Cantabria is a tiny autonomous community of Spain, containing one province also called Cantabria and is largely overlooked by the mass market tourist industry.
It borders to the east on the Basque Country's province of Vizcaya, to the south on Castile and León (provinces of León, Palencia, and Burgos), to the west on Asturias, and to the north on the 'Cantabrian Sea', the local designation for the part of the Bay of Biscay that lies off its coast.
Cantabria is a surfing destination like no other and with a direct ferry link from the UK and loads of cheap flights into Santander and Bilbao it's an excellent destination for Europeans.
Quick links: Nature & Culture | Santander | Ribamontán al Mar | Somo | Loredo
NATURE & CULTURE
The Picos de Europa National Park in the Cantabrian Mountains is a major drawcard of the region and its incredible lofty peaks, steep canyons, deep caves, glacial lakes and long, narrow gorges make it one of the best place sin Spain for trekking, hiking, climbing, caving and other outdoor adventures.
Cantabria is lush and green with extremely varied landscapes & climates. Bears, wolves and eagles still live in the mountains and the rivers are full of salmon and trout. Cantabria's natural beauty all-encompassing; from flower covered mountains & meadows, to lush green valleys and dense forests. The coast is littered with beautiful bays, picturesque fishing villages and literally dozens of surfing breaks.
For the culture vultures out there, Cantabria is full of medieval villages, ancient monuments, monumental architecture and well-preserved prehistoric cave paintings. The Altamira Caves with massive, multi-coloured prehistoric rock paintings are one of the region’s most precious assets. The nearby village of Santillana del Mar is one of the best preserved medieval towns in Spain and is well worth checking out.
The Cabarceno Nature Reserve, near Santander, is a safari park where endangered exotic creatures from five continents roam semi-wild. The park is home to more than 500 species including elephants, leopards, bears, lions and kangaroos. Great place to take the kids.
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Santander
The port city of Santander is the capital of the autonomous community of Cantabria situated on the north coast of Spain between Asturias (to the west) and the Basque Country (to the east). Population in 1998 was about 184,000. Just over a third of aal Cantabrians live in Santander.
The city of Santander is renowned for its mild, (though rainy) climate and has a number of good urban beaches and places of interest include several museums, the former summer palace of King Alfonso XIII and the historic Grand Casino of El Sardinero.
The Plaza de Cañadio is the most popular place to start a night out on the town. The Plaza immediately borders seven different bars, and many other taverns are closeby.
If shopping is your thing, the shops at the Cuatro Caminos and the area bordering the Ayuntamiento are full of interesting shops.
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THE Municipality of Ribamontán al Mar
Traditionally a land of stonemasons, carpenters, blacksmiths, farmhands and labourers, Ribamontán al Mar today conserves its tradition of local crafts, especially in Somo, where a large part of the Cantabria potters' guild is assembled.
The municipality has a rich and varied artistic heritage, with outstanding religious constructions, such as the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Nuestra Señora de Latas, in Loredo, and the parish church of Santa Eulalia, in Suesa.
Ribamontán al Mar specialises in delicious fish grills and the local cuisine is excellent. In summer, surfing and windsurfing are popular at the beaches in Somo, and Loredo.
Ribamontán al Mar has amazing beaches: La capilla (200 m), Langre (850 m and one of the most beautiful in Cantabria), Arnillas (100 m), La Canalema (150 m), La Canal (200 m), El Machón (200 m) and Puntal (the longest at 2 km). The beaches at Somo-Quebrantas (1,700 m) and Loredo (800 m) are also spectacular. Between them they make up a stretch of fine sand measuring over 4.5 km.
The towns of Ribamontán al Mar include:
Carriazo, Castanedo, Galizano, Langre, Loredo, Somo and Suesa.
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Somo
This is essentially a tourist town, which has sprung up around the open beach that faces Santander. But Somo is perhaps better known for being the Pottery Town, rather than for its beautiful beach. Several craft workshops have been established here, all of which produce excellent ceramic work.
Also, in summer at low tide, when this vast sandy beach joins onto Loredo beach, a well-known Derby is held, with all kinds of horse races.
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Loredo
Situated between the river Treto and the bay of Santoña, Laredo is one of the main tourist towns on the Cantabrian coast. It has one of the biggest and most beautiful beaches in the region: La Salvé, an immense stretch of sand of measuring some five kilometres.
The town is structured into three very different zones: the old village and its neighbourhood, the area of the newer suburbs and the extension of this towards El Puntal. The first of these was declared to be a Historic-Artistic Site in 1970. It is the original population centre, dating from the Middle Ages, and it still preserves remains of its old walls. It consists of a network of small streets, on which large stately houses from the 16th to the 18th centuries stand. The second area, the newer part, which stretches until Plaza de Carlos V, is today the commercial, administrative and service centre. Lastly, between Plaza de Carlos V and El Puntal, you will find three large avenues which run parallel to one another, flanked by the town's two beaches.
