Cantabria

Cantabria

6 days

Day 1 Travel Flight to Bilbao/Santander

Transfer to the hotel where you will be met by our local representative. Afternoon familiarisation walk
around the local area prior to return to the hotel for evening meal (first meal included).

Day 2 Santillana del Mar, Altamira Caves &Comillas

Full day coach excursion commencing with a visit to one of Cantabria’s most attractive villages - Santillana del Mar. The village has been preserved with its original winding, cobbled streets, rustic houses, artisans’ workshops and a few historical buildings and presents an opportunity for souvenir shopping. Visit to the ever-popular replica of the famous Altamira Caves and spend time in the multi-media interactive museum. Continue the short distance to the picturesque town of Comillas to view the Palace of Sobrellano and within its grounds, Gaudi’s famous ‘Capricho’ building - the only Gaudi structure in this region.

Day 3  Santander 

Depart for a full day visit to Santander, capital of the province and a lively but safe environment for students to explore. Recommended morning exploration of the centre of Santander using the NST Town Trail worksheets. Visit the Magdalena Peninsular. Additional visits can include the Sardinero beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in Spain, the Planetarium or take a one hour boat cruise.

Day 4  Picos de Europa

Full day visit into the heart of Cantabria amongst the greenery and Mountains of the Picos de Europa region. Stops en route are made in the village of Potes, a typical Cantabrian town with its many handicraft shops and rustic buildings and the Santo Toribio de Liébana Fransiscan monastery. Fuente Dé has one of the longest cable cars in the world and from its summit visitors enjoy an impressive panoramic view across the mountains of Northern Spain.

Day 5 Cabárceno Nature Park

Free morning or optional recommended Spanish dance lesson at the Flamenco Dance School in Santander. Afternoon visit to the extensive Cabárceno Nature Park which was once an iron-mine and is now home to a wide variety of European and African wildlife. Nature lovers will appreciate the spacious and naturalistic, animal-friendly enclosures.

Day 6 Return Travel

Check-out of your hotel and depart with your packed lunch (last included meal). Dependent on flight times, free time for independent sightseeing or shopping prior to the return airport coach transfer, or for those flying back from Bilbao, optional visit to the Guggenheim Museum. Return flight to the UK.