# Cerca de Santander

From Santander almost everything follows the coast or climbs south. To the west, Liencres, Santillana, Comillas and Llanes along the A-8; to the east, Santoña and Urdaibai; to the south, Cabárceno, Alto Campoo and the Romanesque of Aguilar, and further on, Liébana and Fuente Dé.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/cantabria/santander/getaways

## Planes de un día
- [Liencres and Santillana: coves, dunes and cave](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/cantabria/liencres-and-costa-quebrada/itineraries/coves-dunes-and-altamira-neocave.md) (15 min en coche): La Arnía cove and the pinewood of the Liencres dunes in the morning, lunch in the village of Santillana and the Altamira Neocave, free on Sundays. A quarter of an hour from Santander.
- [Cabárceno: elephants, cable car and birds of prey](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/cantabria/cabarceno-nature-park/itineraries/sunday-with-children-at-cabarceno.md) (25 min en coche): 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.
- [Santillana: free Neocave, collegiate church and Capricho](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/cantabria/santillana-del-mar/itineraries/neocave-free-collegiate-church-and-comillas.md) (30 min en coche): The Altamira Neocave, free on Sundays, the stone village and its collegiate church, a market-cooking lunch and, in the afternoon, Gaudí's El Capricho in Comillas. Half an hour from Santander.
- [Santoña: anchovies, harbour and boat](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/cantabria/santona-and-laredo/itineraries/anchovies-museum-and-boat-to-laredo.md) (40 min en coche): You see how anchovy is made at a Santoña factory, taste another's at its museum, eat at the harbour and cross by boat to Laredo. 40 minutes from Santander and 45 from Bilbao.
- [Comillas: Gaudí, palace and Oyambre](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/cantabria/comillas/itineraries/capricho-sobrellano-and-oyambre-beach.md) (45 min en coche): A guided visit to Gaudí's El Capricho, the neo-Gothic palace of Sobrellano, lunch above the cliffs at Ruiloba and the afternoon on the Oyambre sands. 45 minutes from Santander.
- [San Vicente: old town, seafood and surfing](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/cantabria/san-vicente-de-la-barquera/itineraries/old-town-lobster-and-surf.md) (55 min en coche): The Puebla Vieja and the Castillo del Rey in the morning, a seafood lunch opposite the market, the Maza bridge and a surf lesson at Merón. An hour from Santander.
- [Llanes: Cubos, Paseo de San Pedro and bistro](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/asturias/llanes/itineraries/llanes-cubes-of-memory-and-blowholes-from-santander.md) (1 h 5 en coche): The breakwater painted by Ibarrola, the walled old town and the grass path above the cliff; lunch at the bistro of a Michelin-starred chef and, with a heavy swell, the Pría blowholes. An hour from Santander.
- [Alto Campoo: slopes, cocido and Fontibre](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/cantabria/alto-campoo/itineraries/ski-sunday-at-alto-campoo.md) (1 h 15 en coche): You ski from 9:15 to 16:30 on Alto Campoo's 23 runs, with a €40 lift pass and rental at the resort, and on the way down you stop at the source of the Ebro in Fontibre. An hour and a quarter from Santander.
- [Bison, Cantamuda and roast lamb](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/aguilar-de-campoo/itineraries/bison-and-mountain-romanesque.md) (1 h 17 en coche): European bison with a guide first thing, the bell gable of San Salvador de Cantamuda before lunch, roast lamb in Aguilar and the afternoon in the cloister and the ROM museum of Santa María la Real.
- [Aguilar: Romanesque, rock and roast lamb](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/aguilar-de-campoo/itineraries/santa-maria-la-real-and-roast-lamb.md) (1 h 17 en coche): The cloister and the ROM models, the square and collegiate church of Aguilar, the rock-cut church of Olleros, Santa María de Mave and lunch at El Convento de Mave, right beside it.
- [Cabrales: Bulnes funicular and cheese in Sotres](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/asturias/cabrales/itineraries/funicular-cheese-dairy-and-sotres.md) (1 h 20 en coche): You go up to Bulnes on the funicular from Poncebos, have fabada or kid in Sotres and go down to a cave where Cabrales cheese matures. 1 h 40 from Oviedo.
- [Ribadesella: rock art and dinosaurs](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/asturias/ribadesella/itineraries/tito-bustillo-and-la-guia-chapel.md) (1 h 22 en coche): The Tito Bustillo rock art centre, the Grúa promenade up to the Guía chapel, grilled fish on Vega beach and the dinosaur footprints at Tereñes. One hour from Oviedo.
- [La Hermida: guided ferrata and 38 °C pools](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/cantabria/liebana-and-potes/itineraries/ferrata-and-hot-springs-at-la-hermida.md) (1 h 35 en coche): In the morning, a via ferrata with a guide from Potes; you eat cocido and in the afternoon you get into the 38 °C pools of the spa's thermal cave. An hour and a half from Santander.
- [Covadonga and the Cangas market](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/asturias/cangas-de-onis/itineraries/covadonga-market-and-starred-fabada.md) (1 h 38 en coche): The Holy Cave and basilica at Covadonga first thing, the Sunday market and the bridge at Cangas de Onís, and lunch in Arriondas on the way home. One hour from Oviedo.
- [Gaztelugatxe, Mundaka and the Casa de Juntas](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/basque-country/urdaibai/itineraries/sunday-at-gaztelugatxe-and-mundaka.md) (1 h 40 en coche): You climb to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe before the crowds arrive, stroll round Mundaka, eat above the estuary and finish at the Casa de Juntas in Gernika. About 40 minutes from Bilbao.
- [Fuente Dé, Potes and Santo Toribio](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/cantabria/liebana-and-potes/itineraries/fuente-de-cable-car-and-santo-toribio.md) (1 h 45 en coche): You take the Fuente Dé cable car up to 1,823 metres and walk towards Áliva, eat Liébana cocido in Potes and finish at Santo Toribio. An hour and three quarters from Santander.
- [Oviedo: Naranco, Fontán and cider house](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/asturias/oviedo/itineraries/oviedo-pre-romanesque-and-cider-from-leon.md) (2 h 13 en coche): Santa María del Naranco with a guide in the morning, the Fontán and the old town on foot and a cider-house lunch on Calle Gascona. An hour and a half from León, and it works in the rain.

