By Claire
Triple Crown marathon swimmer · Level 2 swim teacher · 8 years of vanlife with kids
Updated
May 2026
Northern Spain Campervan Itinerary
Stunning beaches, mountains, and pilgrimage city of Santiago de Compostela
Planning a Northern Spain campervan itinerary from the UK? This 12‑night route takes you from Plymouth to Santander and through Cantabria, Asturias, the Picos de Europa and Galicia — with surf beaches, mountain hikes, wild swims and family‑friendly campsites along the way.
It’s a route we’ve tested as a family of four — balancing short drives, great campsites, wild swimming, surfing and cultural stops — without overcomplicating things.
If you’re looking for a family-friendly campervan route in Spain, this is one of the best places to start.
There’s so much more to see if you have time to stay and explore the stunning Galician coastline – check out our Galician Adventure Itinerary for the route we took the following year.
Why this Northern Spain campervan route works
This Northern Spain campervan itinerary works brilliantly for families because the driving distances are manageable, the regions are close together, and every stop offers something different — beaches, mountains, culture and great food.
- Direct ferry route from the UK to Santander
- Ideal distances for a family road trip in Spain
- Combines Cantabria, Asturias, Picos de Europa and Galicia
- Easy mix of surf beaches, mountains and cultural stops
- Flexible camping options for campervan travel in Spain
We sail with Brittany Ferries — Plymouth to Santander, overnight, with the van. It’s our favourite way to travel to maximise our time in Spain. No slog through France — the holiday starts on board (Bay of Biscay permitting!). [Check routes, dates and availability here](affiliate link — we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you)
Trip at a Glance
Duration: 12 nights (including ferry crossings)
Route: Plymouth → Santander → Cantabria → Picos de Europa → Asturias → Santiago de Compostela
Best time to visit northern Spain: July to September
Travel style: Family campervan road trip
Regions covered: Cantabria, Asturias, Galicia
Van: VW California campervan (or similar)
Best For: Families planning a campervan itinerary in northern Spain
12-night Northern Spain campervan itinerary
This route is designed to keep driving times manageable while still covering some of the best places to visit in northern Spain by campervan.
| Day | Location | Our Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ferry: Plymouth → Santander | Dolphin spotting; Sunrise and sunset from the rear deck; Pool, arcade and cinema for the kids |
| 2-3 | Camping Comillas, Cantabria | Sea views, cove access, Gaudi’s Capricho, short distance to Oyambre surf beaches |
| 4-5 | Camping La Isla Picos de Europa, Potes | Riverside campsite with pool, close to picturesque Potes with fantastic paragliding and via ferrata opportunities! |
| 6-7 | Camping El Redondo, Picos de Europa | Stunning but tiny mountain view campsite, at Fuente cable car for mountain hiking. |
| 8-10 | Camping Playa Peñarronda, Asturias | Chilled surf vibe, beautiful beach, onsite restaurant |
| 11 | Camping As Cancelas, Santiago de Compostela | Stunning Cathedral where pilgrims end the Camino, excellent tapas. Campsite with pool. |
| 12 | Ferry: Santander → Plymouth | Too much Estrella Galicia on the rear deck! |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 — Ferry: Plymouth to Santander (Start of Your Northern Spain Campervan Trip)
- The overnight ferry from Plymouth to Santander takes about 21 hours and cost us about £1400 in 2025 for a family of 4 in our campervan, including overnight cabin. More info…
- Food on board can be pricey, and there are often long queues at peak times, so consider bringing your own food. Top tip is bring collapsible kettle, mugs + water, European plug adapter for hot drinks in the cabin, and a coffee on the deck at sunrise.
- Pack swim kit for the kids & small change for arcade / pool
- Spot dolphins and whales in the Bay of Biscay
- Sunrise & sunset views are magical — set alarms!
- Explore Plymouth if you have time: lido swim or sea dive
- Please note: While we have had smooth crossings every time (4/4) we have sailed, the Bay of Biscay does have a reputation for rough seas at times so come prepared with travel sickness tablets.
➡️ Official site: Brittany Ferries – Plymouth to Santander (affiliate link)
Days 2–3 — Comillas, Cantabria (Surf Beaches + Gaudí)
A perfect first stop after arriving in Santander, Comillas is one of the best places to ease into a northern Spain campervan trip.
