CANTABRIA HOLIDAYS   >   SPAIN 


Green, sea-faring region whose countryside hides numerous testimonies of the oldest prehistoric inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula. At the coast you will find beautifull bays, romantic sea resorts and in between green hills and valleys.

Main cities in Cantabria : El Astillero, Camargo, Castro-Urdiales, Los Corrales de Buelna, Laredo, Piélagos, Reinosa, Santoña and Torrelavega

Cantabria, in the north of Spain, covers an area of 5,289 square kilometres between the mountains of the Cordillera Cantabrica and the Cantabrian Sea.

Its boundaries are defined by: the Cantabrian Sea in the north, Asturias in the west, Castilla and Leon in the south and the Basque Country in the east.

Capital City of Cantabria: Santander


car hire, holiday rentals, hotels, tour operators - cantabria tours, travel guides, travel to cantabria

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Camping & Caravanning Cantabria

  Eurocampings   -   ACSI Camping Guide

  Camping & Caravaning en Espana

Holiday Rentals / Apartments

  Interhome   -   Holiday homes Cantabria
All properties are checked on a regular basis. All homes can be booked on-line. Properties are shown by destination.

 
Discover Spain from the comfort of your own holiday park, apartment or villa

  Spanish-Web.com  -  Self Catering Holiday Rentals
Find your Villa, Apartment or Country House to Rent

Hotels in Cantabria

  Booking   -   Hotels in Cantabria   -   Hotel Guide Cantabria
Hotels in and around Cantabria : Santander, Santillana del Mar, Maliaño, Suances, Cosgaya, Torrelavega, Puente Viesgo, San Vicente de la Barquera, Boó de Piélagos, Castro-Urdiales, Liendo, Somo, and more.

  Booking   -   Hotels in Santander   -   Hotel Guide Santander

  Booking   -   Hotels Costa Verde   -   Hotel Guide Costa Verde

Ebookers 
Centrally located hotels ranging from small family run budget accommodation to world-class five star hotels.

  Green hotels **** in Zaragoza

National Parks

  Cabarceno Nature Park
  Parque Nacional de Ordesa  -   Nationaal park Ordesa y Monte Perdido
  Picos de Europa
Cantabria shares the National Park Picos de Europa (in the Picos de Europa mountain range) with Asturias and León provinces

Travel Agencies / Tour Operators

  -   Create your perfect trip to Cantabria
Flight, Hotel and Car.





Travel Guides Cantabria / Related books

Amazon.com - Travel Guides Cantabria 

Thomas Cook 

Transportation / How do I travel to Cantabria

  Airport Santander [ SDR ]

See Aena for information about this Spanish airport.

  

 
Book cheap flights Cantabria [ Santander ] at ebookers and benefit from discounted airfares. View their latest offers and book your flights, accommodation, car hire and insurance online

Flights [ Opodo ]   -   flight tickets Cantabria / Santander

  Airline Tickets Cantabria / Bargain Flights
Cjeap floghts Cantabria, price comparison possible


Links

  Cantabria Tourism   -   Turismo Cantabria

  Gobierno de Cantabria

  Santander   -   Capital City of Cantabria
Santander offers a city atmosphere combined with the very essence of Cantabria: beaches, countryside, nature, gastronomy and culture. The city is built around a natural port, which has been used since before the occupation of the Roman Empire. The surrounding countryside is stunning, with wide open verdant areas and beaches, particularly Mataleñas, Sardinero and La Magdalena, where Alfonso XIII had his summer residence. A short distance from the city are the bay's south shore and the coastal strip that stretches to the mouth of the river Pas, boasting some of the region's finest beaches, which are extremely popular in summer, but practically deserted for those who happen to be in the region during the first few days of the beach season (May and June).

