Cantabria and Asturias: coast and mountains

You start in Liérganes, along the River Miera, where the country's first blast furnaces cast cannons. Cross the Puente Romano, built in 1587 despite its name, and look for the Casa de los Cañones among the old manor houses. Then on to Santillana del Mar.

In Santillana del Mar, wander the honey-coloured lanes to the Colegiata de Santa Juliana and its Romanesque cloister. The Altamira cave and its museum lie close by. Try the sobao pasiego with a coffee before moving on to Comillas.

You settle in at Comillas, where grand buildings rose when the royal family came for the summer. Visit El Capricho, Gaudí's summer villa, and the Palacio de Sobrellano, then walk down to the sandy beach. Stay the night here, and try the fish and seafood soups at dinner.

The second day begins at Carmona, in western Cantabria, a village protected as a whole. Walk among the stone casonas montañesas, look out for Tudanca cattle, and find the albarcas, wooden clogs carved by the village's craftsmen. Then on to Bárcena Mayor.

Leave the car at the edge: Bárcena Mayor is closed to traffic, so you walk among its stone houses and their wooden balconies. It is the one inhabited place in the Saja-Besaya natural park. Sit down to the region's cocido montañés for lunch, then head to Potes.

You settle in at Potes, where four valleys meet beneath the Picos de Europa. Climb through the alleys to the Torre del Infantado, cross the San Cayetano bridge, and try the quesucos de Liébana cheese. Stay the night here, in the heart of Liébana.

Morning brings you to Mogrovejo, a tiny village on a ledge above Liébana, under the Picos de Europa. Look for the late 13th-century tower, the oldest building, and the manor houses with their iron balconies. After that, the road goes on to Lastres on the Asturian coast.

Lastres is a fishing port whose fine houses were paid for by whaling. Walk down the steep cobbled lanes to the harbour, and climb to the San Roque chapel for the view of the port and the coast. Try the region's fabada asturiana for lunch, then on to Tazones.

You settle in at Tazones, a small fishing port where the Ría de Villaviciosa meets the sea. Walk the harbour where boats still work, and find the beach beyond El Puntal. Stay the night here, with a glass of Asturian cider from a sidrería in the area.

The trip ends at Cudillero, where the houses rise around the harbour like seats in an amphitheatre. Wander the steep lanes up to the viewpoints, and follow the trail from the old harbour out to the lighthouse. Then the road leads on to Oviedo, where your journey finishes.