about the Picos. No wild camping in the National Park though. We tried a few years ago and got moved on my the police who patrol the good spots.

 

[Humby]

We did this roadtrip:


We first started around the Lisboa region and made our way up to Spain.
Surf vibes, you will definitely find in Ericeira (PT) if you like to drive that far. A really good surf and a nice skatepark Hollyskate (a must for my kids). We stayed at Ericeira Camping.
Viano do Castello is also amazing for surfing and nice vibes.

I mostly liked Gallicia, the noth-western part of Spain, it was soo beautifull and we'll 100% go back for a longer period!

This was in Muros. We found a lot of nice and quiet campspots that were not that expensive.
The moment you go more inwards into the land, the prices are very cheap!

Also very nice was the region Picos de Europa, we stayed in Colunga (nice Dinosaur museum for the kids).

The caption in the picture says it all

I think I'll make post in the Travel section.

Greetz,
Humby

 

[Lambeth Cali]

Hi all , we are heading back to France this year via Spain . We’ve done the Bilbao ferry before then up via biarritz , Lacanau etc then home via Amsterdam. This year we would like to try the Santander ferry and spend a bit of time around there and possibly towards Portugal then back on ourselves via Lacanau etc then home . Does anybody have any experience of this part of northern Spain in particular any aires that you have used or campsites near the beach with nice town/good surf vibe ( like Lacanau essentially) oh and I don’t suppose anybody has access to any discount codes for Brittany ferries

It is a great place, and Brittany ferries are nice but one observation. We spent 3 weeks in August once on the Northern coast in the Cali and it would have been fab, but the weather was grim the whole 3 weeks. We even got caught in a downpour on the ferry on our way back, my wife cried and I made some remark about how I was glad this ****ing holiday was over. A couple nearby asked what had gone wrong. I said it had rained half the time and we had hardly ever seen the sun for 3 weeks. Not what we expected in Spain. They were Brits who went to Spain a lot. "Oh, its always like that in the North in August" they said "September is always much better".
I felt I should pass that on. Wish we had known that.

One other thing, the Brittany Ferry Pont Aven is big, with 3 restaurants, a pool and 2 cinemas. Its like a cruise and we loved it. From what I have read, I wouldn't even think of going on any of the other Brittany boats on that route. They're, small, basic and cause sickness!

I should say we are also going to Santander this summer and then driving back through France. Not lingering in Northern Spain though! Might stop for pintxos in San Sebastien. Lots of fun. A great place and foodie paradise.

 

[soulstyledevon]

Try the search function. There’s loads of suggestions for North Spain. It’s a great area to visit and repeat as suggested the Picos are stunning.
You can explore the mountains in the morning and be sitting on the Beach in the evening…

 

[bob_summers]

Re Weather: The Atlantic coast can be wet even in Summer - I remember one July when it rained every day for three weeks. It’s one reason it’s so busy - when you live inland, Lleida or Valladolid for example, you come to the north coast to escape the brutal heat!

Most of the best costal sites are heaving in August, you can find exceptions sometimes. The French Basque coast is one big traffic jam. 15km tailbacks to cross the border at Biriatou.. End of June is a great time, late August September too. Mid august, we generally go inland, Pyrenees etc.

Re Wild camping, the police can’t move you on if you’re not camping! If nothing extends past the perimeter of the vehicle, awning, step, table, you’re only parked up.

 

[OddDog]

Hi, I live in A Coruña. Northern Spain.

I surf.

Go check out some specific surf sites, amazing surf here.

The road trip across northern spain is fantastic. I hope you enjoy it!

 

[aileron346]

I’ve toured a little by motorcycle in Northern Spain ; great roads and really enjoyed it. For a great surf vibe, the town of Zarautz was fantastic. I wasn’t camping that time, so no idea about the campsites. Yep - the weather can be very wet at times up there.

 

[bob_summers]

I’m no expert - since I live here I don’t really camp here - but people usually say Basque campsites are often expensive and very underwhelming. The one at Zarautz is popular for groups of school kids doing their end of year partying…

 

[MrAdam]

Hi, I live in A Coruña. Northern Spain.

I surf.

Go check out some specific surf sites, amazing surf here.

The road trip across northern spain is fantastic. I hope you enjoy it!

Hi OddDog!

We're planning a trip back from the Canary Islands through Portugal and north of Spain in April. Can you recommend any spots with surfing in mind? Wild or campsites.

 

[Azteccamper]

I’ve toured a little by motorcycle in Northern Spain ; great roads and really enjoyed it. For a great surf vibe, the town of Zarautz was fantastic. I wasn’t camping that time, so no idea about the campsites. Yep - the weather can be very wet at times up there.

Agree. Nice little area. We stayed on this campsite and it had a great feel about it, popular with surfers.
grancampingzarautz.com

 

[bob_summers]

Agree. Nice little area. We stayed on this campsite and it had a great feel about it, popular with surfers.
grancampingzarautz.com

there’s a path down the cliff to the beach which is a popular surf beach - there’s a skate park too.

Just beware the end of school parties around mid-late June!

