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 goes 400m into the cave in a mine train, then continues on foot. Booking ahead is highly recommended. For thrill-seekers, the ‘adventure’ tour (€32, 2½ hours) travels 3km into the cave, opening up an extraordinary subterranean world. It’s 30km southwest of San Vicente: turn east off the CA181 at Rábago and continue 7km uphill.
El Soplao
San Vicente de la Barquera
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
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Nearby San Vicente de la Barquera attractions
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The eastern inlet bordering San Vicente, the estuary of the Río Escudo, is spanned by the long, low-slung, 15th-century Puente de la Maza.
2. Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles
6.12 MILES
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…
6.22 MILES
San Vicente’s 13th-century castle, one of Cantabria’s best preserved, rises near the top of the old part of town. Sights inside are limited, and exhibits…
4. Playas del Rosal & de Merón
6.83 MILES
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…
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6. Antigua Universidad Pontificia
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Several Modernistas had a hand in this imposing neo-Gothic former seminary, looming over the west end of town. Domènech i Montaner contributed its…
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The small town of Colombres, 21km east of Llanes, has a particularly fine collection of indiano architecture –florid buildings of eclectic styles…
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