Spain consistently tops the list of the most popular countries with British tourists, though the country appears to be getting frustrated with visitors. Cantabria, on the north coast, is becoming a more popular destination as visitors stay away from the south amid brutal heatwaves. It was also named by The Times as one of the places still welcoming tourists as an increasing number of protests crop up around the country.
The province in what is known as Green Spain is home to a variety of sandy beaches, rocky coasts, and a breathtaking mountain landscape. With a 136-mile coastline, Cantabria has more than 90 beaches all providing a different feel to it, including wild beaches for those looking to reconnect with nature away from the crowds.
La Salvé beach is the longest stretch of sand in the region, located in the tourist town of Laredo. It’s the perfect place for someone looking for an action packed holiday, offering windsurfing and surfing.
One person wrote on Tripadvisor: “Fine sandy beach, very extensive in length and width and with dunes with vegetation. Lovely. Every day I stayed the water was crystal clear, with algae when the tide rises indicating that it is a beach with Health.
“On the promenade there are showers, behind the dunes, so it looks like you are on a natural beach but with the benefits of urban beaches.”
The Magdalena Peninsula is a popular attraction with locals and tourists alike, known for its scenic beauty, historic palace, and recreational activities.
Located near the entrance to Santander Bay, it offers attractions like the Magdalena Palace, a marine zoo with sea lions and penguins, and scenic walking paths.
One person wrote on Tripadvisor: “Beautiful peninsula full of green areas, a small zoo with seals, sea lions and penguins, a beautiful playground for children and on top of a hill the Palacio De La Magdalena.”
Cantabria is also home to a UNESCO World Heritage site -the cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain.
The site consists of seventeen decorated caves of the Paleolithic age that were inscribed as an extension to the Altamira Cave, inscribed in 1985.
The caves are inscribed as “masterpieces of creative genius and as the humanity’s earliest accomplished art”, UNESCO says. They also provide testimonies to a cultural tradition and are outstanding illustrations of a significant stage in human history.