Cantabria

If there is one thing that defines the geography and appearance of Cantabria it is the variety of landscapes. This variety is due to the concentration oh high mountains, deep valleys and a sheer coastline in an area of little more than 5000 km2. 

So stunning is the landscape of this region that despite occupying only a small area in central norther Spain, it gives name to two geographical features that define the Iberian Peninsula on this flank: the Cordillera Cantabrica (mountain rauge) and the Cantabrian Sea.

It is a harsh, yet beautiful land, worked by the hand of man for hundreds of thousands of years; however still being a valuable habitat for local vegetation and wildlife. It is a land of mist and water, in which the brilliant light, filtered by infinite clouds, paints an incredible concert of green on the rocks and cliffs.

The Net of Natural Protected Spaces from Cantabria is integrated by 37 spaces. Of them, one is National Park (Picos de Europa) and six are Natural Parks (Liencres's dunes, Saja-Besaya, Oyambre, The Pena Cabarga Massif, The Ason Heights and Santona's Marshes, Victoria and Joyel). The curious, sensitive and knowledgeable traveller will find in Cantabria an infinite number of alternatives with which to turn the exploration of this land into an unforgettable personal experience.

One of the main Jacobean routes, the Northern Camino of Santiago along the Coast, crosses Cantabria from east to west. Apart from this, you can go for walks in the region, following routes marked with internationally recognised indications or the Green Routes and discover an ideal destination to practise adventure sports such as canoeing, rafting, paragliding, horse riding, water skiing or bungee-jumping. 

Up to 90 beaches of fine and white sand along the 220 kilometres coastline of Cantabria are one of the main tourist attractions in the Spanish region. Larges, small, urban or rural, peaceful and protected or open to the bay of Biscay, most of these beaches are located near towns that provide a wide-ranging offer of accommodation and other infrastructures.