- Beachfront campsite with sea views & sandy cove access, perfect for sunrise swims!
- The first night we were treated to a lightning storm out over the sea — spectacular!
- Nearby surf beaches at Playa Oyambre & Playa de Gerra (~10 min drive)
- Walk 10 min to town centre — don’t miss Gaudi’s Capricho, it’s quite the Bachelor pad! Book tickets online here.
- Campervan tips: it’s a race from the Santander ferry to get there first to try and bag the best pitches (if you haven’t pre booked). You snooze you lose!
➡️ Official site: Camping Comillas
Days 4–5 — Potes & Picos de Europa (Riverside Camping + Paragliding)
Days 4 & 5 took us inland towards the mountains. I was expecting it to be cooler but I was so wrong! We wanted a site with a pool near the gateway town of Potes. We had arrived quite late in the day as we’d spent the morning exploring Comillas, and the first site we tried (Camping La Viorna) was fully booked. But everything happens for a reason, right, because the next one we came to (Camping la Isla Picos de Europa) was simply perfect for us! Our pitch was small but perfectly formed, nestled right on the bank of the Rio Deva which was teeming with bright blue dragonflies and perfect for cooling off. There was a pool too but we chose nature. Loved the feel of this site, hammocks everywhere, loads of space for the kids to run and play, a bar/restaurant – a real gem.
Paragliding in Potes
I somehow got talked into booking a family paragliding session the next morning! I only picked the leaflet up for a joke! But there we were, being driven up the mountain in a 4X4, ready to launch ourselves off the top! We waited an hour or so for the clouds to lift before one by one, we were soaring with the vultures. Amazing experience, relieved to have lived to tell the tale!
We were dropped off in the town of Potes which has a well deserved reputation of being one of the prettiest in Northern Spain.
- The River Deva runs right through the site, and there are gorgeous communal areas for relaxing by the river in hammocks, with a great onsite bar (with children’s adventure playground which kept even the teens entertained).
- Optional family paragliding session nearby with Spainskies. We booked on a whim and soared with vultures over the mountains.
- Explore the town of Potes, one of Spain’s prettiest villages.
- There was an onsite pool but we preferred the river as our cooling spot.
- I really loved the laid back, international vibe of this campsite.
➡️ Official site: Camping La Isla Picos de Europa
Days 6–7 — Fuente Dé & El Redondo (Cable Car + Mountain Hikes)
For Days 6 & 7 of our Campervan adventure in Northern Spain, we moved deeper in to the Picos de Europa, and bagged a spot at Camping El Redondo, quite simply the most picturesque campsite we have ever stayed on. We took the cable car from Fuente De, just a couple of minutes walk from the campsite, and spent the day hiking through the stunning landscape. There are a number of way marked routes to choose from at the top – we chose a medium difficulty walk of 11Km, 4.5 hours, to the refuge Cabaña Veronica. It was scorching! Sunscreen, hats, loose clothing, plenty of water are an absolute must. I was so pleased I carried a rucksack full of extra layers in case it was chilly. Beer and ice cream back at the campsite bar were a welcome treat.
Pitches on this site are tiny so be prepared to get cosy with your neighbours! Well worth it in my opinion for the stunning setting. Bring supplies with you (there is a Supermarket in Potes) as you don’t want to have to move the van once you’re in, although you can order bread for the morning, and there’s a great cafe and bar on site, and also a cafe at the cable car station.
Cable Car at Fuente Dé
I recommend booking cable car tickets on line the day before – they are sold in 30 minute time slots and the morning slots sell out fast. You can go one way and walk back down, or 2 way like we did.
Our 4 days in the mountains were nothing short of superb!
- Stunning mountain views
- Take Fuente Dé cable car — pre-book online
- Hiking – We chose a medium difficulty 11km route to Cabaña Veronica, starting at the top of the Fuente De cable car. Wear sunscreen! You can buy cold drinks at the refuge at the top.
- Tiny pitches — expect to get cosy with the neighbours!
- Possibly the most picturesque campsite bar I’ve ever had a beer at!
➡️ Official site: Camping El Redondo, Fuente De
VanFam4 Tip – Campsite Access
There is quite a steep and very smooth cobbled driveway to this campsite. We managed it fine in our VW California (not 4WD), but second try, after we took a bit of a run up!!
