Feedback on 2 weeks in Basque country, Cantabria, Asturias?

I am in the early stages of planning a two week trip for late June - early July 2026 to the Basque region/Cantabria/Asturias before spending a week at El Cuelebre, a Spanish language school in Somiedo. I’ve been poring through Maribel’s guides and reading HO threads about the region. Would love feedback on my restaurant selections so far. I am a female traveling solo so am hoping to find places that will be friendly for a single diner (without overwhelming portions of food). I’d like a nice mix of casual dining and a few splurges. I love seafood!

Sat 6/20 Land in Bilbao at 5:30 pm: Dinner at La Vina del Ensanche before visit to Azkuna Zentroa
Sun 6/21 Morning at the Guggenheim, afternoon pintxos tour with Mikel, dinner at Los Fueros
Mon 6/22 Breakfast at Mercado de la Ribera, tour of La Rioja with Mikel enroute to Laguardia for St. John’s festivities
Tues 6/23 Laguardia: any food recs here?
Wed 6/24 Laguardia
Thu 6/25 Early morning bus to San Sebastián via Logrono or Vitoria-Gasteiz
Fri 6/26 San Sebastián: pintxos
Sat 6/27 Morning in San Sebastián, afternoon drive to Bayonne via Ascain and Sare, lunch at Restaurant Larralde?, dinner in Bayonne at La Table de Pottoka or Moulin d’Alotz in Arcangues?
Sun 6/28 Morning in Bayonne, afternoon at Isturritz caves,
overnight St. Jean Pied de Port, dinner at Gaineko Benta for the view?
Mon 6/29 St. Jean Pied de Port for Monday market, lunch at Pierre Oteiza Les Aldudes, afternoon exploring Espelette and Ainhoa, dinner at Pil-Pil Enea in St. Jean de Luz
Tues 6/30 St. Jean de Luz for Tuesday market, lunch at Chez Mattin, dinner in Hondarribia (Bar Gran Sol)
Wed 7/1 Morning at Chillida-Leku, lunch at Bodega Asador Joxe Mari or Bodega Katxina (which is better for a solo diner?) in Orio or one of the many places in Getaria, visit Balenciaga museum —> overnight at Hotel Urune near Guernika, Boroa Jatetxea for an early dinner?

Thurs 7/2 Visit Guernika, lunch at Remenetxe, afternoon in Urdaibai area, overnight in Santillana Del Mar (any DINNER recs?)

Fri 7/3 Morning at Cuevas del Monte Castillo, afternoon in Comillas and San Vicente de la Barquera, overnight in Llanes, dinner at El Balama (any LUNCH recs for this day?)

Sat 7/4 Llanes —> Ribadesella, lunch at Gueyu Mar, dinner at La Huertona

Sun 7/5 Tito Bustillo, lunch at La Nansa or El Rompeolas in Tazones —> overnight in Cudillero

Mon 7/6 Cudillero —> Oviedo

Tues 7/7 - Mon 7/13 Somiedo

Tue 7/14 Oviedo

Wed 7/15 Madrid - any recs for a memorable meal in Madrid that would be very different than anything I had in northern Spain? La Lloreria?

Thu 7/16 Fly home

@genevah
Feedback for you:

Both La Viña del Ensanche for Joselito Iberian ham and Los Fueros in Bilbao are 2 of my favorites.
Glad you’ve booked the pintxos tour and the Rioja D.O.C. with mikelg, a dear friend of mine. Laguardia’s Fiesta de San Juan-San Pedro is quite festive. We used to attend every summer as my late husband enjoyed witnessing the twice daily running of the vaquillas.

Food recs for Laguardia: Amelibia for gourmet dining, Sugar for grilled meats, Hiruko and Velar for pintxos.

Bus to San Sebastián from Logroño will be take longer than from Vitoria, but you´ll still need the Alavabus from Laguardia to Vitoria.

Lunch in Sare for me would be at Larralde or Arraya across the street. I´ve dined at both. Not much difference, ime

We love La Table de Pottoka in Bayonne. Can’t go wrong here. Moulin d’Alotz sits in the middle of nature, for romantic evening dining, in our experience.

I haven’t been to Gaineko Benta at the Izpeguy pass in Navarra for the views. In St-Jean-Pied-de-Port itself we loved dining at Les Pyrénées. You will have lovely mountain views through Les Aldudes on the drive down to Pierra Oteiza.