## 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](/en/spain/cantabria/santillana-del-mar) and continues to [Comillas](/en/spain/cantabria/comillas), [San Vicente de la Barquera](/en/spain/cantabria/san-vicente-de-la-barquera) and, already in Asturias, [Llanes](/en/spain/asturias/llanes), [Ribadesella](/en/spain/asturias/ribadesella), [Cangas de Onís and Covadonga](/en/spain/asturias/cangas-de-onis) and [Oviedo](/en/spain/asturias/oviedo). At Unquera the N-621 leaves it, the only direct road from the coast to Potes, which enters [Liébana](/en/spain/cantabria/liebana-and-potes) through the La Hermida gorge. The same A-8 to the east leads to [Santoña and Laredo](/en/spain/cantabria/santona-and-laredo) and, past Bilbao, to [Urdaibai](/en/spain/basque-country/urdaibai).

To the south, the A-67 climbs via Torrelavega and the Besaya to Reinosa, the gateway to [Alto Campoo](/en/spain/cantabria/alto-campoo), and crosses into Palencia to [Aguilar de Campoo](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/aguilar-de-campoo). The nearest do not even need a motorway: the [Costa Quebrada and Liencres](/en/spain/cantabria/liencres-and-costa-quebrada) is a quarter of an hour away and the [Cabárceno park](/en/spain/cantabria/cabarceno-nature-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](/en/spain/cantabria/santillana-del-mar/itineraries/santillana-del-mar-comillas-altamira-weekend), [San Vicente and Comillas](/en/spain/cantabria/san-vicente-de-la-barquera/itineraries/weekend-san-vicente-de-la-barquera-and-comillas-from-oviedo), [Aguilar, Romanesque and bison](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/aguilar-de-campoo/itineraries/aguilar-de-campoo-romanesque-and-bison-weekend) and [Ribadesella and Covadonga](/en/spain/asturias/ribadesella/itineraries/two-nights-ribadesella-and-covadonga-from-oviedo).

**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](/en/spain/cantabria/liebana-and-potes/itineraries/liebana-fuente-de-weekend-la-hermida-hot-springs) and [Urdaibai with the estuary by canoe](/en/spain/basque-country/urdaibai/itineraries/urdaibai-canoe-gaztelugatxe-weekend).

Past **two hours**, the trip is a weekend one, except [Oviedo with its pre-Romanesque](/en/spain/asturias/oviedo/itineraries/oviedo-pre-romanesque-and-cider-from-leon), at 2 h 13, which still fits into a long Sunday. With a night, [Burgos and Atapuerca](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/burgos/itineraries/night-with-atapuerca-from-valladolid), at 2 h 25, and [the Rioja Alavesa inside the Laguardia wall](/en/spain/basque-country/laguardia-and-rioja-alavesa/itineraries/rioja-alavesa-wine-weekend-laguardia), at 2 h 30. The [bears of Somiedo](/en/spain/asturias/somiedo/itineraries/somiedo-bear-watching-two-nights-from-oviedo), 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](/en/spain/cantabria/alto-campoo/itineraries/ski-sunday-at-alto-campoo) 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](/en/spain/cantabria/santona-and-laredo/itineraries/anchovies-museum-and-boat-to-laredo) 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](/en/spain/asturias/llanes/itineraries/llanes-cubes-of-memory-and-blowholes-from-santander).

## The Altamira Neocave, free on Sunday

- **Without a car, in a day:** [Sunday in Santillana del Mar](/en/spain/cantabria/santillana-del-mar/itineraries/neocave-free-collegiate-church-and-comillas). 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](/en/spain/cantabria/liebana-and-potes/itineraries/fuente-de-cable-car-and-santo-toribio). 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](/en/spain/asturias/llanes/itineraries/llanes-eastern-asturian-coast-weekend). An hour away, to paddle among coves and caves, go down to Torimbia and walk along the San Pedro cliff.