This site is literally at the end of the road before the mountains, and I was worried about it being a long drive back if it had been full. I’d recommend getting there early, just in case as it will be first come first served. There is a stopover area near the Cable car station which could be a back up if you are self sufficient.
Days 8–10 — Asturias Coast (Surfing at Playa Peñarronda)
Days 8, 9 & 10 took us to the stunning Western Asturian coastline for sunshine and surfing. We stayed at Camping Playa Peñarronda, an immaculate campsite with small but perfectly formed pitches, situated right on the beautiful sandy beach with its iconic rock arch. It’s a superb beach for surfing and bodyboarding, and 2 lifeguarded areas for swimmers/paddlers. There are a couple of beach bars, and Tony’s restaurant which makes delicious paella (order it in advance in the afternoon).
The coastline along here is really stunning with rock stacks and arches galore. The most famous is Playa de Catedrales, but be warned, it is overrun by daytrippers and you need to book tickets online in advance (which we didn’t realise). Sadly it’s lost its charm in my opinion. Instead we went to the next beach along, Esteiro beach, no ticket, max beauty.
- Sandy beach with iconic rock arch
- Surf and bodyboarding opportunities
- Lifeguarded areas for swimmers and paddlers
- Beach bars & Tony’s restaurant — perfect for sunset beers. Pre-order paella in the afternoon if you wish to partake!
- Nearby Playa de Catedrales is a stunning beach with dramatic rock arches (proper instagram influencer stuff), but you need to book tickets in advance, and it is majorly overcrowded. I’d recommend giving that a swerve and instead visit nearby Esteiro Beach, no tickets required, much quieter and still breathtakingly beautiful.
➡️ Official site: Camping Playa Penarronda
VanFam4 Tip – Campsite Booking
This is a popular campsite which takes minimum 7 day bookings months in advance. They don’t allow you to make shorter ad hoc reservations, but operate on a first come first served basis for any spare pitches. This involves being there at changeover time to see if any free spots come up. We got in for one night, but had to hang around the next day to see if we’d be allowed to stay longer. We finally got the go ahead for 2 more nights at around lunchtime. But we did have to move across to a different pitch. This was the main drawback of not having things booked in advance, but I think it was well worth it to keep that flexibility.
Day 11 — Santiago de Compostela (Galician Culture + Tapas)
Day 11 saw the completion of our own little campervan pilgrimage across Northern Spain, ending at the iconic Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.
Visiting the Cathedral
Pilgrims and long distance hikers travel from far and wide, converging at the Cathedral, a place of great religious, cultural and historical significance, said to be the burial site of St James, one of the 12 apostles. We aren’t particularly religious, but even so, this place feels more than a bit special.
Entrance to the main Cathedral is free of charge, and there is often a queue to enter (in our experience it looked very long but moved quite quickly). If you fancy experiencing the Cathedral at night, or taking guided or rooftop tours, then tickets can be purchased here: Cathedral Tour Tickets.
We took our turn to “embrace the apostle” (i.e. give the life sized golden statue of St James a little hug from behind), and marvelled at the Botafumeiro – a giant silver incense burner that swings out dramatically above the congregation during special services.
(The film ‘The Way’ with Martin Sheen on Amazon Prime Video is a good watch if you’ve got no idea what I’m banging on about!).
Tapas and Galician Food
Besides the Cathedral, Santiago de Compostela is also famous with foodies for its Galician specialties, and we joined in the tradition of going from bar to bar having a small beer (caña) and a few plates of tapas in each. We found the ones that looked the most run down from the outside easily had the tastiest and most affordable food. Rúa do Franco, was the best street I think for tapas bar hopping. This gave loads of great opportunities for us all to practice our Spanish, the kids included.
The titty cheese was a particular highlight for the kids(it actually is moulded into the shape of human breasts, and tetilla translates to nipple). Note to self, be careful when pronouncing tortilla.
Where to Stay
Stay at Camping As Cancelas — Not particularly picturesque but within 30 mins walk of the Cathedral or 10 mins by bus. It also had a huge outdoor pool. I booked this one online a few days in advance with a small deposit. Perfect stopover.
➡️ Official site: Camping As Cancelas
Things to Do
- Explore the iconic Cathedral, queue to embrace the statue of the apostle St. James, and if you time it right, you might see the Botafumeiro incense ceremony.
