CANTABRIA

Once a province of Castilla y León and as such that region’s only exit to the sea, Cantabria is today its own region, although its people still retain something of the austere Castilian character. As the Spanish Nobel Prize winner Camilo José Cela wrote, “If Cantabria, green and civilized Cantabria, has too much of anything, it has too many possibilities.” Indeed, although Cantabria is Spain’s smallest region, the sights and contrasts it affords are quite remarkable, from its magnificent coastline, splendid beaches and small Old World ports along the Bay of Biscay, to its four major mountain ranges, its world famous prehistoric caves, its gentle, lushly green valleys, and its lovely seaside capital of Santander.Here are the Picos de Europa, among Spain’s highest peaks, rising abruptly from the sea, and dotted with quaint mountain villages, churches dating back to the eighth century, awesome gorges and broad green valleys. Remarkable are the Caves of Altamira, sometimes called the Sistine Chapel of prehistoric art because of their wondrous ceiling paintings that date back some 15,000 to 20,000 years. The nearby historic-artistic gem, Santillana del Mar, wrought in stone and declared a National Monument, has survived in all its medieval glory and is another focal point of travel in Cantabria.

Cantabria’s capital, Santander, has also retained its charm. Calm, genteel, cultivated – an international university town – Santander stands high on a hill overlooking its magnificent bay. The coastal town of Comillas, also known for its university, is a centuries-old seignorial town of palaces and noble homes and an elegant summer resort as well. Luxuriantly green Cantabria provides ideal grazing land for cattle and is known for its fine milk products, primarily its butter and fresh cheeses. Cuisine along the coast centers on seafood – especially exceptional sardines and anchovies – and in the interior on meat, most notably the region’s hearty meat and chickpea stew, cocido montañés, and milk and cheese-based desserts.