Despite all my travels around Spain, I didn’t visit the autonomous community of Cantabria until I lived in the Basque Country, Cantabria’s neighbour. The proximity made it an ideal mini escape for the weekend, the change of scene and the low prices drawing many visitors over the border. Cheap flights also bring increasing numbers of foreign travellers into the capital of Santander, a city on the coast with no shortage of beaches and sunny days. I had long ignored this small region in northern Spain until a friend flew into Santander to meet me. The hour long bus ride from Bilbao was picturesque, with lush green mountains out one window and alternating beaches and rocky promontories out the other. The north may be the path less travelled when it comes to tourism in Spain, but it doesn’t disappoint.
Santander
The capital of Cantabria, Santander, is an odd mixture of gorgeous stately mansions from the 19th century and unappealing apartment complexes from the mid-20th century. The city fell victim to a fire in the 1940s, which destroyed the historic centre and left thousands homeless. Homes were rebuilt, but not as they had once been, leaving the city with eclectic architecture, but not in the good way. I doubt many people fall for the city at first sight, but that doesn’t mean Santander has nothing to offer visitors eager for the aesthetic and culinary attractions desirable in the age of Instagram.
Eating
I was pleasantly surprised by the gastronomy in Santander. Coming from the Basque Country, where the cuisine is world famous, I had low expectations for Cantabria, but Santander held its own in the culinary domain. Unfortunately, this was not a time when I was writing down the names of restaurants, so those gems I discovered at the time are just a distant memory. I do, however, remember some places I visited. For cocktails, my friend and I dropped into a quirky speakeasy called Little Bobby, tucked away in the back room of a discotheque. The cocktails here were elaborately prepared by a hipster bartender. You can lounge on a couch in the prohibition-era-inspired, darkened atmosphere of this Santander bar, while resting your cocktail on a table made out of an old bathtub. The curiosities in this speakeasy abound.
For a quick pincho (spelled pintxo in the Basque Country), a small portion of food that gets its name from being served skewered with a toothpick, you can try La Catedral Urban Coffee, conveniently located just beside the cathedral. Because of the location, I expected this place to be pricey, but surprisingly it was quite inexpensive (again, Cantabria is typically cheaper than the Basque Country even in touristy areas). My Moscato was 1.60 euros and my pincho, a mini hamburger with cheese and caramelized onions heated up right on the grill (many places use a microwave), was 1.70 euros. Despite the name Urban Coffee, this place was not a bad copy of an American coffee shop, but a standard little bar with original paintings for sale.
Sightseeing
On the Magdalena Peninsula, you can see the former summer palace of the royals, Alfonso XIII (the one who coined the term tapas) and Queen Victoria Eugenia, now a university campus. There is a small marine park at the entrance to the peninsula where you can view sea lions and penguins without charge. However, news coming out of Santander suggests that the animals are not well cared for. My opinion, when it comes to animal attractions, is that we need to do our research and avoid activities that cause harm and distress to animals. In this particular case, it is difficult to avoid passing by and looking into the enclosures. There are beaches on the peninsula, and several lighthouses visible as you wander around. It is the perfect location to soak up the sun and relish in the fresh breeze from the sea.
I didn’t have a chance to visit the new Centro Botín, Santander’s answer to Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum. However, the modern art museum, located near the water’s edge, boasts a brand new design by Renzo Piano, the Italian architect responsible for London’s Shard skyscraper. Who designed the better art museum? Piano or Frank Gehry of Guggenheim Bilbao fame? I’d have to go with Gehry on this one, but nevertheless it’s supposed to be about the art inside, right?
For more things to do in Santander, including a list of the beaches, have a look at Santander Tourism’s website, which even plots out two-day suggested itineraries for visiting the city.
Sleeping
I loved our hotel in Santander, a boutique accommodation in a 1913 home near the Grand Casino and the second beach of the Sardinero. Hotel Boutique Las Brisas wasn’t optimal for visiting the centre of Santander, but what it lacked in convenience, it made up for with its charm and its proximity to a beautiful sandy beach. The hotel transports you to the elegant days when Santander attracted Spain’s wealthy to the north coast. Each room has a different style, and the architectural features of the home are delightful, if perhaps somewhat inconvenient for taller people.
