Must-see attractions in Cantabria

  • ALTAMIRA, SPAIN -10 JUN 2017- The National Museum and Research Center of Altamira is a museum with replica of the cave of Altamira with its prehistoric rock art. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.; Shutterstock ID 664589344

    Museo de Altamira

    Cantabria

    The museum’s highlight is the Neocueva, a dazzling, full-sized re-creation of the real Cueva de Altamira’s most interesting chamber, the Sala de…

  • Palace Sobrellano, Comillas, Spain.

    Palacio de Sobrellano

    Comillas

    With this marvellous 1888 building, the Marqués de Comillas’ summer palace, Modernista architect Joan Martorell truly managed to out-Gothic real Gothic…

  • SANTANDER, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 27, 2017: Centro Botin or Botin Center is a cultural facility building located in Santander, Spain; Shutterstock ID 1036661941

    Centro Botín

    Santander

    Santander's newest and splashiest landmark, this ambitious waterfront arts and cultural centre opened to great fanfare in 2017. The futuristic two-block…

  • Cueva de Covalanas

    Cantabria

    Discovered in 1903 (second only to Altamira among Cantabrian caves with prehistoric artwork), the World Heritage–listed Covalanas cave is home to several…

  • UNESCO World Heritage. Puente Viesgo. Pas valley. Cantabria. Spain

    Cuevas de Monte Castillo

    Santander

    Of these four World Heritage–listed caves 30km southwest of Santander, two – El Castillo and Las Monedas – are open for 45-minute guided visits (in…

  • Capricho de Gaudí

    Comillas

    Antoni Gaudí left few reminders of his genius beyond Catalonia, but of them the 1885 Capricho is easily the most flamboyant. This brick building, one of…

  • View on Playa de Oyambre y la Rabia, located on the bay of Biscay, Cantabria, Spain.; Shutterstock ID 1052635787

    Playa Oyambre

    Comillas

    The 2km-long, soft-blonde Playa Oyambre, 5km west of Comillas, is a sandy dream protected by the Parque Natural Oyambre. It has frequently surfable waves,…

  • Península de la Magdalena

    Santander

    At the eastern tip of the bay, this sprawling parkland is perfect for a stroll, and popular with picnickers. Kids will enjoy the resident seals, sea lions…

  • Aerial views of the Playa Sonabia.

    Playa de Sonabia

    Cantabria

    About 14km east of Laredo, small, wild Playa de Sonabia is tucked into a rock-lined inlet beneath high crags, above which rare griffon vultures circle the…

  • Nacimiento del Río Ebro

    Cantabria

    The Río Ebro starts life at this tree-shaded spring 5km northwest of Reinosa. It’s a stunningly serene spot, with deep-turquoise water, a tiny shrine and…

  • Palacio de la Magdalena

    Santander

    The eclectically styled, English-inspired palace crowning the Península de la Magdalena was built between 1908 and 1912 as a gift from Santander to Spain…

  • Colegiata de Santa Juliana

    Santillana del Mar

    A stroll along Santillana’s cobbled main street, past solemn 15th- to 18th-century nobles’ houses, leads to this beautiful 12th-century Romanesque ex…

  • Catedral de la Asunción

    Santander

    Santander’s serene cathedral comprises two Gothic churches, one above the other. The 14th-century upper church, extensively rebuilt after the 1941 fire,…

  • Iglesia del Santísimo Cristo

    Santander

    Two superposed Gothic churches make up Santander’s cathedral. In the lower, older, 13th-century Iglesia del Santísimo Cristo, glass floors reveal…

  • El Soplao

    San Vicente de la Barquera

    This extensive 20km cave system, exploited as a lead and zinc mine before 1979, makes for a popular outing inland from San Vicente. The one-hour visit…

  • Colegiata de San Pedro

    Cantabria

    The elegantly proportioned 12th-century Romanesque church in Cervatos, 6km south of Reinosa, is most celebrated for the rare explicit sexual carvings on…

  • Antigua Universidad Pontificia

    Comillas

    Several Modernistas had a hand in this imposing neo-Gothic former seminary, looming over the west end of town. Domènech i Montaner contributed its…

  • Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles

    San Vicente de la Barquera

    San Vicente’s outstanding monument is the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles, commissioned by Alfonso VIII in 1210. Though mostly Gothic, it sports…

  • Playa del Sardinero

    Santander

    El Sardinero’s 1.5km-long strand of gorgeous golden sand faces the open sea, north of the Península de la Magdalena. It’s backed by some of Santander’s…

  • Cemetery

    Comillas

    Comillas' cemetery, around the ruined medieval parish church, was remodelled by Catalan Modernista Lluís Domènech i Montaner in 1893. It’s overlooked by a…

  • Playas de Langre

    Santander

    The two gorgeously wild golden beaches of Langre are backed by cliffs topped with rolling green fields, and often have surfable waves. Most beachgoers…

  • Capilla-Panteón de Sobrellano

    Comillas

    On a grassy hillside beside the Marqués de Comillas’ summer palace is the marquis’ family tomb, an intricate ‘mini-cathedral’ designed by Joan Martorell,…

  • Parque de la Naturaleza Cabárceno

    Santander

    This open-air zoo 18km south of Santander is a curious but successful experiment: a free-range home on the site of former open-cut mines for everything…

  • Playa del Puntal

    Santander

    A 2km-long finger of sand jutting across the bay towards Santander, Playa del Puntal is idyllic on calm days (but beware the currents). A couple of…

  • Iglesia de Santa María de la Asunción

    Cantabria

    The haughty Gothic jumble that is the Iglesia de Santa María de la Asunción stands out spectacularly above Castro Urdiales’ harbour. It was built in the…

  • Playa de Somo

    Santander

    Across the bay from Santander, and just beyond Playa del Puntal, Playa de Somo is a beautiful, gold-tinged beach, often with pretty good surf. A year…

  • Centro de Interpretación del Rupestre

    Cantabria

    This visitor centre next to the church of Santa María de Valverde has excellent interpretative displays about rock-cut churches throughout the Ebro Valley…

  • Playa de Valdearenas

    Santander

    Protected by the pine-filled Parque Natural de las Dunas de Liencres, this exquisite 3km-long, gold-tinged beach has a delightful natural feel and is…

  • Playas del Rosal & de Merón

    San Vicente de la Barquera

    Along the coast east of town, these two beautiful beaches are basically one broad, 4km-long golden strand. Merón gets surf, while El Rosal (the western…

  • Mercado La Esperanza

    Santander

    Housed in a 19th-century cast-iron structure, the bustling Esperanza market is a lively slice of Cantabrian life. Shoppers throng two floors of stalls…

  • Fuente de los Tres Caños

    Comillas

    In the heart of town, this elaborate triple-tiered fountain and lamp post was created in 1899 by Modernista Lluís Domènech i Montaner and decorated with…

  • Playa de Berria

    Cantabria

    Playa de Berria is a magnificent sweep of blonde sand and crashing surf on the open sea, 2.5km north of Santoña and linked to it by frequent buses (€1.55,…

  • Casona de Tudanca

    Cantabria

    The CA281 south from Puentenansa follows the Río Nansa upstream. Along the way, a 2km detour east leads to the attractive hamlet of Tudanca, dominated by…

  • Playa de Oriñón

    Cantabria

    This broad sandy strip, just off the A8 16km west of Castro Urdiales, is set deep behind protective headlands, making the water calm and comparatively…

  • Museo de Arte Moderno y Contemporáneo

    Santander

    Santander’s art museum offers an extensive eclectic collection spanning the 16th to 21st centuries. Much of it is secondary Spanish art, though you’ll…

  • Centro Arqueológico Muralla de Santander

    Santander

    Below the majestic Plaza Porticada lies the Centro Arqueológico Muralla de Santander, where you can see parts of the city’s medieval walls, built from…

  • Julióbriga

    Cantabria

    The remains of Julióbriga, Cantabria’s most significant Roman town, lie 4km east of Reinosa. Hourly guided visits (45 minutes, in Spanish) lead you…

More destinations you need to see