Santillana del Mar • Altamira Caves • Comillas • Picos de Europa
Orientation to the Altamira Caves
Orientation to the Picos de Europa
If you’re connecting the Basque Country and Galicia (Santiago de Compostela) along the coast, you’ll go through the provinces of Cantabria and Asturias. Both are interesting, but Cantabria (kahn-TAH-bree-ah) has a few villages and sights that are especially worth a visit. The quaint town of Santillana del Mar makes a fine home base for visiting the prehistoric Altamira Caves. Comillas is a pleasant beach town with a surprising abundance of Modernista architecture.
The dramatic peaks of the Picos de Europa and their rolling foothills define this region, giving it a more rugged feel than the “Northern Riviera” ambience of the Basque region. A drive through the Cantabrian countryside is rewarded with endless glimpses of charming stone homes. Though it’s largely undiscovered by Americans, Cantabria is heavily touristed by Europeans in July and August, when it can get very crowded.
Cantabria doesn’t rank high on the list of sightseeing priorities in Spain (unless you’re a die-hard fan of either prehistoric art or Barcelona-style Modernista architecture). Don’t go out of your way to get here. However, if you’re passing through, there are some charming diversions along the way. A night or two in this region breaks up the long drive from Bilbao to Santiago (figure over seven hours straight through).
Assuming you’re coming from San Sebastián and can spare two nights, this is a good plan:
Day 1: Leave San Sebastián early for the Guggenheim in Bilbao (trip takes about an hour by expressway, longer along the coast). After seeing the museum, continue to Cantabria. Set up for two nights in either Comillas or Santillana del Mar.
Day 2: Troglodytes will want to visit the Altamira Caves right when they open (9:30, closed Mon, reservations smart), then use the remainder of this day to explore Comillas (arrive at the Palacio Sobrellano in time for one of the scheduled afternoon tours; check out Gaudí’s El Capricho either before or after).
Day 3: For more Modernisme, visit Comillas’ Universidad Pontifícia first thing (tours are only offered in the morning most of the year). Hikers and high-mountain fans will want to make a beeline for Fuente Dé in the Picos de Europa. If you get an early start on either of these attractions, you can still make it to Burgos or León by the end of a long day; if you don’t mind a (very) late arrival, you could make it all the way to Santiago de Compostela tonight (figure about six hours from this region).
If you can only spare one overnight, focus either on the caves or on Comillas’ Modernista buildings (skipping the other), and do a very quick sprint through the Picos de Europa on your way westward.
This region is best by car; public transportation is complicated, and the payoffs are not so great. Most non-drivers will want to skip Cantabria.
By Car: Drivers enjoy Cantabria. The A-8 expressway runs roughly along the coast from San Sebastián to Gijón, where it becomes an express two-lane highway the rest of the way to A Coruña in Galicia. To reach Santillana del Mar and Comillas, follow signs for A-67 (a jog off the expressway toward Santander), then take the exit for CA-131 (signed for Santillana del Mar). This highway takes you through Santillana, Comillas, and San Vicente de la Barquera. After San Vicente, CA-131 intersects with N-621 in the town of Unquera; this leads south through La Hermida Gorge into the Picos de Europa (follow signs for Potes). If you want to go directly to the Picos, take the A-8 expressway to the exit for N-621.
By Bus: Without a car, you’ll rely on the bus from the port city of Santander, Cantabria’s capital and transportation hub. Buses run from Santander to Santillana del Mar, Comillas, and San Vicente de la Barquera (7/day each way, about 35 minutes from Santander to Santillana, then 15 minutes to Comillas, then 15 more minutes to San Vicente, tel. 942-720-822, www.transportedecantabria.es).
A different bus goes from Santander to Potes in the Picos de Europa (2-3/day, 2.25 hours, tel. 942-880-611). There’s also a bus from León to Potes, but only in summer (1/day, 3 hours).
By Train: Santander, the region’s public transportation hub, is connected by train with Madrid (1/day, 5.25 hours, Atocha Station), and Santiago de Compostela (2/day, 9 hours, transfer in Palencia). A scenic train line called the FEVE runs from Bilbao to Santander (3/day, 3 hours) and on to Ovideo, but it’s not particularly helpful for visiting the destinations in this chapter.
Every guidebook imparts the same two tidbits about Santillana del Mar: One is that it’s known as the “town of three lies,” as it’s neither holy (santi), nor flat (llana), nor on the ocean (del Mar). The other is that the existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre once called it the “prettiest village in Spain.”
