A Tourist Trip Through Cantabria: Essential Stops

A tourist trip through Cantabria offers you everything you could look for in a getaway. It has a sea and a mountain. It has a large and well-known city and small towns to discover. And it has great tourist attractions as different as the Sardinero beach, the Cabárceno Natural Park or the Altamira caves.

In short, Cantabria likes all kinds of people, proof of this are the thousands of tourists who visit it every year. Faced with so many outstanding corners, we offer you a small selection, so that you can make the most of your tourist trip through Cantabria.

Santander, the capital of Cantabria

The capital of Cantabria is the most populated city in the region. With access to the Cantabrian Sea, Santander has El Sardinero beach as its main attraction in the summer months. Nearby is the Palacio de La Magdalena, a majestic building with spectacular views.

And, if you want to enjoy another incomparable panoramic view, go to the Cabo Mayor lighthouse, you will see how the sea breaks with force on the cliffs. During your visit, take advantage and go to the bar-restaurant next to the parking lot to eat the best squid.

Back in the town center, make a stop at the cathedral, remodeled several times during history after finishing its construction in the 14th century. Another emblem of the city is the Plaza Porticada. And, in the most avant-garde section, it is worth mentioning the Botín Center, a building that attracts attention next to the seafront.

The beauty of Santillana del Mar

By many it is considered the most beautiful town in Spain, and there are several reasons to consider it that way. Its cobbled streets will make you travel to times gone by, as will its flower-filled balconies. In Santillana del Mar you have to visit the collegiate church, the greatest reflection of the Romanesque style in Cantabria.

There are many more jewels of this municipality, and we recommend that you know them all. But there is one that deserves special mention, the cave art temple in Spain. Here are the Altamira caves, where paintings of bison, horses and other animals made at least 17,000 years ago were found.

The visit to the cave is very controlled and limited. But you can know everything about her in the Altamira Museum. There you can visit the Neocueva, a very rigorous three-dimensional reproduction of a part of the Altamira caves.

Comillas, a whim in Cantabria

If Santillana del Mar is considered the most beautiful town in the country by many, Comillas is not far away. Its architectural wealth makes it an essential stop on a tourist trip through Cantabria. On a walk through the streets of its historic center you can see the Plaza de la Constitución, surrounded by beautiful buildings.

In Comillas , other places stand out, such as the Sobrellano palace, the University or the beach. But there is a special place: his cemetery. A cemetery on a promontory facing the sea where you will see very valuable sculptures, such as that of The Exterminating Angel .

Potes, nature on a tourist trip through Cantabria

To get to know the green part of Cantabria, the best destination is the town of Potes. Surrounded by mountains, the town sits on a river that offers beautiful views with its stone bridges. Among other things, you will visit the church of San Vicente, in the Gothic style, and the Torre del Infantado.

In the most natural section, Potes is the gateway town to the Picos de Europa. You can establish many routes from there to discover the richness of this national park.

The Cabárceno Nature Park

If you want to know a different zoo, you have to visit the Cabárceno Nature Park, very close to Santander. In this place the processes of conservation of animals in danger of extinction are investigated.

The natural environment of the park will leave you with your mouth open and even more so the true protagonists, which are the animals. The variety of species is very wide, as there are giraffes, elephants, gorillas or bison among other species.

As you can see, a tourist trip through Cantabria can give much more than a getaway, it can give a very complete vacation. Are you going to think about it?