Things to See and Do in Western Coastal Cantabria

Santillana del Mar, one of the highlights of any visit to Cantabria, is a beautiful village of grand old mansions the highlight being the Colegiata de Santillana del Mar at the top of the town. A short walk from the town centre lie the caves of Altamira, the 'Sistine chapel' of cave painting and there is a zoo with a particularly interesting butterfly house.

Historic Comillas, set on a lovely bay with a nice sandy beach and little, protected fishing harbour is surely one of Cantabria´s most beautiful towns.

Favoured by royalty in the 'Belle Epoque' Comillas boasts a fine collection of Modernist architecture including Gaudi's Capricho and the Palacio de Sobrellano as well as a lovely old town.

Northern Spain's magnificent collection of 17 caves with Cro-Magnon artworks have recently awarded the status of Unesco World Heritage Site, in fact Altamira, the jewel in the crown, has enjoyed this status for some years .

The caves are spread along the coast from the Basque country, through Cantabria, where the highest concentration is to be found, to Asturias and they lie mostly between the Cordillera Cantabrica and the sea, making a visit easy to combine with a great seaside holiday.

Oyambre beach set in the beautiful protected nature park of Oyambre with the snow capped Picos mountains as a backdrop, situated between the delightful historic seaside towns of Comillas and San Vicente de La Barquera must be one of the finest, unspoilt stretches of golden sand backed by dunes anywhere.

With its totally sheltered estuary to one side, ideal for young families, the main beach washed by the ocean surf is great for jumping in and out of the waves, surfing when the wind is right or just enjoying a good swim. Plenty of space for all with only a couple of beach bars, the natural beauty of this place is unique.

El Soplao cave, considered as one of the great treasures of world geology was once a mine, but in 1975 when that was closed speleological exploration began to reveal a unique and spectacular crystallographic content.

Situated 62 kms from Santander in beautiful natural surroundings, this is a visit not to be missed.

Apart from stalactites and stalagmites. the helictites formations are truly exceptional.

The Soplao caves are reached by a mining train which is great fun for the kids (of all ages) and there is a tour on foot through the tunnels and rooms of La Gorda, Los Fantasmas, Mirador de Lacuerre, Centinelas and Ópera lasting about an hour. For the more adventurous there are longer tours of two and a half hours covering 6 kms.

At the heart of Cantabria the beautiful bay of Santander not only offers a natural harbour but lovely sheltered beaches right beside the city centre.

Favoured by the royals at the turn of the century the city centre has a definite Belle Epoque feel to it and the royal Palacio de la Magdalena stands proud on the headland which all but closes the bay as testament to those days.

Often overlooked or thought of as just a port of entry, Santander is a beautiful, lively city, steeped in history and with plenty of great restaurants and tapas bars, a fine maritime museum and great shopping too!

If staying east of the city take the little ferry from Somo into the heart of Santander - an experience to remember!

A little gem of a village, beautifully preserved and a great place to stop off for lunch or just a wander about.

Carmona is strategically placed half way round the Saja - Nansa route (see below), a circular route, starting from the coast and exploring two of Cantabria's loveliest valleys. Poblado Carmona 226 Carmona Cantabria

The active fishing port of San Vicente de la Barquera sits at the gateway to the Oyambre Nature Park and with the Picos de Europa as a backdrop.

For centuries San Vicente de la Barquera has been an important staging post on the Camino de Santiago and so there are plenty of historic monuments to visit as well as plenty of fishy treats to savour.

At the mouth of the Saja river, just down the road from Santillana del Mar and with three fine beaches, Suances is one of the main beach resorts of Santander and as such has seen its share of commercial development over the years. Recently this has taken an up-market turn with several good bars and eateries making it a great place for a promenade and a bite to eat after the beach.

Don't miss the cycle path which runs along the riverside to Cartes and beyond.