The town is worth the fuss—it’s what Spaniards would call preciosa. Santillana is a proud little stone village, with charming time-warp qualities that have (barely) survived the stampede of multinational tour groups here to visit the nearby Altamira Caves. In this traditionally agricultural area, locals kept livestock in their yards until tourists complained about the smell and authorities banned farm animals in the city center.
Santillana consists of three cobbled streets and a collection of squares, climbing up over mild hills from where the village meets the main road. While Santillana has several sights that cater to the tourist throngs (including a much-promoted zoo), the only sight that makes a visit worthwhile—aside from the town itself—is the cave paintings of Altamira in the nearby countryside.
Tourist Information: The modern TI is right at the entrance to the town (daily July-mid-Sept 9:00-21:00, off-season 9:30-13:30 & 16:00-19:00, Jesús Otero 20, tel. 942-818-251). Only residents (and guests of hotels that offer parking) are allowed to drive in the center; instead, leave your car in one of the two big parking lots (pay in-season, free off-season)—one by the TI, and the other just to the south, at Plaza del Rey.
Santillana makes a good home base for visiting the region and the caves. My listings are right in town; the first three places are on Santillana’s main square, Plaza Ramón Pelayo. The fourth is farther up, just around the corner (to the right) from the big Collegiate Church.
$$$ Paradores: Two swanky, arrogant paradores hold court on the main square—Parador de Santillana (Sb-€100-129, Db-€161-244 depending on amenities, look for deals online, breakfast-€17, Plaza Ramón Pelayo 11, tel. 942-818-000, www.parador.es, santillana@parador.es) and Parador de Santillana Gil Blas (Sb-€148, Db-€185-240 depending on amenities, breakfast-€18, same address, tel. 942-028-028, www.parador.es, santillanagb@parador.es).
$$ Hotel Altamira offers 32 well-priced rooms in an atmospheric 16th-century palace on the main square (Sb-€50-64, standard Db-€65-95, big Db with sitting room a worthwhile splurge at €84-102, 20 percent more in Aug and Holy Week, cheaper Nov-March, extra bed-€24-33, free Wi-Fi, breakfast-€9, Calle Cantón 1, tel. 942-818-025, www.hotelaltamira.com, info@hotelaltamira.com).
$ Hospedaje Octavio is a charming budget option with 11 comfortable, wood-beamed rooms (Db-€25-40 depending on season, cheaper for bathroom on the hall, Plaza Las Arenas 4, tel. 942-818-199, www.hospedajeoctavio.com, pensioncasaoctavio@gmail.com, Octavio and Milagros don’t speak English, but their sons do).
Not far from Santillana del Mar, the Altamira Caves contain some of the best examples of prehistoric art anywhere. In 1879, the young daughter of a local archaeologist discovered several 14,000-year-old paintings in a limestone cave. By the 1960s and 1970s, it became a tremendously popular tourist destination. The number of visitors became too much for the delicate paintings, and the cave was closed in 1979. A replica cave and museum opened in 2001 near the original site, allowing visitors to experience these pieces of prehistoric artwork in something approximating their original setting. The Spanish cultural ministry hopes to someday reopen the original cave on a restricted basis, but those plans are on hold for the time being. Although you can’t visit the original cave, prehistoric-art fans will still find Altamira worth the trip.
Note that if all you’re really interested in is the art itself, another replica of the paintings can be seen at Madrid’s National Archaeological Museum. However, these aren’t nearly as well done and won’t be on display until the museum reopens after renovation, possibly in 2014.
The caves are on a ridge in the countryside a little over a mile southwest of Santillana del Mar. There’s no public transportation to the site. To get from Santillana del Mar to the caves, it’s either a 30-minute walk or a cheap taxi ride (mobile 608-483-441). Bolder travelers hitch a bus ride with a friendly tour group.
Cost and Hours: €3, free Sat after 14:00 and all day Sun; open May-Oct Tue-Sat 9:30-20:00, may be open even later some nights in summer, Sun 9:30-15:00; Nov-April Tue-Sat 9:30-18:00, Sun 9:30-15:00; closed Mon year-round; last tour departs 30 minutes before closing; tel. 942-818-005, http://museodealtamira.mcu.es.
