Cantabria is an autonomous community in northern Spain bordering the Cantabrian Sea (Bay of Biscay), celebrated for its rugged Atlantic coastline, prehistoric cave art at Altamira, soaring Picos de Europa peaks, and a cuisine centred on fresh seafood and aged cheeses.
Top attractions
The most popular and significant attractions in Cantabria.
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1
Museo de Altamira
This museum exists because the original Altamira cave, with its 14,000-year-old painted bison ceiling, was closed to the public after visitor breath and humidity began damaging the pigments. The centerpiece is the Neocave, a full-scale replica reproducing the polychrome ceiling panel so visitors can see the paintings up close without further risking the originals. Galleries around it explain Paleolithic life in the region and how the cave was discovered in 1868.
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Santillana del Mar
A small medieval town built around a Romanesque collegiate church, known for its stone mansions with carved coats of arms lining a single main street. It grew wealthy from the pilgrimage and agricultural trade of the region, and its old core has stayed largely unchanged, which is why it's often used as a reference point for well-preserved Cantabrian towns. The Colegiata de Santa Juliana at one end holds a cloister with carved capitals.
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Centro Botín
A contemporary art center designed by Renzo Piano, built on pilotis over the Bay of Santander so the building appears to float above the water and opens views back toward the city. It hosts rotating contemporary art exhibitions rather than a large permanent collection, and its lower plaza and gardens are integrated into the Pereda Gardens promenade along the bay. The building itself, with its two suspended volumes clad in ceramic discs, is as much a draw as what's inside.
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4
Fuente Dé Teleférico
A cable car that climbs nearly 800 meters in about four minutes from the valley floor at Fuente Dé to a viewing platform at the edge of the Picos de Europa massif. It was built in the 1960s specifically to give access to high mountain terrain that would otherwise require a serious hike, and the upper station is a starting point for trails toward the Áliva refuge and beyond. The ride itself is steep and fast, running up a near-vertical rock face.
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5
Cabárceno Nature Park
A wildlife park built inside a former open-pit iron mine, which explains its unusual terrain of steep quarried cliffs, artificial lakes, and wide open pits now used as animal enclosures. Species including African elephants, rhinos, bears, and big cats roam in areas sized more like ranging habitats than zoo pens, and the park is large enough that most visitors drive between sections rather than walk the whole thing. The mining history is visible throughout in the exposed rock walls and terraced ground.
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6
Cueva del Soplao
A cave discovered by miners in the early 20th century while extracting zinc and lead ore, and now known for an unusually dense concentration of eccentric stalactites, the thin, gravity-defying formations that grow in curved and branching shapes rather than straight down. The standard visit follows walkways through the decorated chambers on foot, while the adventure option adds a ride on the small mining train once used to move ore, giving a sense of the site's industrial past alongside the geology.
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7
El Capricho de Gaudí
A summer villa Antoni Gaudí designed early in his career for a wealthy local, built in the seaside town of Comillas rather than his usual Barcelona. It's covered in ceramic tiles patterned with sunflowers, a nod to the flower and to the sun the house was meant to track, and its tower and windows were positioned to follow the sun's path through the day. It's one of the few Gaudí works outside Catalonia, which makes it a notable stop for anyone tracing his output beyond Barcelona.
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8
Palacio de la Magdalena
A royal summer residence built for King Alfonso XIII and his family in the early 20th century, sited on its own peninsula jutting into the Bay of Santander. The grounds around it are open lawns and cliffside paths that once served as the royal family's private park and are now a popular public walking area with views over the bay and the city's beaches. The palace interior, shown by guided tour, preserves rooms furnished in the style of the period the royal family used it.
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9
Castro Urdiales
This fishing town sits on the coast near the Basque border, its skyline dominated by the Gothic Church of Santa María de la Asunción and a medieval castle that doubles as a working lighthouse. A stone bridge of Roman origin crosses the harbor inlet, and the old quarter climbs steeply above the fishing port. The waterfront promenade and working harbor give a sense of a town still built around fishing rather than tourism.
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10
San Vicente de la Barquera
A coastal town built where an estuary meets the Cantabrian Sea, with the Picos de Europa mountains visible inland on clear days. The long medieval bridge, the Puente de la Maza, crosses the estuary on dozens of stone arches and remains the town's defining structure. Above the harbor, the ruined castle and the parish church of Santa María de los Ángeles mark the old town on its hill.
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Practical information
What you need to know before you go.
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- All state museums offer free admission on Saturdays from 14:00 and Sundays all day, Cantabria Tourist Card is not currently available; individual tickets are usually inexpensive, Many villages outside Santander have limited public transport — a hire car (from €30/day, ~$32) unlocks the full region
Tips for visiting attractions
Make the most of your sightseeing time.
Visit popular attractions early in the morning or late in the afternoon to avoid crowds and harsh midday light.
Book tickets online in advance for major attractions to skip long queues and sometimes save money.
Many cities offer multi-attraction passes that include public transport. Calculate whether they save you money based on your itinerary.
Frequently asked questions
Is Altamira cave open to the public?
The original cave is open only to a very limited number of visitors through a national lottery drawn periodically. The neocave replica (Neocueva) at the Museo de Altamira is always open and gives a full impression of the paintings. Apply for the original cave lottery at culturaydeporte.gob.es.
Do I need a car to visit Cantabria?
A car is highly recommended. ALSA buses cover the main towns, but the Picos de Europa, Cueva del Soplao, rural valleys, and most beaches require a car or expensive taxi to reach conveniently.