Brendan Hughes

We're after somewhere cool-ish, within reasonable driving distance of Lisbon.

Not interested in beaches or nightlife. Two adults, a dog, and a four month old baby.

Last year, without baby, we went walking in Picos de Europa and loved it. Came back via Galician coast and were curiously unimpressed.

This time we'd like to find a base for a week or two so we don't have to spend all day every day driving (repacking baby kit, baby can't handle long trips, dog gets pissed off sitting in car, etc etc)

We might go to PdE again but won't be able to walk much, and not sure if there's much to see in that case. Considering somewhere in the Pyrenees but it might be a bit too far to drive to get there.

Anyone know the area and have any recommendations?

Many thanks.

SiPie

Just avoid Santander Brendan.

Didn't enjoy and spent all our time driving up into the mountains to get away from the town......

Sorry can't be of more help

Rabid

Go to Donostia aka San Sebastian, approx 8hr drive from you. Trust me you won't find it lacking, assuming of course you enjoy top quality food, drink, lively atmosphere and the opportunity to let your better half hammer your credit cards in some shops. Interesting drive up from your neck of the woods as well.

Stay here if you can get a deal

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/luxury...?propertyID=86

or here

http://www.hlondres.com/

Brendan Hughes

Ta Si.

Nope, sounds totally inappropriate. Any other suggestions?

RichWalk

BBC Holiday show did the area and and the place Dali lived/stayed at looked gorgeous, I think its called Cadaques, very pretty and fairly unspoilt.

Rabid

Leave the wife and baby at home and go and enjoy San Sebastian.

Or take a walking trip in the Pyrenees, only 9 hours from you or 11 if you drive like a total wuss (I'm guessing you will with a baby in the car). Make a 2 day journey of it and stay for a night in Salamanca. Head for Roncevalles and you can enjoy some breathtaking scenery and walks. Rather you than me though, I'd be in the sin pits of Donostia.

Brendan Hughes

The driving limitation is that the baby is so young, we're not supposed to leave her in a baby seat for more than 2 hours at a time, so we reckon with 1 hr breaks we'll only manage to drive 6 hrs a day. If a 2 week holiday includes 4 days just to get there and back, it can be a bit of a drag - unless the holiday is so good it's worth it. But we'd also pretty much decided on stopping in Salamanca for the first night

Rich, thanks, I'll look that up

RussBoy

This will probably be too far the wrong way for you I guess from reading your pre-requisites, but my wife and I drove down (in our little MX-5!) to Malaga where we now live from the UK last autumn and stopped off for quite a few overnight stops to see the country. Of all the places we stayed, we loved Old Town Cuenca (between Valencia and Madrid) and we stayed in an excellent Posada: http://www.posadasanjose.com/home_en.html Lovely driving around there as you head towards Valencia - you can drive for hours and see just a handful of cars.

Just a thought anyway. We also stayed the first night just North of Zaragoza, again in a Posada but this was middle of nowhere - very nice nevertheless if you just want to get away from it all and be surrounded by the beautiful mountains!


Russ

Brendan Hughes

I'm expecting that will be too hot for us mid-August Russ, but I've noted it nonetheless.

Lee247

I wish I could help you, after your marvelous input to my Gym thread, which incidently had my son cracked up
I always go to France. I love it, the scenery is superb