Reservations: Only 240 people are allowed to enter the replica cave each hour (20 people/tour, tours leave about every 5 minutes—or, at slower times, when enough people gather). This means that in the busy summer season, spaces fill up fast, and groups or individuals with reservations get priority. In July and August and on free Sundays, they recommend getting to the museum when it opens (9:30) to claim your tour appointment. Better yet, during busy times, consider making an advance reservation for the replica cave (no extra charge) through the bank Santander Centro Hispano. There are three ways to do this: Drop by any Santander bank branch; reserve by phone (toll tel. 902-242-424, wait through recording and ask for English speaker); or book online (in Spanish only, no online reservations possible for free Sunday visits, https://secure.santander.com/ventaentradas/Altamira). Request a specific date and time (one-hour window) for your visit. Take your ticket or confirmation number to the information counter at the caves, where you can schedule a guided tour.
Visiting the Caves: You’ll buy your ticket at a separate taquilla office outside museum complex, and be given a laminated card with the time of your replica cave (Neocueva) entry. Once inside, your visit has two parts: First, there’s a fine museum (to the right of the information desk) with good English descriptions, featuring models and reproductions of the cave dwellers who made these drawings (and their clothes, tools, and remains). Videos and illuminated pictures help bring these people to life; scenes of how early tools were made are particularly fascinating. The exhibit finishes with an account of the cave’s discovery and its eventual acceptance by the scientific community (who were initially skeptical that “primitive” people were capable of such sophisticated art). Second, you’ll take a 30-minute guided tour of the highly detailed replica cave.
Unfortunately, English-speakers don’t get much respect at Altamira: Posted information in English is measly, and the guided tours are only in Spanish. Follow along with my self-guided tour.
You’ll begin the tour by watching a four-minute film about the various inhabitants of the cave, the discovery of the paintings in 1879, and the era of over-visitation. Then you’ll enter the first part of the replica cave. Guides eagerly point out information panels translated into English, but those are only marginally helpful. Here’s the gist:
The painstaking replica in the Neocueva (“Neo-cave”) was achieved with special computers so that the cave art can still be enjoyed without endangering the actual paintings. The Neo-cave, made of 80 percent stone, also simulates the original cave’s temperature, sounds, and humidity.
About 14,000 years ago, hunters, gatherers, and fishermen lived in these caves. They huddled around a fire, protected from the elements. They liked the location because of its proximity to the ocean and a river.
This area displays tools used by modern scientists to dig up relics from various periods. We’re talking about the Upper Paleolithic era—the time of Cro-Magnon cave people, with big hands and high foreheads. The Upper Paleolithic is divided into three periods, and this cave was inhabited, on two separate occasions, during two of those periods: the Solutrean (about 18,500 years ago) and the Magdalenian (14,000 years ago). You’ll see that there are three layers to the excavation: On the bottom are artifacts from Solutrean cavemen (hunting tools and chips of flint); above that is mostly clay, with the remains of a cave bear you’ll see in a few minutes; and the top layer holds hearths and tools from the Magdalenian period.
As you continue on to the next stop, you’ll pass the bones of a cave bear that once lived in Altamira. Look for his paw prints nearby.
See the tools used by the prehistoric artists, as well as a video showing how the paintings were created. The most dramatic paintings—all the red buffaloes—were made with reddish ochre dissolved in water, outlined in black charcoal. Marrow-burning stone lamps provided light. Many of the images were engraved into the surface of the cave (using flint) before being painted. The reproductions in the Neo-cave were done using the same techniques.
Finally we reach the paintings themselves. This part of the cave has various names, including the “Great Hall,” the “Great Ceiling,” the “Polychrome Room,” or even “the Sistine Chapel of Prehistoric Art.” The ledge with the lights shows the floor level of the original cave. This didn’t give the cavemen much room to paint, making their creations even more remarkable. Among the fauna depicted in this room are 16 bison, a couple of running boars, some horses, and a giant deer—plus a few handprints and several mysterious symbols.
Unfortunately, the posted English information ends here. These are some of the things to look for:
Bumps and Cracks: The artists incorporated the ceiling’s many topographical features into their creations (see the bison with the large, swollen back, or the one with the big head).
Overlap: Some paintings actually overlap onto each other. These were painted during two different eras. (The most impressive batch—including all those bison—is thought to be by the same artist.)
Detail: While a few paintings are incomplete, others are finished. Check out the bison with the highly detailed hooves and beard.
The “Old Horse”: The horse with its rear end against the wall is probably among the oldest in the cave.
The “Great Deer”: The biggest painting of all (over seven feet across) is the deer with the little black bison under his chin. Notice it’s not quite in proportion; due to the tight quarters, the artist couldn’t take a step back to survey his work.
Symbols: The strange, hieroglyphic-like symbols scattered around the cave, called tectiforms, are difficult to interpret. Scientists have found very similar symbols in caves that were far apart and wondered if they were some sort of primitive written language (for example, an outline of a horse with a particular symbol might explain how to set traps for hunting).
