Getaways from Santander: day trips and destinations close by.

The N-621, the only direct road from the coast to Potes

Two motorways share out almost all the plans. The A-8 to the west passes by Santillana del Mar and continues to Comillas, San Vicente de la Barquera and, already in Asturias, Llanes, Ribadesella, Cangas de Onís and Covadonga and Oviedo. At Unquera the N-621 leaves it, the only direct road from the coast to Potes, which enters Liébana through the La Hermida gorge. The same A-8 to the east leads to Santoña and Laredo and, past Bilbao, to Urdaibai.

To the south, the A-67 climbs via Torrelavega and the Besaya to Reinosa, the gateway to Alto Campoo, and crosses into Palencia to Aguilar de Campoo. The nearest do not even need a motorway: the Costa Quebrada and Liencres is a quarter of an hour away and the Cabárceno park twenty-five minutes.

Without a car there are two exits that work: La Cantábrica has a bus to Santillana, with the Altamira museum two kilometres' walk from the town, and there is a bus to San Vicente, with the station in the centre; in both cases check the Sunday timetable. For the rest you need a car: Liébana, Alto Campoo, Aguilar and the Llanes blowholes are far from direct lines.

Liencres and its dunes, fifteen minutes away

Under three quarters of an hour fit the Sundays without an early start. Liencres, at 15 minutes, with the coves and the dune pine forest; Cabárceno, at 25; Santillana and the Neocave, at 30; Santoña, at 40, with its anchovy factories and the boat to Laredo, and Comillas, at 45, with Gaudí's El Capricho and Oyambre.

The bulk of the plans is between one and one and a half hours: San Vicente (55 minutes), Llanes (65), Alto Campoo (75), Aguilar de Campoo and its bison (77) and Ribadesella, with Tito Bustillo (82). Several have an overnight version: Santillana and Comillas, San Vicente and Comillas, Aguilar, Romanesque and bison and Ribadesella and Covadonga.

Between an hour and a half and two hours the day calls for an early start: the via ferrata and thermal baths of La Hermida (95 minutes), Covadonga (98), Gaztelugatxe and Mundaka (100) and the Fuente Dé cable car (105). Here a night is welcome: Liébana in two nights and Urdaibai with the estuary by canoe.

Past two hours, the trip is a weekend one, except Oviedo with its pre-Romanesque, at 2 h 13, which still fits into a long Sunday. With a night, Burgos and Atapuerca, at 2 h 25, and the Rioja Alavesa inside the Laguardia wall, at 2 h 30. The bears of Somiedo, a little over four hours away, are already a two-night trip.

The Santoña factories stop from November to February

In winter the Alto Campoo snow rules: a Sunday of skiing with a stop at the source of the Ebro, from December to March. For rainy days the Altamira Neocave, free on Sunday, Cabárceno and the La Hermida thermal pools work. The Santoña factories stop from November to February.

In spring everything the winter closed opens. From March the anchovy day in Santoña returns, and in May and June it is a good season for Comillas, for Liébana and for the Aguilar bison.

In summer the coast and the mountains work at the same time: surfing at Merón, Tito Bustillo and the Guía chapel in Ribadesella or the bison, which have July and August among their best months. Liencres and Cabárceno fill up; better first thing.

Autumn is the moment for Liébana and Llanes. In September and October the Fuente Dé cable car has its best days, and from October to February the ground swell makes the Pría blowholes roar on the Sunday in Llanes.

The Altamira Neocave, free on Sunday

• Without a car, in a day: Sunday in Santillana del Mar. La Cantábrica bus, the Altamira Neocave free, the collegiate church, market lunch and, if you have a car, Gaudí's El Capricho in the afternoon.
• By car, in a day: Sunday in Liébana. An hour and three quarters along the A-8 and La Hermida to go up on the Fuente Dé cable car to 1,823 metres, eat cocido in Potes and finish at Santo Toribio.
• With two nights: Llanes and the eastern Asturian coast. An hour away, to paddle among coves and caves, go down to Torimbia and walk along the San Pedro cliff.