I held the fig firmly between my fingers, hanging onto it like a prized possession. I watched through the goggles in awe as the fish nibbled away at it, their scales shining in the crystal clear water as the sun shone down. I even tried holding it between my teeth, they still kept coming. I am in the Montanejos hot springs, Valencia and on a tour with Valtournative, who specialise in these types of alternative tours.
Northern Spain, a place I will always remember for its delicious tapas, its olives and the beautiful Picos de Europa. And also the place that I became a new mum to a beautiful kitten. Spain need not be expensive to travel in and I certainly mastered this by travelling around the North of Spain in my Nissan X-trail camping car last summer.
Ahead of me, I could see something stumbling across the road. Unsteady on its feet and squeaking. A tiny tabby kitten, hungry and alone. Or so I thought. I scooped her up and held her tight to soothe her and let her know it was going to be alright. Against a wall lay another kitten, ginger, lying still, limp and completely covered with ants. The were no signs of life until I gave him a gentle nudge. He gasped and fell still again. I brushed away the ants and held him with his sister and tried to give them some water.
León (or spelt Leon for those who can’t find an accent on their keyboards) is a lesser-known city in Northern Spain but is well known by Pilgrims who are walking the Camino Way. I would say it is well worth a visit due to its beautiful architecture and its accessibility to the surrounding national park, the Picos de Europa. As it is less popular than more well-known cities such as Barcelona, Madrid and Santander, it is friendlier on your purse strings. However you can’t go wrong with this tourist guide to Leon which will give you the top 10 free things to see as well as other options and some great tips to make your stay in León, Spain more enjoyable.
Where is one of the most underrated places I have visited in Spain? That is an easy one to answer. It would definitely be Picos de Europa in Northern Spain. Translated as Peaks of Europe, I really understand how it got its name. I drove through this beautiful area which reminded me a lot of the Lake District near my home in Northern England but on a grander scale. It was one of the highlights of my trip and something I recommend everyone to do if you love nature. So here is my guide to driving through Picos de Europa, in the Cantabrian Mountains in Spain.
Imagine being told that you had to leave your home. That the land that had been in your family for centuries was going to generate hydroelectric power and reduce flooding in the surrounding area. The forfeit for this was that your home was going to be underwater for years to come. This is what happened to the villagers of Riaño (or Riano if you can’t find the ñ on your keyboard) and six other villages located in the Cantabrian mountains, the foothills of Picos de Europa in Northern Spain.
Hi there, I'm Kathy from the North of England. In 2008 I went from package holidays to traveling solo around the world and now I have visited over 55 countries. My passion is exploring the road less traveled and being immersed in different cultures.
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