Adventure Hunt Cantabria

Cantabria FAQ

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About Cantabria

Cantabria is a small region on the north coast of Spain, sitting between Asturias and the Basque Country, with Castilla y León to the south. It covers only around 5,300 square kilometres, so nowhere is particularly far away. That makes it quite easy to spend a morning by the sea and find yourself surrounded by mountains later the same day. Green valleys, forests, beaches and small villages fill much of the space in between.

FROM PREHISTORIC CAVES TO THE PICOS DE EUROPA

People have been living in Cantabria for a very long time. Some of the best evidence is found in its prehistoric caves, including Altamira, home to some of the world’s most famous Palaeolithic cave paintings. Much later, the Cantabri tribes became known for their resistance to Rome during the Cantabrian Wars in the 1st century BC. Fishing and farming became important parts of life here, as did livestock, mining and trade through the region’s ports.

Today it is probably the variety that stands out most. Head south or west and the landscape quickly becomes mountainous, eventually reaching the Picos de Europa. Travel in the other direction and you’ll find more than 200 km of coastline, with long beaches, rocky coves, cliffs and fishing towns.

PLACES TO DISCOVER AROUND CANTABRIA

Santillana del Mar: This is one of those places where simply wandering around is half the point. The old centre is full of cobbled streets, stone houses and traditional wooden balconies, with the Collegiate Church of Santa Juliana at its heart. One slightly confusing fact for first-time visitors: despite the name, Santillana del Mar isn’t actually beside the sea.

Altamira: Just outside Santillana del Mar is the Cave of Altamira, famous for its prehistoric paintings, particularly the bison painted across its ceiling. The original cave has to be carefully protected and access is extremely limited. Fortunately, the nearby Altamira Museum has a detailed recreation of the cave and its paintings, so you can still get a good idea of what was discovered here.

Picos de Europa and Fuente Dé: You don’t have to be an experienced mountaineer to get high into the Picos de Europa. At Fuente Dé, a cable car takes you from the valley to more than 1,800 metres above sea level. On a clear day the views are spectacular. If you do enjoy walking, this is also the starting point for a number of mountain routes.

Potes and Liébana: Potes sits in the Liébana valley, surrounded by mountains. It’s a lovely little town for a wander, with old stone buildings, bridges and narrow streets. The surrounding area is worth exploring too. The nearby Monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana has been an important pilgrimage destination for centuries and is one of only a handful of places in the world permitted to celebrate a perpetual Jubilee Year.

Cabárceno Nature Park: Cabárceno is difficult to describe as a normal zoo, because it really doesn’t look like one. The park occupies a huge former mining landscape where elephants, giraffes, bears, rhinoceroses and many other animals live in large open areas amongst dramatic limestone formations. You normally explore by car, but there are also cable cars that give you a completely different view from above.

San Vicente de la Barquera: On a clear day, San Vicente has one of the best backdrops of any coastal town in Cantabria, with the Picos de Europa visible behind it. There is a fishing harbour, a long medieval bridge and an old quarter sitting above the water, as well as some excellent beaches nearby.

The Cantabrian Coast: You are spoilt for choice if you like beaches. Somo, Liencres, Suances, Noja and Laredo are just a few of the better-known options, and there are plenty of smaller beaches and coves between them. The Costa Quebrada is particularly impressive, with cliffs and unusual rock formations shaped by the Cantabrian Sea.

Food and Drink: Being between the mountains and the sea is reflected in the food. Santoña is particularly famous for its anchovies, while cocido montañés is about as far from a light seafood lunch as you can get – a filling stew traditionally made with beans, cabbage and pork. For something sweeter, look out for sobaos pasiegos and quesada, both closely associated with the Pas valleys. Cantabria also produces plenty of local cheeses, so it’s worth trying whatever happens to be local to the area you’re visiting.