The best boutique hotels in Northern Spain

A leafier lodging awaits travellers at Arima Hotel & Spa, located under the canopy of Miramón Forest a short drive from San Sebastián. At one with its tranquil surroundings, Arima Hotel & Spa bears aluminium exteriors and wood-clad interiors, showing an eco-conscious approach with low energy usage and organic, locally farmed fare served at the hotel’s tapas restaurant. The wellness spa is a key selling point too, complete with an infrared sauna, two pools (one of which is a rooftop infinity pool only open in summer) and an adjacent fitness centre. Enjoy a cocktail at the pool bar while waiting for a serenity treatment or get your heart rate up in the forest-facing studio for yoga or spin class.

Follow the coast from San Sebastián and pretty soon you’ll reach Hotel Iturregi, a rural farmhouse hosting eight contemporary rooms – with heritage details – on a romantic Basque Country hillside that slopes down towards the Bay of Biscay. The hotel’s gardens make for a great picnic location but breakfast can also be delivered in-room before a day of poolside lounging and terrace schmoozing. Alternatively, get on the road to explore txakoli vineyards and the village of Getaria nearby. Enjoy the hotel’s perks of bicycles and beach gear, returning to base to raid the honesty bar after hours. While there is no Basque restaurant on site, the hotel’s extensive snack bar features local cheese, jamón Iberico and croquettes.

Also amidst the glorious backdrop of Basque Country is the Villa Magalean Hotel & Spa, on a prime bit of real estate beside Hondarribia’s medieval old town and marina. Lap up the nautical colours and briny smells of the seafront, wandering down old village streets to clear your nose with magnolia-covered façades and gourmet kitchen aromas. A border town through and through, Hondarribia has plenty of French influence and so too does Villa Magalean. Coolly hip with a wide-ranging library and Marshall music room to complement its Spa Henriette, this is a hotel that pleases without trying too hard. The on-site wine bar and restaurant Mahasti also gives Basque restaurants in town a run for their money, with its local tasting menu served alongside wines from the owner’s own private bodega.

To cop a nice room in Cantabria, try Molino Tejada, a 16^th-century watermill that doubles up as an intimate hotel edging the Ebro River. In the heart of the countryside, this cultural retreat is a favourite among fashionistas and filmmakers alike, providing a great backdrop for film and photography shoots, including weddings. Each room at Molino Tejada comes fitted with a kitchenette and bathtub, blending old stone features with modern luxury design. When you’ve tired of walking the gardens on the banks of the Ebro, retreat into the library or home theatre, alternating later on by sipping sangria at the honesty bar and dipping in the pool.

Also in west Asturias, Parador de Corias is the first showing of Paradores Northern Spain and a good one it is too. Based in an 11^th-century monastery in bucolic surrounds about halfway from Oviedo and Galicia, Parador de Corias is a great base for travellers seeking some heritage. Draw your eyes momentarily from the mountains and the Narcea River in the background and you’ll see that this vast hotel holds great archaeological significance, on display in the basement museum, church and refectory restaurant. All else follows contemporary tastes throughout its Scandi-inspired spaces and sensual spa with not a tapestry in sight.

Those seeking something a little older while in Galicia might prefer the 18^th-century estate of Hotel A Quinta Da Auga Relais & Châteaux. Spread across 1 hectare in the mountain valleys just outside central Santiago de Compostela, this elegant chateau wins guests over with its antique furnishings, refined suites and 3-storey wellness spa captured within the estate’s garden, which has a river view and several fountains. After trying traditional Galician fare at Restaurant Filigrana, curl up in front of the Baroque fireplace with a good book or undress for the Turkish baths.

The last in our list of luxury Hotels in Northern Spain is the Quinta de San Amaro Hotel, a Pontevedra countryside gem based 4 kilometres from the west coast’s beaches among rolling Salnes Valley vineyards. Guests can enjoy free tours of the Albariño winery, appreciating rural Meaño views all the while, or take a car to the city of Vigo for boat trips to the Cies Islands where the natural park hosts one of the region’s best beaches. Back at the hotel meanwhile, the pool, pergola and porch are perfect for merriments at sundown.