Things to Do in Cantabria

The Cabarceno Natural Park is not a conventional zoo or a natural park. It is a space naturalized by the hand of man, based on the primitive beauty of its karst landscape, on the 750 ha of an old open-pit mining operation. In the park, life develops in the most natural environment possible for the animals that inhabit it. Except for the food that is provided to them, the rest of the activities are marked by their almost total freedom and instinct. Practically all of them trigger fights and fights in mating season for the control of the females and of course, except for the survival instinct, the rest of their senses are as wild as in their natural habitat. At present, due to their enormous quality, the facilities of the Cabarceno Natural Park are among the best valued by the organizations that monitor the living conditions of the animals. The Cabarceno Natural Park is conceived for educational, cultural, scientific and recreational purposes, having become one of the major tourist attractions in northern Spain. The more than 20 km of roads that cross the park will lead us to the different enclosures through wonderful gorges, peaceful lakes and suggestive rocky figures. In addition, throughout the park there are numerous parking areas and paths that allow us to discover corners of great beauty. Park Schedule* From 01/03 to 01/11: from 9:30am to 6pm (ticket office closed) From 02/11 to 28/02 (Monday to Friday): 9:30am to 5pm (ticket office closed) From 02/11 to 28/02 (Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays and long weekends): from 9:30am to 6pm (ticket office closed) Easter Week (Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday): from 9:30am to 6:pm (ticket office closed) *The timetable is for entrance, as it is possible to stay in the Park until sunset. **From 6:15pm onwards, some animals begin to be kept in their stables to be fed and observed, as required by international organisations. Cable car Schedule June, September, bank holidays and every weekend of the year: open from 9:45am to 5:45pm. July and August: open from 9:30am to 6:30pm. March, April, May and October: open from 10:30am to 5pm. November, December, January and February: open one line only, Monday to Friday, from 11am to 5pm Easter: open from 9:15am to 6:15pm. The last daily boarding time for the cable car lift is 30 minutes before it closes. Important information - There may be restrictions The organisers reserve the right to modify the opening times due to weather conditions and/or to guarantee a better experience for our visitors. The Children's Ticket (up to 12 years old) includes access to the cable car at the Cabárceno Nature Park. Inclusions: Tickets Cable car Important Info: Children between the ages of 4 and 10 years old have free admission excluding the cable car. If they wish to use the cable car, this must be paid locally. Redeem Info: EVOUCHER - E-voucher. Show the voucher on your mobile device to enjoy the activity.

On this midday excursion you will visit the small fishing town of Santoña, internationally known for its anchovy industry. You will first visit one of the main anchovy factories in the area and discover the secrets of their anchovy production. Afterwards, you will enjoy a pleasant one-hour boat trip along the bay and up to the lighthouse “Faro del Caballo”. The views of the town and Laredo from the sea will not disappoint. After this short boat trip, you will enjoy a scenic drive around Santoña. You will see the port, the sea promenade and the Fort of San Martín. We will stop at this point to enjoy beautiful views of the bay."

After picking you up at your hotel, we will drive towards Puente Viesgo , where the Monte Castillo is located. This place is very important for Palaeolithic studies as inside this mountain there are four caves World Heritage by UNESCO since 2008 . We will stop here to visit the famous caves of "El Castillo " and "Las Monedas" and we will have the opportunity to see from a short distance the legacy that our ancestors left us through their paintings. The Cave of "El Castillo" was discovered in 1903 by Hermilio Alcalde del Río, and his paintings are considered among the oldest preserved in the world. They are famous the silhouettes of hands in negative that according to archaeologists belong to more than 50 different people, as well as one of the oldest representations of discs of which one has constancia. The cave of El Castillo was a prominent settlement over thousands of years where Neanderthal and Homo Sapiens were believed to be able to cohabit, something unique in prehistory. Although the cave of Las Monedas does not have so much variety of pictorial periods, it offers us the possibility to admire very closely beautiful silhouettes drawn in charcoal of various animals of the Mag-Dalenian period. This cave also has a high geological value, so we will have the opportunity to admire this treasure of geology, a heady combination of stalactites, stalagmites, coladas and flags, among others. We will also do a short stop to visit the new Interpretation Center of the Rock Art in Puente Viesgo, that will help us to understand even better the origin and development of rock art. Finally we will make a short walk through Puente Viesgo to know its green-way, the endearing river Pas, its historic town hall and church, as well as the hotel and spa of Puente Viesgo that has contributed so much to the development of this small inland town. If you come to Cantabria and you like rock art, this is a must visit!. *Hotel pickup (Santander- Torrelavega)

In the heart of the Picos de Europa National Park, the Fuente De Cable Car, overcomes a difference of 753 meters, and places the traveler at an altitude of 1, 823 meters in just 4 minutes , at a speed of 10 m / s. From the upper station the visitor will be amazed by a landscape of immense beauty. The facility has two cafeterias , one located at the lower level of the cable car ("Fuente Dé" cafeteria) with capacity for 200 people and another at the upper station ("El Cable" cafeteria) for 150 people. Next to the latter there is a south-facing balcony from which an extraordinary panoramic view of the Cantabrian Mountains can be seen, with the peaks of the central massif or the urrielles of Picos de Europa to the north. Inclusions: Tickets Important Info: Please note that excursions may be subject to change or not available during adverse weather conditions. Redeem Info: EVOUCHER - E-voucher. Show the voucher on your mobile device to enjoy the activity.

