A six-day itinerary aboard the new Costa Verde Express.
Courtesy of Trenes TurAsticos de Lujo
State-owned railways arent usually associated with upscale travel.
Visitors exploring the town of Santillana del Mar.
The Costa Verde Express near the medieval town of Viveiro, Spain.Credit:Courtesy of Trenes TurÃsticos de Lujo
Its so romantic, isnt it?
said a flight attendant from Chicago who sat near me during lunch.
The water was ice-cold, but the sunset was unforgettable.
Visitors exploring the town of Santillana del Mar.
Besides, the train was stationery every night, so there was no rush.
When I returned to my cabin, there was a square of dark chocolate on my pillow.
I went to sleep to the rustling sounds of birds nesting in the stations tiled roof.
From left: Replicas of cave paintings at the Altamira Museum; the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.From left: Toni Anzenberger/Redux; Getty Images
Its like a living museum, said our guide, Daniel Escudero.
The shops on the main street sold Cantabrian anchovies, wild-boar sausages, andorujo,a local brandy.
I met two pilgrims from Canada who were buying butter cake, the towns signature treat.
From left: Hiking in Picos de Europa National Park, in the Asturias region; the main square and cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.From left: Chris DoAl/iStockphoto/Getty Images; Peter Hirth/laif/Redux
They had walked 186 miles of the Camino de Santiago and had 300 more to go.
TheseUNESCO-protectedmountains are home to rare wildlife, including Iberian wolves and shrewlike desmans.
We returned to the train for lunch and continued to Oviedo, the regions stately capital.
We were touring the historic center when it started to pour.
The final dinner black-truffle ravioli and seared sea bass was served aboard the train.
Champagne flowed as we raised a glass to the crew.
It was 3 a.m. when I finally got to bed.
Despite the incessant rain, the atmosphere was electric.
Galician bagpipers played by the entrance to the plaza.
