Arrive in Bilbao, where our coach will transfer to your first Parador - the 20th-century palace of Limpias, in its riverside, parkland setting. Settle in to your splendid surroundings, perhaps taking a stroll along the river to enjoy the views or making use of the Parador's amenities, which include indoor and outdoor heated swimming pool. Dinner will be served in the Parador's dining room, this evening.

Today, your first included tour takes you to the regional capital, Santander. Stop off at the Cabo Mayor Lighthouse Viewpoint before heading to the fishing port or watch the ebb and flow of daily life in this elegant and sophisticated city-resort from a seat in a pavement café or tapas bar.

You’ll also make the short journey to nearby Santillana del Mar, a picture-postcard-perfect medieval village. After a wonderful day, return to Limpias for a second evening, choosing perhaps to dine in the hotel or in the village.

Re-board the coach, today, and journey along the stunning Asturian coast, where views of the Bay of Biscay shoreline compete with those of the towering Picos de Europa mountains. Break up your scenic journey with visits to beautiful coastal Gijón, and to the nearby Asturian capital, Oviedo.

Late this afternoon, you'll reach the heart of green Galicia and your second Parador. Partly housed in a restored 15th-century tower, and an ideal base for discovering Galicia’s cities and stunning coast, the Parador de Vilalba is built on the site of a former castle, in a quiet village on the route of the Camino de Santiago. Enjoy dinner this evening, and perhaps take a stroll through the old town.

Today you'll travel the short distance into ancient Santiago de Compostela, the destination at the end of the Camino, and one of Spain’s most beautiful cities. A marvellously preserved Romanesque cathedral lies at the city’s heart, perhaps the earliest-ever tourist destination for those who, in medieval times, first followed the route to Santiago.

After a marvellous day, you'll return to Vilalba for the evening.

On this delightfully contrasting day, you'll head to beautiful, rugged Galicia. Dotted with hidden coves and fjord-like rias reminiscent of Devon or Ireland, complete with tiny beaches and sleepy fishing ports, the Galician coast is a delight, epitomised by the historic port of A Coruña, or La Coruna as it's sometimes known.

Set on a peninsula fringed on one side by glorious Atlantic beaches, and on the other by a sheltered bay and deep water harbour, A Coruña is a wonderful place to wander and enjoy delicious Galician tapas and seafood, perhaps washed down with a glass of chilled white wine.

Our final included excursion takes us back into France, today. The highlight will be your journey aboard the 100-year-old Train du pays Cathare et du Fenouilledes, more often simply called the Red Train. Travel through the spectacular scenery of castle dotted Cathar Country from Rivesaltes, near historic Perpignan, to the Pyrenean village of Axat. On fine days, you'll ride in open-air summer wagons across viaducts and through tunnels, and past the vineyard-clad lower slopes of the Eastern Pyrenees. After time to savour your wonderful surroundings for the last time, return to Roses to enjoy a final evening and dinner at your hotel.

Today you're free to enjoy the delights of Lerma, but you may wish to join our optional excursion and explore one of Spain’s most enthralling cities. For centuries Burgos was the capital of Old Castille, and it was also once home (nearly a thousand years ago now) to the legendary warrior leader El Cid. This beguiling place has no shortage of tapas bars and restaurants in which to enjoy lunch, as you'll discover after your introductory tour.

Bid farewell to your hosts, and transfer back to Bilbao airport to catch your flight home, at the end of a fascinating week in Northern Spain.