National railways are not often associated with luxury travel. So when I heard that the Spanish national railway had a luxury sleeper train called the Costa Verde Express,, My curiosity was piqued and I signed up.
The six-day journey takes you along the northern “Green Coast,” stopping off in medieval towns, UNESCO World Heritage parks, and seaside villages. In October 2023, I took the train for a weekly round trip between the industrial city of Bilbao and Santiago de Compostela, the final destination of one of Catholicism’s holiest pilgrimage routes. Though it overlaps with one of the pilgrimage routes, my itinerary also included champagne dinners, a private cabin, local guides at each stop, and even a gala party on board.
Day 1: Bilbao to Santander
I arrived at Bilbao Concordia station at 10am, just enough time to drop off my bags and have a pastry and apricot juice before taking a tour of the old town and the Guggenheim Museum. Upon returning, a porter escorted me to my cabin. The cabin was smaller than I expected—barely big enough for a double bed and built-in desk—but it was stylish nonetheless, with wood-paneled walls, silky gold curtains, and a luxurious bathroom with a glass shower and marble sink.
At 2:15 p.m., glasses of Catalan cava were served in a Pullman dining car, with more wood paneling, green velvet armchairs, and brass table lights, and the train departed. For the next three hours, waiters in tartan vests and white gloves brought us a four-course lunch of foie gras and blueberry French toast (better than it sounds), Basque fish stew, duck confit, and cheesecake. As vineyards and apple orchards blurred out the window, I chatted with a few of my fellow passengers, a group of about 50 smartly dressed travelers that included a flamenco dancer from Andalusia and a psychologist from Puerto Rico. “So romantic, isn’t it?” said a flight attendant from Chicago, who was sitting nearby at lunch.
I arrived in the port city of Santander at 5:30 pm. There was still plenty of daylight for me to take a guided bus tour of the coast. By the end of the tour, the bay was a cotton-candy pink, so I decided to swim at El Sardinero, a wide beach surrounded by Belle Époque buildings. The water was ice cold, but the sunset was unforgettable. After drying off between two rocks, I joined the other passengers at the town’s Querida Margarita for a buttery Iberian pork shoulder.
There was a magic show on the train for evening entertainment, but I wanted to see more of Santander, so I wandered alone around the 13th-century cathedral and the lively Plaza de Cañadio. Plus, the train stops every night, so there was no need to rush. When I returned to my cabin, there was some dark chocolate on my pillow. I fell asleep to the rustling of birds that nest on the station’s tiled roof.
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Day 2: Santander to Llanes
The wake-up bell rang at 8 and the train started moving. I lay in bed and watched as curly-horned cows grazed in yellow-green pastures and children played on swings as the train glided through the rolling hills of Cantabria. A breakfast of smoked salmon and made-to-order eggs was served in the dining car as the train rolled toward Cabezón de la Sal, a salt-mining area. We arrived at 9:30 and were coached to the Altamira Museum, where we marveled at replicas of Paleolithic cave paintings discovered nearby in 1879.
After Lunch Cocido, After eating bean stew with black pudding and chorizo at Santillana Gil Blas, a traditional Cantabrian restaurant near the museum, we strolled through the pretty medieval village of Santillana del Mar. “It’s like a living museum,” said our guide, Daniel Escudero. Shops on the main street sell Cantabrian anchovies, wild boar sausages, and other delicacies. Orjo, Local brandy. I met two Canadian pilgrims buying butter cake, a local specialty. They had walked 186 miles of the Camino de Santiago, with another 300 to go.
Like the pilgrims, we headed west to Llanes, a medieval port town built around a rocky, turquoise cove, where we would spend a second night. Dinner was monkfish salad, beef loin, and Tosinho de Cielo, A flan-like dessert was served on board, followed by a gin spritz masterclass by the train’s bartender, Nacho Capin.
Day 3: Llanes to Oviedo
We woke to the sound of roosters crowing and the smell of cow dung. The train was at a station in Asturias, Spain’s “natural paradise.” After breakfast, we boarded a coach for the drive to Picos de Europa National Park, a landscape of limestone peaks, deep canyons and wildflower-filled meadows. Our driver whisked us through hairpin turns to reach the glacial lake of Covadonga, more than 3,280 feet above sea level. The UNESCO-listed mountains are home to rare wildlife, including the Iberian wolf and the shrew-like desman. We didn’t see either animal, but we did spot a herd of horned Asturian cattle roaming free in the area and a single peregrine falcon circling overhead.
We returned to the train for lunch, then continued on to Oviedo, the region’s imposing capital. We arrived at 5:30 pm and were treated to a guided tour of the old town and the Gothic Cathedral of San Salvador, which is said to house the cloth that Jesus used to cover his face after his death. Dinner for the day was At La Gran Taverna we had delicate crab bisque and caramel cheesecake, and before retiring to our cabin for the evening we enjoyed a nightcap at La Pumarada, a traditional pub where vest-clad waiters pour cider from bottles held above their heads.
Days 4 and 5: Oviedo to Viveiro
The three-hour ride between the fishing villages of Candas and Luarca was the most scenic of the route: the train passed turquoise bays lapping against limestone cliffs, rivers winding through emerald-green hills and wheat fields dotted with 16th-century buildings. Holoth — A granary the size of a shed, made of chestnut wood.
Our last full day took us to Viveiro, a port town famous for its beautiful beaches and Holy Week celebrations. As we were touring the historic center, it started to rain. While the rest of our group returned to the train, I found an umbrella and continued exploring the city alone, admiring the 16th-century glass verandas and well-preserved medieval walls, which looked even more beautiful in the rain.
Our final dinner of black truffle ravioli and seared sea bass was served on board the train. Then, at 11:30pm, the train manager invited everyone into the bar car, decorated with green and gold balloons. We toasted the crew and the champagne was poured. A flamenco dancer in a sparkly red dress led the dance floor, stomping her heels to invite other passengers along. I finally went to bed at 3am.
Day 6: Viveiro to Santiago de Compostela
The train left Viveiro at 7am and headed for the city of Ferrol, where we said goodbye to the crew and boarded the bus for the hour-long drive to Santiago de Compostela. We met our guide, Manuel Marullo, in Plaza del Obradoiro, the city’s main square and the traditional meeting place for pilgrims who have completed the Camino.
Despite the constant rain, the atmosphere was great. (“If you haven’t spent a rainy day in Santiago, you haven’t understood Santiago,” our guide said.) A Galician bagpiper played at the entrance to the square. Hundreds of pilgrims hugged, cried and drank red wine from scallop shells on the granite steps of the towering Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. This Romanesque building was built in 1075 and is said to house the remains of St. James, one of Jesus’ 12 apostles. I didn’t walk to Santiago, but I was lucky to meet pilgrims along the way, and lucky to see Spain’s green coast from the comfort of a luxury train.
This story appeared in our August 2024 issue. Travel + Leisure The headline was “Exploring Spain by Train.”