Walking or Painting? Pick Your Casa Agara Week

Boots or brushes? Or a week built around a date in the sky? On a walking week, the minibus drops you on the coast and you walk 7.6 km from St Vincent to Playa de Oyambre with the sea beside you. On a painting week, you spend the morning chasing the light across a watercolour of the valley, then compare notes over lunch.Same house, same table, three very different reasons to come.

Here is how to pick the one that suits you, especially if you are travelling solo.

What every week shares

The house itself: the 18th-century casona in Fresneda de Cabuérniga, the river Saja a short walk from the door, Rob hosting and Chispa somewhere underfoot. Every meal is included (breakfast, a light lunch and a home-cooked dinner) and the bar is free. A few things sit outside the price: flights, insurance, optional excursions, premium spirits and a restaurant lunch by choice. What's included in a week at Casa Agara sets it out properly. There is no forced single supplement on any of them either: twin-share costs a solo guest nothing extra, or you can choose a room of your own.

The walking week: for people who love a route well finished

The Cantabrian Walking Week is hosted by Jen and Jim Holgan, who have led walks for Spice in Scotland for close to twenty years and have personally scouted every route here. Bring boots, waterproofs and a rucksack, because miles get done. The routes run from the coastal path at St Vincent to Playa de Oyambre, 7.6 km with 100 m of ascent, up to the Bárcena Mayor to Alto de la Guarda circuit, 8.5 km with 650 m of climbing, which is a proper hill day.

Jen and Jim walk with the group rather than leading from the front. Jen keeps a leisurely pace and Jim is happy to push on if you want more, so you choose your day. It suits anyone who likes a clear plan, fresh air by the lungful and the glow of a route completed before dinner.

The painting week: for people who want their hands busy

The Spanish Drawing and Painting Break runs with tutor Dale Scott, a figurative painter who works under the name Drysdale Scott and taught art in Glasgow schools and colleges before turning to full-time painting and tuition. He teaches oils, watercolours, pastels and sketch, and the pace of the day is set by the easel rather than the clock.

This is the week for people who would rather spend the afternoon with a brush than a map, sitting outside with a drink at four o'clock and something to show for the day. Bring the materials you love working with. The company has a cheerful studio feel: ideas swapped between sessions, work passed round at dinner, and plenty of friendly critique.

Mix and match

Whichever week you book, the valley is there for everyone. Bikes and the surrounding paths are there to use on any week, and the minibus gets everyone out to the coast and the villages whatever the main programme. Painters walk, walkers sketch, and everyone ends up around the same table by the fire. Pick the week whose main activity makes you happiest and treat the rest as a bonus.

Frequently asked questions

Is the walking hard?

Some of it is satisfyingly so. Routes run from a flat 4.3 km beach circuit at Playa de Valdearenas to an 8.5 km hill walk with 650 m of ascent at Alto de la Guarda. Jen and Jim walk at different paces, so you can match each day to your legs.

Do I need painting experience for the art week?

No. Dale Scott teaches beginners and experienced painters in the same group, across oils, watercolours, pastels and sketch. Bring your own favourite materials if you have them.

Will other solo travellers be there?

Very likely. Solo guests are a regular part of these weeks, and there is no forced single supplement: twin-share at no extra cost, matched with a room-mate of the same sex, or choose a room of your own.

What happens at dinner?

Dinner is cooked fresh by Rob and changes nightly: Tudanca beef one evening, a curry night the next, grilled sardines and slow-cooked pork belly another. Everyone sits down together, and the free bar keeps the conversation flowing.

Can I bring a group of my own?

Yes. If you lead a walking club, cycling club, riding group or yoga retreat, Rob would love to hear from you. Enquire about bringing your group and he will reply personally with dates and how a week could work.

Pick your week

Boots, brushes or the stars: whichever calls you, the welcome is the same. See the scheduled weeks and choose yours, or ask Spice Escapes, our exclusive booking partner, about dates and room-sharing.