Must see attractions in Cantabria

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

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

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

Dating back to the 10th century or earlier, Santa María de Valverde is the Ebro Valley's largest iglesia rupestre (rock-cut church). The church retains a…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

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…

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

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

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

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…

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

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…

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…

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

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

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

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…