Our dining favorites in St-Jean-de-Luz after the market: Pil Pil Enea for hake (merlu), Zoko Moko, le Kaïku (Michelin starred), Le Essentiel (a new, small discovery off the trodden tourist trail that we love). Chez Mattin in Ciboure excels in Toro (fish soup) and other very traditional dishes.

For a solo diner in Orio, Asador Joxe Mari.

Near the Urune, below Gernika, Asador Boroa outside Amorebieta is fine and boasts a lovely country setting but I believe that the formal dining room, Michelin starred, only serves lunch, not dinner. At least one can’t reserve on their online system after 3:30.

I have no Santillana Del Mar dinner recommendations because the town does suffer quite a bit from over tourism, being a bus tour stop plus a first overnight stop for the British arriving on the ferry from Santander. No outstanding dining here that I´ve experienced.
I’ve only dined at the Parador de Gil Blas while lodged there. I no longer overnight in Santillana.

I recently (August) dined again at both Gueyu Mar (lunch) and La Huertona (dinner). Both were wonderful.

Either La Nansa or Rompeolas in tiny Tazones—not much of a difference, although Rompeolas is a favorite of José Andrés.

For Madrid, La Llorería in Chueca will be nothing like the experiences you had in northern Spain. Ditto to Kuocco 360 with 1 Repsol. sun in its new location at Barquillo 30.

Thank you so much, Maribel. It’s been a joy researching this trip through all three of your guides, and I am grateful for this follow up advice. I will report back.

@genevah
I just noted your updated itinerary on the other travel site. Is an overnight in Santillana still on your list or have you decided to press on to Comillas?

I agree with the comments from mikelbasqueguide regarding Mundaka, which is more picturesque, imo, than the former whaling town of Bermeo. We visited both very recently. A nice place to have lunch near Mundaka is PORTUONDO. In the hills above BERMEO you have the ASADOR ALMIKTXU.

I also agree with mikelbasqueguide regarding Bilbao breakfast—not at the market hall of Mercado de la Ribera but instead at any pastelería with seating for the typical bollo de mantequilla.

And I would overnight in Comillas rather than very heavily summer touristed Llanes. And parking is very, very tough in Llanes unless you leave your car in the large municipal lot, Parking del Sablón, as we did this past August.

Regarding Ribadesella, the VILLA ROSARIO is in the town itself (I was just there) but on the beach side, Playa de Santa Marina, where you’ll find several indiano mansions lined up in a row. But its contemporary annex isn’t recommended. Friends also were not overwhelmed with its Michelin starred dining room.

Another fine dining spot in Ribadesella for superb rice dishes is QUINCE NUDOS, just steps from the VILLA ROSARIO. Gueyu Mar is located outside of Ribadesella, to the west, on the hippy beach of Playa de Vega. A lunch there is like no other! The famous “rey” or “virrey” is now priced at 98 euros/kilo and needs to be shared (among 2 or better still, among 3 diners). Chef Abel also grills up excellent wild fish for single diners. After our recent lunch, we took home several tins of his famous conservas, his sardinas trituradas.

I do need to mention that while I had recommended to the poster an overnight at the URUNE, we have now stayed 3 times at the charming, “rustic chic” OAR COTTAGE in tiny and beautiful Garai, below Gernika, which would be handy to Boroa (but again, Boroa is for lunch only). Simply stunning scenery and lovely hosts, Carmen and Manu. It’s become our home away from home when staying in the Urdaibai.
In Garai there is the excellent Garai Jatetxea. In fact, many of the hotel guests at OAR eat dinner there, having dined at Etxebarri for lunch. OAR is a member of the charming rural hotel group, Ruralka, and serves delightful breakfasts.

I feel as if I mentioned this on another forum, but when we stayed at Hotel Urune, we had a nice dinner at REMENETXE, which was an easy drive from the inn. But, this was maybe about 12 years ago or so, so I’ve no idea if that restaurant is still good. Maribel will know!

Yes, REMENETXE just before reaching Gernika, in Muxika, is still very good and boasts one Repsol sol; yet another traditional restaurant housed in an historic 19th century caserío/baserri or typical Basque farmhouse. It comes also recommended in the Macarfi guide and has an excellent wine list. We last week spent 4 nights in the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve.

Our frequent recent trips to the Bilbao eastern environs and the Urdaibai have provided us with many memorable dining experiences. You will be spoiled for choices wherever you go.
The same with Asturias (so much fantastic dining!) and in the countryside, to a lesser extent, in Cantabria.
In San Vicente de la Barquera (Cantabria) we have enjoyed LAS REDES for seafood.