# A Sunday with children at Cabárceno: elephants, cable car and birds of prey

You drive round the elephant, giraffe and bear enclosures of a former mine, ride the cable car and watch the birds of prey swoop. A quarter of an hour from Santander and an hour and a quarter from Bilbao.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/cantabria/cabarceno-nature-park/itineraries/sunday-with-children-at-cabarceno · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## El día
- 09:15 · Salida: 30 min by car (enter by the north entrance, at Obregón)
- 09:30 · Cabárceno Nature Park by car and on foot (€25–45 adult depending on season; buy online) · Cabárceno Nature Park, From €25 adult in low season; €35 mid and €45 high
  - 10 min by car, 0,9 km
- 11:45 · Birds of prey flying display (at 12:00; limited capacity)
  - 10 min by car, 0,2 km
- 13:30 · Los Osos café and burger bar (burgers and pizzas · €; or a picnic at the picnic tables) · Los Osos café and burger bar, €
  - 10 min by car, 1,4 km
- 14:30 · The gondola over the enclosures (included in the ticket; in winter, a single line)
- 17:00 · Vuelta (in Santander around 17:30)

Cabárceno is the children's Sunday in Cantabria: a former iron mine with huge enclosures for elephants, giraffes, rhinos and bears that you tour in your own car, with a cable car above and a birds of prey display at midday. A quarter of an hour from Santander and an hour and a quarter from Bilbao.

## The day, hour by hour

9:15 · Arrival. Enter by Obregón, the north entrance. The ticket office opens at 9:30; with the ticket bought online, you go straight in.

9:30 · Enclosure by enclosure. Elephants and savannah first: first thing the animals are most active. Park in each area and walk down to the viewpoints.

11:45 · Birds of prey. The display is at 12:00 at weekends; capacity is limited, so arrive early.

13:30 · Lunch in the bear area. The Los Osos cafeteria and burger bar, or a picnic at a picnic area. The restaurant is temporarily closed.

14:30 · Cable car. Included in the ticket. The elephant line lasts about 45 minutes and the rhino line, 15. Until 28 February 2027 they open alternately for maintenance.

17:00 · Leave. Before the animals are brought in, from 17:45.

## Cómo llegar

### By car
A quarter of an hour from Santander; from Bilbao, A-8, an hour and a quarter; from Burgos, A-67, about two hours.

## Consejos

### Go in the low season
From November to March, almost half the price and fewer cars.

### Bring food
With children, the picnic area is more comfortable than the burger bar queue.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How much does Cabárceno cost?
From €25 to €45 for adults and from €15 to €25 for children aged 4 to 12, depending on the season.

### Is the cable car paid separately?
No.

### Are dogs allowed in?
Yes, on a lead, but not in the buildings, the internal bus or the reptile house; on the cable car, in a carrier.