 

[Abx]

Camping Playa de Isla, in Isla, bloody stunning when the tide goes out.

 

[Boyo]

Lovely part of Spain. We stayed at camping Viorna, Potes. Superb place!

 

[Jonney]

We have done northern Spain with your children twice and are going back this summer for 5 weeks. For us the best campsite on the beach is this campsite. It’s a family campsite right on the beach where the river on the left hand side floods and drains with the tide. It’s beautiful. Obviously Spanish campsites can be a bit noisy with families, it’s all depends on what you are into. I think this is fine… but if you want solitude maybe not. Town is also nice but 15 mins walk from the campsite.

Playa Joyel
+34 942 63 00 81

https://goo.gl/maps/Fhf2k67vtBwsDDaS7

 

[WilliamHowarth]

Hi all , we are heading back to France this year via Spain . We’ve done the Bilbao ferry before then up via biarritz , Lacanau etc then home via Amsterdam. This year we would like to try the Santander ferry and spend a bit of time around there and possibly towards Portugal then back on ourselves via Lacanau etc then home . Does anybody have any experience of this part of northern Spain in particular any aires that you have used or campsites near the beach with nice town/good surf vibe ( like Lacanau essentially) oh and I don’t suppose anybody has access to any discount codes for Brittany ferries

Lovely area, gets better the further west you go. Some really wild, remote places. But you will know, the campsites in Spain do tend to have very small pitches and the less busy they are, the greater the tendency to become quite basic.

 

[OddDog]

Hi OddDog!

We're planning a trip back from the Canary Islands through Portugal and north of Spain in April. Can you recommend any spots with surfing in mind? Wild or campsites.

Hi MrAdam,

I dont really know portugal for vanning. You can freecamp fine at navarre!

Once you get to Galicia, its amazing. Surf beaches include:

Patos, soesto*, razo*, ciaon*, doniños* ( ex WSL beach), Xan Xurxo* , pantin** = (WSL beach). If your really into surfing, its an amazing adventure.

* = easy freecamping on the beach or very nearbye. Especial in April. Summer, and it gets really busy with surf vans from everywhere.

April is a great time for vanning. Police relaxed. Summer, not so much!

 

[Anthony1]

Re Weather: The Atlantic coast can be wet even in Summer - I remember one July when it rained every day for three weeks. It’s one reason it’s so busy - when you live inland, Lleida or Valladolid for example, you come to the north coast to escape the brutal heat!

Most of the best costal sites are heaving in August, you can find exceptions sometimes. The French Basque coast is one big traffic jam. 15km tailbacks to cross the border at Biriatou.. End of June is a great time, late August September too. Mid august, we generally go inland, Pyrenees etc.

Re Wild camping, the police can’t move you on if you’re not camping! If nothing extends past the perimeter of the vehicle, awning, step, table, you’re only parked up.

What if its 2am and you are asleep in the van?

 

[Joselito]

Totalmente recomendables:

El Camping Zarautz abre sus puertas durante los 365 días del año

El Camping Zarautz abre durante todo el año. Así que, si quieres quedarte en sus instalaciones, puedes hacerlo en otoño o en invierno sin ningún problema

www.grancampingzarautz.com

Camping Ribadesella - de primera Categoría en Asturias

camping-ribadesella.es

Camping Naranjo de Bulnes - Cabrales - Asturias - Página oficial

Camping Perlora - Carreño - Asturias - Página oficial

Nuestro camping se encuentra en la Península de Perán. Un enclave privilegiado situado entre la playa de Palmera y la ensenada de Perán . El camping disfruta de acceso directo a una cala. En sus proximidades encontramos un sinfín de playas y calas. El

www.campingperlora.com

 

[bob_summers]

What if its 2am and you are asleep in the van?

Well it's a pain in the bum but I would have a printed copy of the Spanish Ministry of Transport Instrucción 08/V-74 for their perusal while I went back to bed and respectfully asked them to go and catch some criminals

Simply put, there's a distinction between 'pernoctar' (sleep in vehicle) and acampar. Pernoctar is never illegal and you cannot be discriminated against solely for sleeping in your vehicle just because it is a camper.
The moment you put out chairs, awning, even open a swinging window which exceeds the perimeter of the van, you're free camping and breaking the law; pop tops, sliding windows and levelling ramps are fine.

Caveat: some places eg urban or national parks might have their own legislation

 

[Anthony1]

Well it's a pain in the bum but I would have a printed copy of the Spanish Ministry of Transport Instrucción 08/V-74 for their perusal while I went back to bed and respectfully asked them to go and catch some criminals

Simply put, there's a distinction between 'pernoctar' (sleep in vehicle) and acampar. Pernoctar is never illegal and you cannot be discriminated against solely for sleeping in your vehicle just because it is a camper.
The moment you put out chairs, awning, even open a swinging window which exceeds the perimeter of the van, you're free camping and breaking the law; pop tops, sliding windows and levelling ramps are fine.

Caveat: some places eg urban or national parks might have their own legislation

Very useful, thank you.
I have downloaded the Instrucción 08/V-74. Do you know where I could get and English translation?