Santillana del Mar and Altamira
Altamira
Probably the most famous attraction in Cantabria is Altamira, the cave complex with elaborate prehistoric cave paintings discovered in the second half of the 19th century. Until recently, people could visit only the museum which has a recreation of the cave and its art. Now, a few lucky visitors will gain access to the real cave through a lottery at the beginning of each Friday. You may wish to try your luck, purchasing your ticket before 10:30, and hoping you will be one of the lucky five. Personally, even though I’m an archaeologist, the real draw here would be to visit the actual cave, not the museum. The museum can only replicate the experience to a degree, yet the site is visited by a quarter of a million people each year. Because of Altamira’s fame (the paintings really are spectacular), it draws many tourists each day. I have been once where I joined the line and got into the museum, and once I was turned away because they had reached their quota. See my description of Puente Viesgo below for the opportunity to see original prehistoric art!
If you can, buy your tickets to Altamira in advance (I believe this will exclude you from the lottery on Fridays). I say, if you can, because the sale of advance tickets is set up through Santander Bank and I have had trouble with the system in the past. I have my fingers crossed for you!
Santillana del Mar
The name of this village is misleading, suggesting that it is located on the coast. Yet, despite having sea (mar) in the name, Santillana is inland and it happens to be right next to the Altamira cave complex. It’s a great idea to combine a visit to both locations on the same day. Santillana del Mar is a small village, well known for its wonderfully preserved medieval buildings. I suggest stopping at the Visitor’s Centre for a map of the noteworthy buildings in town. The village can be toured in a few hours, unless you wish to go into one of the museums or galleries.
At the Collegiate Church of Santillana, the main church in the village, you can see a remnant from the days of the Spanish Civil War, with the yoke and arrows symbol of the fascist Falange organization clearly visible on the facade. When Franco took power in 1939, the Falange was declared the only legal political party in Spain. According to the Law of Historical Memory, introduced in Spain in 2007, fascist symbols and symbols of the dictatorship are supposed to be removed from public buildings. However, religious spaces are exempt from this law. You have to wonder, though, why the Church didn’t jump on the bandwagon to remove symbols without the need for an imposed law? (Spoiler alert: The Church supported Franco). I may ruffle a few feathers in saying this, but the fascist ideology of the 30s and 40s is still glorified by many in Spain.
Despite the Falange symbol having pride of place on the village church, a chilling reminder of the destruction unleashed by fascism in Europe, I still recommend a visit to Santillana del Mar for the remarkable historic buildings.
Comillas
Another village in Cantabria that is worth a visit is Comillas. It is on the coast and has a beach and small harbour. If you like a variety of architecture, in this case a good kind of eclectic, Comillas may suit your tastes. The village was once home to the Comillas Pontifical University, now located in Madrid, and the late 19th century university buildings, imposingly located on a hill overlooking the village, remain an architectural attraction.
Since the royals used to spend summers here in the early 19th century, there are many historic mansions and palaces. The most eye-catching and unique is the chalet designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí, built in the 1880s. Aptly named El Capricho (the whim or caprice), the villa features a minaret decorated with sunflower tiles in bas-relief. The man for whom the home was built died before it was completed. You can tour the house and admire Gaudí’s whimsical design up close.
Behind El Capricho you can see the more sobre, neo-gothic Sobrellano Palace, the design of another Catalan architect, Joan Martorell, in which Gaudí also had a hand.
Fun fact: Comillas was the capital of Spain for just one day in 1881.
Puente Viesgo
Cave Paintings
Altamira may be famous, but a much better and more exciting alternative (with far fewer people) is to visit the caves in Puente Viesgo. Here, unlike at Altamira, you will get to see the REAL thing. A friend from Canada had a fascination with cave paintings, did her research, and invited me to join her in Puente Viesgo to visit Las Monedas and El Castillo caves. I’m so glad she did. What an incredible experience. Seeing the actual prehistoric paintings created thousands of years ago was phenomenal. We stayed in the village and walked up to the caves. It takes about 30 minutes, but half of that is uphill. If you have a car you can drive up and park in the parking lot.
