Santander - the regional capital and an important port, set in a splendid bay. Worth visiting is the Gothic Cathedral and the Fine Arts Museum which houses works by Flemish, Italian and Spanish artists, or take a ride on the narrow gauge railway running along the coast. San Sebastian - boasts a fine sandy beach bordered by an elegant promenade. It became a summer retreat for the royal family during the 19th Century and the architecture retains the style of that period. In the town are parks and gardens and below the ruined castle of La Mota lies the old town and the port. Bilbao - the capital of the Basque region. Visit the Fine Arts Museum, with works by El Greco, Valasquez, Goya and Ribera. In the city's old quarter is the Santiago Cathedral. Bilbao is the European base for the Guggenheim Art Collection. The titanium clad Guggenheim building is spectacular in itself, housing a fabulous collection of modern and contemporary works of art. Guernica - a few kilometres outside Bilbao. Throughout history Guernica has been a symbol of Basque independence. Picasso's famous painting commemorates the slaughter of the civilians of Guernica by Hitler. Castro-Urdiales - an ancient fishing port, dating back to Roman times with an attractive beach. Burgos - founded in the 9th Century and once capital of the kingdom of Castilla and Leon. The town became famous for its gothic architecture. El Cid the 11th Century warrior who was born close to Burgos and immortalised in literature, is buried in the Cathedral.
History & Landmarks
Santillana del Mar - a coastal town famous for its 15th and 16th Century architecture featuring Renaissance merchants houses. Comillas - Comillas has a notable Neo-Gothic church and a lovely statue of an angel built by the Art Nouveau architect, Antonio Gaudi. Cavadonga - famous as the first outpost to resist Moorish occupation in 718. Visit the pilgrimage church and basilica.
Natural History & The Environment
Puente Viesgo Caves - close to Altamira, contain many outline cave paintings. Altamira - the caves at Altamira are famous for their colourful pre-historic cave paintings. The caves are not open to the general public. The site has an excellent museum with exhibitions on the Palaeolithic period, the discovery of the caves and a replica of the caves themselves. Carbarceno Nature Reserve - a disused iron mine 17km south of Santander has been converted to a game park. Animals from around the world can be seen in a natural setting. Picos de Europa Mountains - see the scenery and wild rock formations. Stop at the market town of Potes (best day Monday) and village of Liebana in the Rio Deva Valley.
Other Activities
Music - STS can arrange music tours for schools in Cantabria. Spanish Language Lessons - STS can organise Spanish language lessons with a native speaker (supplement on request).
European Classroom 
Cantabria, Spain
European Classroom