Enjoy this reflective excursion as you explore the village of Garabandal and enjoy the landscapes of one of the most beautiful areas in Cantabria, dominated by mountains, rivers, and forests. We will depart from Santander to explore the charming mountain village of San Sebastián de Garabandal, a peaceful town known for the apparitions of the Virgin Mary to four girls in the early 1960s. During our tour through the breathtaking landscapes of the Saja-Nansa Natural Park , you will learn about the fascinating history of these miraculous events. Upon arrival, we will visit the Church of San Sebastián , where you can attend Mass at the village parish (available in morning tours). You will also have the opportunity to stroll through the village and take a peaceful walk to the Sanctuary of Los Pinos, the sacred site where the Virgin Mary appeared many times to the girls. On Saturday afternoons, you can participate in the public recitation of the Rosary, a beautiful moment for reflection and prayer. After our visit to Garabandal, we will begin the journey back to Santander, taking with us the spiritual experience and serenity of this special place.

In this trip we will leave from Santander to go to the redwood forest of Cabezón de la Sal , declared a Natural Monument in 2003, it is a forest that with its

2. 5 hectares , is one of the largest of its kind in Spain. Here we'll take a short tour of its network of trails and itineraries and admire the great beauty of its trees up to 40 meters high and two meters in diameter. Afterwards we will move to the town of San Vicente de la Barquera , one of the most beautiful and well-known views of the entire Cantabrian coast, which integrates the sea and its estuary with the background of the Picos de Europa. We'll walk along its bridges and the historic site of the old town, declared an Asset of Cultural Interest of Cantabria . Here we'll visit two of the most important elements of this complex, such as the Gothic church of Santa María de los Ángeles and the Castillo del Rey. You'll love the magnificent views over the bay from the Castle. After our tour, you will be able to enjoy some free time to have a drink or to do some shopping in the city, until our return to Santander.

Our first stop on this excursion to get to know the main towns of the West Coast of Cantabria will be in San Vicente de la Barquera , a fishing and fishing village, and whose port was and continues to be the heart of the municipality's activity. During the tour, we'll admire the privileged environment that surrounds this villa located in the heart of the Oyambre Natural Park . A park that we will also visit along its coastal path, you will love its estuaries, beaches, dunes and cliffs, a real natural treasure. Our next stop will be to visit Comillas , the only town with modernist influence in Cantabria. You will fall in love with its heritage complex made up of the Palace and the Chapel of Sobrellano and the Pontifical University. Here you'll have some free time to shop or visit Gaudí's El Capricho (optional visit), probably the most eye-catching building in Cantabria due to the colours and shapes that intermingle. We may wonder why Gaudí chose this place to place his work in a place other than his beloved Barcelona. We'll find out on our visit! Our excursion through the most important villages on the West Coast will also take us to Santillana del Mar , one of the most beautiful villages in Spain and famous for its medieval buildings, its cobbled streets and its collegiate church of Santa Juliana , a jewel of the Romanesque in Cantabria. In addition, we will be struck by the medieval architectural ensemble of mansions, towers and palaces. Here we'll make a stop to regain strength while we have lunch (not included). To round off this day, we'll go to the Altamira Museum to visit its Neocave, a reconstruction of the prehistoric paintings of the original cave that was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985 and that will allow us to travel back to the primitive era of human beings. *Not accessible for persons with reduced mobility

Enter a geological wonder made up of more than 20 kilometres of tunnels and galleries, discovered in Cantabria in

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This is a pleasant and unforgettable visit to the Cabarceno Nature Park designed for everyone. This Park is not a conventional zoo or a natural park, it is indeed much more than that. Starting from the primitive beauty of its karstic landscape, this park has been created on the 750 hectares of an old open-cast iron mining operation. This place, unique in the world, welcomes almost 150 species of animals from the five continents in a semi-freedom regime. The visit to the park will be done by minivan and you will be able to see a large variety of animals: gorillas, tigers, bears, elephants, etc. But you will also have the opportunity to see the beauty of this landscape from the air as we will do a short trip with the cable car. The views from the cable car are just amazing! Moreover, we will stop to see the incredible flight demonstrations of bird-raptors and of sea lions.