- Food: Take a tapas crawl along Rúa do Franco and sample Galician specialities like tetilla cheese from the Santiago food market, also called Mercado de Abastos (open from Monday to Saturday, between 7 am and 4 pm).
- Enjoy the outdoor pool back at the campsite for a final relax before continuing your journey.
Day 12 — Ferry Home
Santander → Plymouth
A steady 4.5 hour final drive back to Santander before the overnight ferry home.
Inspired to book? We’ve done this crossing four times and we’d do it again tomorrow. The Plymouth to Santander route with Brittany Ferries is the best way to start this trip — and the best way to end it. [Check availability and book here] (affiliate link — we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you)
VanFam4 Tip – Learning the Language
While all campsites and restaurants had at least a basic level of English, in certain places it was incredibly helpful, and also a lot of fun, to at least use some basic Spanish phrases. The kids are both studying Spanish at school, and I’ve been learning using the Immersive Spanish app (gifted subscription).
Swim & Water Highlights
- Plymouth Lido and (tiny) ferry pool on Day 1
- Sandy coves & waves at Comillas
- River dips at La Isla Picos de Europa, as well as the pool
- Mountain streams and natural pools in the Picos
- Surf & beach swimming at Playa Peñarronda
- Onsite pool at Camping As Cancelas in Santiago de Compstela
Northern Spain campervan FAQs
How long does the Plymouth to Santander ferry take?
The Plymouth to Santander Brittany Ferries crossing takes around 21 hours. It’s an overnight sailing departing late afternoon and arriving the following lunchtime, with cabins, a swimming pool, restaurants, cinema and family entertainment on board. In 2025, the crossing cost us approximately £1,400 for a family of four with a campervan and overnight cabin.
Is the Bay of Biscay rough on the Plymouth-Santander ferry?
The Bay of Biscay has a reputation for rough crossings, but it varies significantly. We’ve sailed four times and had smooth conditions each time. Even so, it’s worth coming prepared: bring seasickness tablets, eat light meals, stay on the upper decks if you feel queasy, and avoid strong-smelling shops or restaurants on board.
When is the best time to visit northern Spain in a campervan?
The best time for a northern Spain campervan trip is July to September. Coastal temperatures are warm but rarely uncomfortable (typically 22–28°C), the sea is swimmable, and campsites are fully open. Peak August is busiest and most expensive — late June or early September offer a similar experience with fewer crowds and better availability.
How much does a 12-night northern Spain campervan trip cost?
Budget around £3,000–£3,500 for a 12-night northern Spain campervan trip for a family of four. The Plymouth-Santander ferry with cabin is the biggest single cost (~£1,400 in 2025). Campsites range from €30–€55 per night, fuel adds £300–£400, and food, activities and eating out push the total higher.
Do you need to book campsites in advance in northern Spain?
You can — but the policies vary. Popular coastal sites like Camping Playa Peñarronda and the sea-view pitches at Camping Comillas require minimum stays of 5–7 nights in peak season, often booked months ahead. Most other sites operate a first-come, first-served policy at changeover time. City sites like Camping As Cancelas in Santiago de Compostela are easy to book online a few days in advance. If in doubt, call ahead — most staff speak some English.
Can you drive a campervan to Santiago de Compostela?
Yes. Camping As Cancelas is the main campervan campsite in Santiago de Compostela, around 30 minutes’ walk or 10 minutes by bus from the cathedral. It’s not the most scenic site but has an outdoor pool and makes a comfortable base for exploring the old city, the cathedral and the Galician tapas scene.
Is Playa de las Catedrales worth visiting?
Playa de las Catedrales is famous for its dramatic rock arches but has become heavily overcrowded — you now need to book free tickets online in advance, and the experience has lost much of its charm. We’d recommend visiting the neighbouring Esteiro beach instead. Equally beautiful, no ticket required, and far quieter.
Planning your Northern Spain campervan trip
This Northern Spain campervan itinerary is the perfect introduction to the region — a mix of surf, mountains and culture without long drives or overplanning.
If you’re heading further west, check out our full Galicia campervan itinerary for the next stage of the adventure.
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About Claire
I’m Claire — a Chill Swim Triple Crown marathon swimmer, Level 2 swim teacher and published travel writer. I share real family campervan adventures across the UK and Europe with my husband Dan and our two boys, all from our VW California.