Open Travel Guide
History of Cantabria

Cantabria History & Heritage Guide 2026

The history of Cantabria told through its places: sites worth the detour and the context they need.

By Updated

The short answer: start with Cueva de El Castillo, Colegiata de Santa Juliana, Santillana del Mar and Ermita de Santa Ana, Castro Urdiales. This guide profiles 5+ historical sites in Cantabria, with prices, timing, and the practical notes that decide whether each one earns a place in your plan.

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.

Historical timeline

Key moments that shaped Cantabria.

  1. 1

    Oldest confirmed hand stencil paintings made at Cueva de El Castillo, Puente Viesgo

    c. 40,800 BCE
  2. 2

    Great Hall of Altamira cave paintings created by Magdalenian peoples

    c. 22,000 BCE
  3. 3

    Cantabrian Wars: Roman legions under Agrippa and Augustus finally subdue the Cantabri tribe

    29–19 BCE
  4. 4

    Cantabrian nobles establish the Kingdom of Asturias; beginning of the Reconquista

    c. 8th century CE
  5. 5

    Romanesque monasteries built across Cantabria, including Santa María de Lebeña

    c. 1000 CE
  6. 6

    Santander granted city charter (fuero) by Alfonso VIII of Castile

    1187
  7. 7

    Construction of Santander Cathedral begins

    1213
  8. 8

    Santander Cathedral severely damaged by explosion of a gunpowder ship in the harbour

    1574
  9. 9

    Free trade with Spanish America allowed through Santander; port begins its commercial golden age

    1778
  10. 10

    Antoni Gaudí completes El Capricho in Comillas, his first major work outside Catalonia

    1885
  11. 11

    King Alfonso XIII chooses Santander as royal summer residence; Palacio de la Magdalena built

    1908
  12. 12

    Fire of Santander: a catastrophic storm and fire destroy most of the historic centre on 15 February

    1941
  13. 13

    Cantabria becomes an autonomous community of Spain under the 1978 Constitution

    1981
  14. 14

    Altamira cave paintings inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site

    1985
  15. 15

    Neocueva (replica) of Altamira opens to the public to preserve the originals from degradation

    2011

Historical sites

Places where Cantabria's past comes alive.

Historic

Cueva de El Castillo

Where: Puente Viesgo

Admission: €4 (~$4.33); book at cuevasdecanaria.com

Historic

Colegiata de Santa Juliana, Santillana del Mar

Where: Santillana del Mar

Admission: €3 (~$3.25)

Historic

Ermita de Santa Ana, Castro Urdiales

Where: Castro Urdiales

Admission: Free

Historic

Palacio de la Magdalena

Where: Santander

Admission: Grounds free; palace tour €5 (~$5.40)

Historic

Monasterio de Santo Toribio de Liébana

Where: Liébana, near Potes

Admission: Free

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