Spain

The northern coast of Spain is the consecration of the colorgreen. From the meadows of the interior, right up to theborders of the cliffs, all things take on a shade of green. The price is aconstant fine rain that nourishes the land, brings harmony to thelandscape, and maintains the hydrographic balance.Craggy mountains loom over the Atlantic Ocean and the CantabrianSea, which have chiseled spectacular cliffs, producing smallsheltered ports, beaches of fine sand, and secluded coves abovewhich sea gulls soar. Its inhabitants –Celts, Asturians, Cantabrians,and Basques– protected by nature, have withstood the advances ofRome, the Arabs, as well as invaders that came by sea.In Galicia, Santiago emerged as a focal point for Christianpilgrimages. In Asturias, the Reconquest began; the struggle againstthe Arab invaders that lasted almost seven centuries. From Cantabria,the foramontanos departed in the 9th century to repopulate Castile,devastated by war. In the Basque country, the oldest language knownin the western world has been preserved: Euskera.It was easier to reach these four communities of the northern coastby sea. The mountainous regions of the interior, covered with forestsand with almost no roads, were crossed by few travellers –most ofthem trekking to Santiago de Compostela– and these isolated areashave preserved not only their landscapes but also their customs andtraditions. Sea-faring and agricultural lands, a journey through «GreenSpain» will please even the most demanding visitor.GaliciaAsturiasCantabriaThe Basque Country23