Short break in Spain (birthday celebration) - recommendations please?

[thriftymrs]

DH and I are planning a short break (4/5 days) to celebrate an - ahem - certain important milestone birthday, and it will be our first break without the DCs who are now teenagers and old enough to fend for themselves for a few days. I think we have narrowed down our options to Spain as neither of us have ever been. Could anyone recommend a destination from personal experience? Things we like to do include walking (especially clifftops, countryside, forests, beaches), art, architecture, music, flea markets for vintage bits and pieces, coffee and cake, (oh and we eat fish, but not meat). We are not lay-on-the-beach types as we prefer to explore and take in the scenery. Too old for clubbing but we like live music and people-watching. We love tradition more than modernity and technology. Our favourite places in the UK are Cornwall, Norfolk and Northumberland which gives you an idea of our tastes. Any tips and recommendations would be very welcome. We've not been abroad for many years and figured it's time to expand our horizons a little bit. Thank you in advance!

Not sure if you can go far enough for walking but Seville or Barcelona are fab cities (Barcelona is my face - the culture is brill and there are some fab restaurants and people watching spots.)

The North coast has all that, I've not been into the Basque countryside but it would have the walking, with Bilbao and San Sebastian as great towns (been planning a return to San Sebastian for my own, ahem, milestone, to a 3 Michelin star restaurant.

Or West of there, there's a lovely little city Oviedo and countryside and rugged coastline in Asturias, could even go into the Picos for some walking. There's a narrow gauge railway that trundles the whole of the top of Spain, DP and I went that way, was v picturesque, could do one day on that.

On the other side of Spain, the Northern Costa Brava is great, Dali-esque rocks on the coastline (can visit his home-museum at Figueres), Girona is the town to be based in, really lovely there - town squares, churches, restaurants. Lots of countryside around there - it's volcanic region leading into the foothills of the Pyrenees - with walks, pretty villages, not far from the coast either. Best to hire a car though, to easily get out of the town.

Have a great time!

Asturias or Cantabrian coast I'd say.

Rains all the bloody time. Home from home.

Myself I'd go to Salamanca.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I will do some more research into the areas you have mentioned.