The busy little market town of Cabezon de la Sal, at the gateway to the Saja Valley Nature Park yet just a short distance from Comillas on the coast, is well worth a visit to see the workings of a genuine Cantabrian community. Here you will find all the amenities but with a decidedly traditional touch. Visit on a market day or when they're celebrating fiestas (which seems to be the whole of August) and you're in for a real treat. Look out specially for the 'Dia de Cantabria' which usually falls in early August.

Said to be the oldest village in Cantabria and according to some, the whole of Spain, Barcena Mayor is certainly one of the best preserved examples of the Cantabrian rural life, nowadays popular with tourists not only for its beautiful architecture but also for a gastronomic treat. At the upper end of the Saja Valley Nature Park Barcena Mayor is also a great setting off point for walkers and nature lovers.

Santillana zoo might not be the most modern but it does make a nice day out - and not just for the children...

The zoo features animlas from the Quaternary period - bison, Przewalski's horses, bears - which would have been common in the region and feature in the Altamira cave paintings - a fascinating cross reference!

Also of particular interest are the baby orangutans (it's a breeding zoo specializing in the species) and the butterfly house where many large tropical species fly around your head and even land on you.

Combine a visit to Santillana zoo with a visit to the caves at Altamira for a great day out!

Santillana's gruesome 'Museo de la Tortura' houses over 70 artefacts used to torture heretics in the Spanish Inquisition.

Not for the faint hearted but, of course, the kids love it!

Oyambre beach set in the beautiful protected nature park of Oyambre with the snow capped Picos mountains as a backdrop,- see 'highlights' above...

Comillas beach, a perfect stretch of golden sand set on a lovely bay with a small fishing harbour at one end is surely one of Cantabria's most beautiful.

Favoured by royalty from the 'Belle Epoque' through to the present day, the town of Comillas boasts a fine collection of Modernist architecture including Gaudi's Capricho as well as a lovely old town.

All this provides the perfect backdrop to the bay where the sea invites to swim in at any time. The little fishing harbour still sees the colourful fishing boats come and go and in the two typical bars there you can get the real taste of the sea even on Christmas Day.

The beach gets quite busy in the summer, but is one of the best beaches for swimming (as it has a protected orientation) - go there in the morning before the Spaniards get out of bed!

At one time our 'little secret', but now becoming better known. Prellezo beach, just west of San Vicente de La Barquera, a sandy, secret cove at one time, now more popular in the summer, might be difficult to find but it's well worth the effort.

This is a very special place with fantastic, theatrical rock formations and imposing archways reaching from the fine sand into the sea.

It's just a little cove- rocks, sand, rock pools and no scary surf. Great for swimming, crabbing - but do beware when the tide comes rushing in though, especially if the sea is rough!

The main beach of San Vicente de la Barquera and the other 'face' of Oyambre.

Popular with surfers and in the summer months with families the beach is big enough to never feel too crowded.

Those looking for the waves can usually find what they want either here or on Oyambre beach next door as their differing orientations mean that one or the other gets the surf, whichever direction it's coming from.

A long beach (1400 m) Merón is also great for walking whatever the weather.

This is an unspoilt, country beach with fine, white sand. There are no lifeguards here so you must take great care at all times.

Beautiful Cobreces beach, where the lush green grass meets the sea, a shell-like bay flanked by cliffs on either side of its firm golden sands is ideal for all the family.

Children can be amused for hours jumping in and out of the waves, playing bat and ball or shrimping in the fascinating rock pools. Adults can just lie back and enjoy the sun and the sea breeze, stroll along the shore or take a refreshing dip in the sea.

And if hunger strikes there are two good bars with restaurants serving tasty fishy delights and crisply roasted chicken, there's even an ice-cream van for the little ones. Paradise.

Popular with surfers, you might be forgiven for thinking that it was they who gave their name to this somewhat wild beach but in fact it got its name from the local psychiatric hospital in Suances.

For those wanting calmer waters the town's main beach, on the other side of the headland, is more protected - and there's even a small beach further into the estuary which is great for younger kids.