Santillana del Mar, Spain

Arrive in Cantabria, collect your pre-booked rental car and enjoy an easy drive by excellent motorway. Check in to your 4 star hotel in the beautiful medieval village of Santillana del Mar.   Santillana del Mar is your base for the next 2 nights.

Santillana del Mar, located on the North Cantabrian coast, is one of the most treasured and beautiful towns in all of Spain. Like a living museum, this medieval village grew around the 12th century Romanesque Collegiate church of Santa Juliana.  The town carefully preserves its features from the 14th to 18th century such as magnificent masonry houses with coats-of-arms, stunning manor houses and small palaces,  historic towers such as those of El Merino (14th C) and Don Borja (14th C).  It is a feast for the eyes to walk along its polished cobbled streets and perhaps stop in for a coffee at the Parador de Gil Blas. It got it's name - and made Santillana del Mar famous - from a neo-classic rogue and his adventures created by the French author Alain Rene Lesage in his book Gil Blas de Santillana.

This afternoon enjoy settling in to Santillana del Mar.

Activities & Services Included today

• 7/8 days car rental. Standard size (Opel insignia or similar) Manual transmission
• Basic CDW/LDW, unlimited mileage and theft waiver
• 4 star hotel accommodation in a standard room. Upgrade options available on request.

Santillana del Mar - Altamira Cave, Spain

This morning after breakfast start your day touring the exhibits and the carefully constructed replica of Altamira cave in the Centro de Investigacion y Museo de Altamira (closed Mondays), and ponder the challenges of preserving pre-historic archaeological sites. Pre-booked tickets are included.

Afterwards you may like to see the seaside town of Comillas with its lovely traditional Cantabrian architecture and outstanding El Capricho building which was designed by Antoni Gaudi. 

Later continue west to see the El Soplao Cave which is unique for the variety and large amount of formations found within it.  Although there isn’t any cave art here, no Cantabrian caving holiday is complete without a visit to ‘El Soplao’ to see over 20km of geological formations, and explore the cave that has been mined for blende and galena used for obtaining zinc and lead. Research is being carried out here into new insect species discovered as fossils in amber within the cave.

Activities & Services Included today

• Car rental as described previously. 
• Pre-booked entrance tickets for Altamira Museum and reproduction cave
• 4 star hotel accommodation in a standard room.

Meals Included today

• Full Buffet Breakfast

Puente Viesgo - El Castillo Cave, Spain

Today after breakfast head inland to the spa town of Puente Viesgo.   Stay at a lovely 4 star hotel with spa in the town centre with excellent facilities and a terrific restaurant.

Enjoy a private guided tour of one of the Monte Castillo caves which location overlooks Puente Viesgo.  El Castillo is one of 4 caves in the area situated by the River Pas, up a cone-shaped limestone hill, which inside hides an intricate labyrinth of fascinating caves containing one of the most unique environments in Prehistoric Europe.The history of  El Castillo cave is said to date back at least 150,000 years.

Later today enjoy dining at your hotel followed perhaps by a relaxing session in the hotel's spa.

• Car rental as described previously. 
• Pre-booked entrance tickets for El Castillo cave
• Private guided visit with expert, english speaking local guide
• 4 star hotel accommodation in a standard room.

Meals Included today

• Full Buffet Breakfast

Santander, Spain

Today you set-off for the charming capital of Cantabria, Santander. 

We suggest a scenic route that goes first via the town of Lierganes, one of the most beautiful villages in Spain and part of the `Pueblos Mas Bonitos de Espana´ network.  Then make your way to the Trasmiera Coast stopping in to see popular beach towns such as Santoña, Noja, Isla, Loredo and Somo; all of which form part of the coastal Camino de Santiago pilgrimage trail.  Here you will find splendid beaches and marvellous stretches of coastline.

Arrive later today in Santander and check in to your 4 star city centre hotel. Santander is a delightful city to stroll around and enjoy seeing; the 12th century Cathedral, the splendid promenade, the elegant Sardinero beach area and the gardens of the Magdelena Palace - built in the early 20th century as a summer retreat for Spanish Royalty.  All are set around what is considered to be one of the most beautiful bays in the world.

Tonight we suggest experiencing the many tapas bars to be found in the atmospheric Puertochico area.

Activities & Services Included today

• Car rental as described previously.
• 4 star hotel accommodation in a standard room.

Meals Included today

• Full Buffet Breakfast

Santander, Spain

This morning you wil be met by your local expert Santander guide for a walking tour of the city.  See; the new `old town´ - rebuilt in 1941 after a devastating fire which consumed the entire old city of Santander, the Centro Botin - a magnificent museum - designed by italian architect, Renzo Piano, the Museum of Archaeology and Prehistory containing a fantastic collection of prehistoric material (upper Paleolithic bone, antler artworks, etcetera, uncovered during the excavation of caves in Cantabria) and stroll the Paseo de Pereda promenade. The views across the bay to Somo and Pedrena with the mountainous backdrop are lovely and make Santander, as referred to in a popular local song, the Reina del Mar or the Queen of the Sea.

Activities & Services Included today

• Car rental as described previously.
• Private half-day guided visit of Santander with expert, english speaking guide
• Pre-booked entrance ticket to the Centro Botin
• Pre-booked entrance ticket to the Museum of Archaeology and Prehistory
• 4 star hotel accommodation in a standard room.

Meals Included today

• Full Buffet Breakfast

Limpias - Cullalvera & Covalanas Caves, Spain

This morning leave Santander and make your way to the Parador in Limpias, another of the fine Parador hotels in Cantabria. 

Today discover two very interesting caves which are located a short distance from the Parador hotel outside the town of Ramales de la Victoria.  These are the Cullalvera Cave and Covalanas Cave. Cullavera is part of a highly developed karstic complex covering around 12 kilometres, where the action of water and time on the rock have carved out an exceptional cave. While Covalanas is a small cave, with two galleries one of which houses  graphic cave wall expressions.  You will enjoy a private guided visit at each cave.

Following your tour you'll find Ramales offers an excellent choice of restaurants for dining.  

This evening perhaps visit nearby Laredo where you can enjoy the atmosphere of the Old Quarter and it´s many tapas bars and restaurants. Also it's magnificent beach and walkway. If you fancy a top dining experience tonight be sure to try the 1 star Michelin Restaurante - La Solana - in nearby Ampuero.

Activities & Services Included today

• Car rental as described previously.
• Pre-booked entrance ticket to Cullalvera and Covalanas caves
• 4 star hotel accommodation in a standard room.

Meals Included today

• Full Buffet Breakfast

Limpias, Spain

Today we suggest you could enjoy a hike in the vicinity of Ramales in the Arredondo area and later visit the lovely coastal town of Castro Urdiales which has a pleasant old quarter and a superb promenade for strolling.  

Alternatively, you might also like to visit the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao which is less than an hour by car.

Activities & Services Included today

• Car rental as described previously.
• 4 star hotel accommodation in a standard room.

Meals Included today

• Full Buffet Breakfast

Departure,

Following breakfast make your way to your departure airport where you return your rental car.

Activities & Services Included today

• Car Rental as described previously. Returned today.

Meals Included today

• Full Buffet Breakfast