Regional information for Cantabria |
Cantabria is an autonomous community of Spain, containing one province (also called Cantabria) with Santander functioning as its capital city.
It borders the Basque Country on the east, Castile and León to the south, Asturias to the west and the Cantabrian Sea to the north.
Cantabria has a surface area of 5.300 km² and shares the National Park Picos de Europa (in the Cantabrian Mountains) with Asturias and León
giving the region an extremely varied landscape and climate.
In the mountain ranges of Picos de Europa and the nature reserve of Saja, bears, wolves and eagles still live and the rivers are full of salmon
and trout. The Pico de tres Mares ("peak of the three seas") is a real oddity in that a drop of rainwater that falls there is quite likely to
arrive at the Atlantic Ocean (via the Duero river), the Cantabric Sea (via the Nansa river), or the Mediterranean Sea (via the
Ebro river).
Beyond the green valleys and hills at the foot of the mountains there is, in total contrast, the coast with its beautiful bays and romantic
fishing villages.
The region is similar to Asturias in both its maritime and mountainous climates and in its figures for rainfall. Cantabria is, together with the
Basque Country, the least sunny region of Spain. Santender for example gets just 1638 hours of sun a year compared with in excess of 3000 hours
in parts of Andalusia and has just 74 hours on average in December.
 Temperatures along the coast are mild throughout the year with averages of around 13-15ºC, although inland the winters are very cold. Whilst
most of Cantabia has around 1.5m of rainfall a year, inland a few areas are below 1m with others in excess of 2m. Cantabria is famous for the
suradas, a sharp rise in temperatures due to the föhn effect when winds blow across the Cordillera Cantabrica and arrive to the coast reheated,
causing temperatures in places such as Santender to reach 40ºC when the average in August is only 20ºC.
Places to visit
The capital, Santander, is located in a natural, beautiful bay. It is an extremely active city with an important port and a wealth of
cultural offerings, such as the Menendez y Pelayo International Summer University and the International Festival. Santander's great sports
facilities make it an ideal place for leisure.
The 6th century Sanctuary of St Toribio near to the enchanting ancient village of Potes. This is the reputed home of the largest
remnant of the cross on which Jesus died.
‘El Capricho’, now a top class restaurant in the town of Comillas, was a former summer residence of the Spanish royals. The beautifully
decorated building is one of only a handful outside of Catalonia which were designed by Antoni Gaudi, the great Spanish architect.
Santillana del Mar – one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Spain.
The prehistoric Caves of Altamira that feature drawings and polychrome rock paintings of wild mammals and human hands.
Some other attractions in the vicinity of Santander are the church of Santa Maria de Valverde and the nature park of Cabarceno with its safari
park, which is home to animals roaming semi-wild in a spectacular landscape, from all five continents.
The Spanish golfer Severiano Ballesteros (from Pedreña) and Miguel Indurain (of Pamplona), five time Tour de France winner were both born in this
region.
Cantabria's colourful popular customs, its artisany and gastronomy make it a holiday destination that will certainly not disappoint.
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