Spain Guide
Cantabria and Asturias
While the northern provinces of Cantabria and Asturias are popular holiday terrain for Spaniards and the French, they remain hardly touched by mass tourism, mostly because of the somewhat unreliable weather. But the sea is warm enough for swimming in summer, and the sun does shine, if not every day; it's the warm, moist climate, too, that's responsible for the forests and rich vegetation of the Costa Verde, or the Green Coast. The provinces also boast old and elegant seaside towns, and a dramatic landscape that features tiny, isolated coves along the coast and, inland, the fabulous mountains of the Picos de Europa.
Cantabria, centred on the city of Santander and formerly part of Old Castile, was long a conservative bastion amid the separatist leanings of its coastal neighbours. Santander itself, the modern capital, is an elegant, if highly conventional, resort, linked by ferry to Britain. Either side lie attractive, lower-key resorts, crowded and expensive in August especially, but quieter during the rest of the year. The best are Castro Urdiales, to the east, and Comillas and San Vicente de la Barquera to the west. Perhaps the pick of the province's towns, though, is the beautiful Santillana del Mar, overloaded with honey-coloured mansions and, at times, with tourists, too. Inland lies a series of prehistoric caves: though the most famous, Altamira, is no longer open to the public, it's explained by a great museum.
To the west are the harsh peaks and rugged coves of Asturias, a land with its own idiosyncratic traditions, and a distinctive culture that incorporates bagpipes and cider (sidra). Asturias has a base of heavy industry, especially mining and steelworks, but for the most part, the coastline is a delight, with wide, rolling meadows leading down to the sea. Tourism here is largely local, with a succession of old-fashioned and very enjoyable seaside towns such as Ribadesella, Llanes and Cudillero. Asturias also holds a trio of fine cities: Oviedo, a delightful regional capital, with a recently restored old centre; Avilés, at its best during the wild Carnaval celebrations; and nearby Gijón, with its vibrant nightlife.
Highlights
1 Santillana del Mar Wander the narrow streets of this chocolate-box village, with its picturesque houses and stunning Romanesque church.
2 Cares Gorge A horizontal walk through the vertical world of the Desfiladeso de Cares.
3 Naranjo de Bulnes Looming above a ravishing mountain village, this vast, orange-tinted megalith is the icon of the Picos de Europa.
4 Santa María del Naranco, Oviedo An enigmatic, jewel-like pre-Romanesque church.
5 Cudillero This lovely little fishing port might have been air-lifted straight from a Greek island.