My recommendation is to buy tickets in advance. The first time I visited, our tour for both caves was not full, and I mistakenly thought that would be the norm. The next time I tried to visit, I didn’t have advance tickets and we were turned away. Note that I didn’t have advance tickets because the online system wasn’t working. Surprise! I definitely recommend visiting both caves, they are one right beside the other, so why not get a full dose of prehistoric art? It also comes at the bargain price of only 3 euros per cave. In the world of rising prices for tourist attractions this is an amazing deal! An added bonus is that you do not need a car to visit Puente Viesgo, you can arrive by bus and everything is walkable.
Note that there are more caves with prehistoric art in Cantabria. In fact, they have many options, but the caves in Puente Viesgo are the only ones I have visited personally. For more information check this website to help you plan your visit of prehistoric Cantabria. You can even do a virtual tour from home!
Spa
As a birthday surprise from my boyfriend, we went to Puente Viesgo to stay at the Gran Hotel Balneario Puente Viesgo, a four star hotel with spa and restaurant on site. The aptly named Temple of Water is a large, primarily indoor facility with all the features you would expect from a modern spa, including an outdoor hot tub with views of the forest. There is also an outdoor pool if you are visiting in the summer months. Though it’s not what I did, you could certainly combine a visit to the spa with a tour of the caves. A special touch in the room were chocolates and champagne, and our package included dinner at the restaurant, which was the best food I ate during my several visits to Puente Viesgo. The restaurant, El Jardín, served me a delicious main course of duck and apple brochette with bok choy. I would definitely repeat this experience, as I am always in favour of a relaxing spa day.
Eating
I’ve already mentioned the great cuisine at El Jardín, the restaurant at the spa in Puente Viesgo. I would absolutely recommend checking out this restaurant. On my first trip to Puente Viesgo, however, I did eat some strange things, and the food just couldn’t compete with Santander. At one meal I ordered the trucha a la Navarra, Navarrese-style trout. Why was I ordering Navarrese-style trout in Cantabria? I cannot say, and in retrospect it may not have been the wisest food-related decision I’ve made. I have in my notes that the trout was served with a sprinkling of soggy fries. This is then crossed out, because on further inspection I realized these were not fries, but something called chicharrones, which is fried pork rind. Lots of people like them, but they are not for me.
On the same trip, at a different restaurant, I learned that you should always make use of a smartphone at dinner, instead of ordering blindly. I may be quite fluent in Spanish, but I don’t know the name of every single dish (in hindsight, I wouldn’t have known what this was in English either). “This one is something with lamb, but I don’t know what mollejas are,” I told my friend. She ordered it, and when it arrived it didn’t look like any part of the lamb I’d seen before. After checking the translation for mollejas, we learned that they are sweetbreads in English, which is nothing like how it sounds. Sweetbread is a term for the thymus gland of the throat (or can be used for the pancreas as well). It wasn’t actually terrible, but a very rich dish. On an adventurous day, I would try them again.
Sleeping
See above for the description of the Gran Hotel Balneario Puente Viesgo. This is a lovely hotel, but if you are on a budget, try Posada la Anjana, situated in an old farmhouse. It is a simple and economical hotel along the Pas River, and within walking distance of pretty much everything.
There is a great deal more to discover in Cantabria. The slogan for Tourism Cantabria is even Cantabria Infinita, Infinite Cantabria. However, this is a very good start for a first or second visit to the region.
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Thank you for your post about Cantabria, it´s a piece of Spain that we love.
Right now we are under movement restrictions right now in Spain, but we are looking forward to have some days in Cantabria!. It´s one of the place that we selected to talk about in our blog.
Thanks for reading! Cantabria is a great place to visit!
Would like to visit too – sounds great. With advance booking of course..
Yes, it’s too bad it didn’t work out while you were over there. Next time!
You are inspiring me again. I love cave paintings and need to spend enough time to enter the Friday lottery. Nothing like the real thing. I must go back. I too recommend Santander and Santillana, and I must visit Comillas. Wonderful descriptions.
Thanks! The cave paintings were great, I’m so glad I went. Comillas was really cool, but just a stopping point during a road trip, so we only went inside El Capricho. Definitely lots more to see!