  Asón-Agüera
The costal strip between Castro Urdiales and Laredo is a very touristy area, with highly developed urbanism and infrastructures, numerous hotels and very lively long walks at the weekends. The biggest beaches are urban, such as Brazomar Beach (Castro Urdiales) or Salvé Beach (Laredo). The area boasts some highly attractive landscapes, characterised by the sea crashing against spectacular cliffs.
  Besaya
The valley of the Besaya River runs through the geographical centre of Cantabria, where there are traces of its very first inhabitants. This area has literally always been populated, as demonstrated by the rock paintings at nearby Altamira and Puente Viesgo.
  Campoo
The area of the Southern Valleys (Campoo and Valderredible) is one of the least touristy areas in Cantabria. It is located between the areas of España Verde (Green Spain) and the Castilian Meseta, and is symbolised by Pico Tres Mares, which is truly unique. The rivers Ebro, Pisuerga and Nansa (which flow out to the Mediterranean, the Atlantic and the Bay of Biscay respectively) all rise among the snow-capped mountains, This is an excellent area for winter and adventure sports, nature watching, and also has a very interesting cultural heritage. The largest town is Reinosa.
  Costa Central
Cantabria's Costa Central stretches from Menga, to the west of Santander, to Comillas. It has an impressive list of beaches, not only because of the sheer number of them, but also for their extraordinary quality. Some, such as Usgo Beach, are nestled in an attractive rural landscape; others, such as Cóbreces and Mogro beach have easy access and are peaceful. Urban beaches such as Comillas and Suances are more popular in summer. But the one thing they all have in common is their fine golden sand.
  Liébana / Liébana Valley   -   a mountainous area with breathtaking views
Liébana is one of Cantabria's most famous holiday destinations. It is surrounded by high mountains, stunning landscapes, and a mild microclimate. It is a traditional place for rural tourism, and its attraction lies in its authenticity which has been retained by the various towns and villages. Liébana is divided into several valleys, of which the Val de Baró is the most heavily populated. At the top of the valley is the Fuente Dé mountain resort. There, a cable car climbs nearly a thousand metres to reach El Cable Viewing Point, which provides an unmissable view for anyone who wants to experience the magnificence of the Picos de Europa. The region's numerous hotels are in keeping with the traditions of Liébana. The area is famous for the orujo de Liébana, a spicu, sweet brandy made from local grapes.
  Pas
The verdant basins of the rivers Pas, Pisueña (Carriedo) and Miera are perfect examples of the stereotypical image of Cantabria: intricate valleys, pasture land that sweeps over the ridges of the mountains, and quiet reserved people. These three neighbouring valleys, which until recently had very poor road communications between them (nowadays getting about is not a problem, except during the heavy winter snowfalls), were traditionally linked precisely by the mountains that divide them, by the seasonal migration of the inhabitants of Pas. The most important urban centres in this region are Villacarriedo and Selaya. The health spas and adjoining hotels in Puente Viesgo and Liérganes are good bases from which to discover the region.
  Saja-Nansa
The region of Saja-Nansa, a reserve within Cantabria's Gran Reserva, has recently been converted into an Ecomuseum, which will be preserved intact for its ecological value. Located between the coast and the mountainous areas La sierra del Escudo de Cabuérniga, Barcena Mayor, Cordel and Peña Sagra, it includes the protected areas of the Oyambre Natural Park, and the Saja National Reserve. Here tranquillity reigns alongside an exuberant nature. The landscape is dominated by the sinuosity of the folds and steep reliefs. This area includes the Nansa and Cabuérniga valleys, and has its own distinctive personality within the region.
  Trasmiera
The coast of this region stretches from Somo, opposite the Bay of Santander, to Santoña. It is divided into two sections: the first finishes at the Cabo de Ajo (the most northern point of the coast) and the coastline is dominated by cliffs with very few sandy areas; the second section runs from the Cabo Quejo to the Treto Estuary, and has beautiful long sandy beaches. There are basically three types of beach: rugged beaches, such as Langre and Antuerta (Ajo), are highly attractive but far away from any towns and villages and access is difficult; semi-urban beaches such as Somo, Lorejo, Ajo, Isla, Noja and Berria (Santoña) are stunning, and highly popular in summer; and urban beaches such as San Martín (Santoña)

  Astillero   -   Ayuntamiento de Astillero
Official website of the City of Astillero (Cantabria). Astillero is geographically determined by the estuaries that surround it: the Ria de Solia, the Boo and the Shipyard (Bahía de Santander) and is located between the municipalities of Camargo, Villaescusa, Piélagos, Middle Cudeyo and Marina of Cudeyo.
  Camargo   -   third largest city   -   Ayuntamiento de Camargo
Official Website of the Municipality of Camargo. It contains an updated news service, plus all the useful information for citizens Camargo Valley, this information is organized various topics such as: Local Development, Culture and Education, Sport and Youth, etc.
  Castro Urdiales
  Corrales de Buelna
  Laredo   -   between Santander and Bilbao 
Laredo is well known for it's 5 km. long beach "La Salvé" and it's historic part of town. See Laredo City Council website with useful information for residents and visitors of Laredo. It also has a lot of services such as a street guide, a hotel accommodation guide, information on transportation in the city, a bulletin board with current issues and the ability to take a virtual tour.
  Reinosa
Located in the geographical center of the valley of Campo, at the confluence of major rivers of the valley (Ebro, Híjar and Izarilla) and the main roads that cross the territory. See Ayuntamiento de Reinosa for information on demographics, the area's natural landscapes, festivals, trails, heritage and current events of this municipality
  Santillana del Mar   -   town from the middle ages
  Santoña
  Torrelavega   -   second largest city Cantabria  
Second city of Cantabria, known for its industrial activity. In addition to its cattle market. See  Ayuntamiento de Torrelavega [ Official website of the city of Torrelavega ].

  Caves of Altamira   -   very interesting pre-historic caves

  News from Cantabria   -   Cronica de Cantabria
  News   -   El Diario Montanes   -   diario digital de Cantabria
  Semana Santa   -   Holy Week before Eastern

Cuisine   -   Cantabrian recipes

The Cantabrian cuisine combines products from the sea with those from the pastures and market gardens in a clever way.

The bay of Biscay supplies the Cantabria with some of its typical ingredients: fish and shellfish.

  Orujo de Liébana   -   a spicu, sweet brandy made from local grapes
Specialty of the Liébana Valley.

History of Cantabria

Cantabria was the land of the pre-Roman people Cantabri.

  Cantabria's history   -   see Wikipedia
The first written reference to the name Cantabria emerges around the year 195 BC, in which the historian Cato the Elder speaks in his book Origins about the source of the Ebro River in the country of the Cantabri ...

Music, Art & Culture, Events

  Culture of Cantabria
  Cantabrian mythology 
It seems that in its more remote origins Cantabria had one native mythology which with the passing of the years has connected with celtic mythology and Romans, becoming related partly with legends and traditions of the rest of Cantabrian Mountains...

  Palacio de Festivales on the Calle Gamazo

  Cantabria Day   -   second Sunday of August in Cabezón de la Sal
Traditional Cantabrian music, ceramics fair, local foods, bowling championships, ox dragging contests and public speeches.
  Guerras Cántabras   -   entre el último fin de semana de agosto y el primero de septiembre
Los Corrales de Buelna.
  Festival Internacional de Santander   -   one of Spain's oldest music festivals
The Santander International Festival was created out of the need to provide a complementary cultural activity for the foreign visitors studying at the UIMP (Menéndez Pelayo International University).
  Santander Summer Festival
  Sotocine   -   short films
See http://sotocine.wordpress.com/


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