Behavior: The artists captured not only the form, but also the behavior of the animals they depicted. Notice the lowing bison, the curled-up bison, the bison turning its head, and the running boars (with the extra legs).
What’s amazing about these paintings is simply that they were made by Cro-Magnon cave people. And yet the artists had an incredible grasp of delicate composition, depicting these animals with such true-to-life simplicity. Some of them are mere outlines, a couple of curvy lines—masterful abstraction that could make Picasso jealous.
So why did they make these paintings? Nobody knows for sure. General agreement is that it wasn’t simply for decoration and that the paintings must have served some religious or shamanistic purpose.
The most impressive paintings were discovered in a single room (whose replica you just visited). However, beyond that room, the cave extended another several hundred feet, though that area was not reproduced. As you leave the replica cave, you’ll see a few more replicas—mostly carvings—that came from other parts of the original cave. Most of them are those mysterious symbols, but at the very end, you’ll also see three masks carved into the rock.
Walk upstairs to exit the museum. There’s an exhibit comparing Altamira to other prehistoric sites.
Before leaving, the truly inquisitive can take a peek at the original cave entrance: After exiting the museum, enter the park area on your right. Follow the path to two modern temporary exhibit buildings. In the distance—below the house—is the wrought-iron gate that protects the original cave. That’s as close as you can get.
Just 15 minutes beyond Santillana del Mar, perched on a hill overlooking the Atlantic, you’ll find quirky Comillas. Comillas presides over a sandy beach, but feels more like a hill town, with twisty lanes clambering up away from the sea. Comillas is not as undeniably charming as Santillana—it would do well to go traffic-free, as its neighbor has—but it makes for a better home base if you prefer beach access, fascinating architecture, and a more lived-in feel to touristy quaintness.
Tourist Information: The westernmost square, Plaza Joaquín de Piélagos, is where you’ll find the TI (unpredictable hours; posted as July-Aug daily 9:00-21:00; May-June and Sept daily 9:00-14:00 & 16:00-18:00; Oct-April Mon-Sat 9:00-14:00 & 16:00-18:00, Sun 9:00-14:00; Calle Aldea 6, tel. 942-722-591).
Comillas enjoys a surprising abundance of striking Modernista architecture. (For more on this unique, Barcelona-born take on Art Nouveau, see here.) There are three biggies: El Capricho and Palacio del Sobrellano line up along a ridge at the west end of town (just beyond the town center and parking lot, over the big park), while Universidad Pontificia faces them from a parallel ridge.
This villa, commissioned in 1883 by Máximo Díaz de Quijano (brother-in-law of the First Marquis of Comillas), was designed by the great Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. While officially called Villa Quijano, the nickname “El Capricho”—which roughly means “The Whim”—stuck. It housed an expensive restaurant from 1985 until 2009, when it was opened to the public. As one of Gaudí’s very first creations—built at the same time as Casa Vicens in Barcelona—the house attracts architecture fans from around the world. El Capricho’s sunflower-dappled exterior alludes to Gaudí’s plan for the building: His “sunflower design” attempted to maximize exposure to light by arranging rooms so that they would get sun during the part of the day that they were most used. Some of the restaurant modifications are still in place upstairs. An excellent video with English subtitles explains local history and how Gaudí became involved in a project so far from his hometown of Barcelona.
Cost and Hours: €5, daily 10:30-20:00, last entry 30 minutes before closing, tel. 942-720-365, www.elcaprichodegaudi.com
Getting There: Although El Capricho is next to the Palacio de Sobrellano (described next), there’s no direct access between them. Enter from the back, via a driveway on Paseo Estrada (CA-135, the road into town).
Designed by Gaudí’s mentor Joan Martorell i Montells, this building hints at early Barcelona-style Modernisme. Guided tours (Spanish only, no English translations available) are the only way to visit the spectacular home, but it’s worth an hour to see how the other half lived. The Marquis amassed an impressive collection of artifacts, some of which are still on display.
Cost and Hours: €3, grounds open at 9:30, one-hour guided visits leave on the half-hour Tue-Sun 10:30-13:30 & 15:30-18:30, closed Mon, tel. 942-720-339, www.culturadecantabria.com/sobrellano.asp.
Visiting the Palace: The tour begins with an introduction to Antonio López y López, the First Marquis of Comillas, who put this town on the world architecture map (see sidebar; his descendant, the Fourth Marquis of Comillas, recently sold this palace to the provincial government, which opened the building to tourists). Then you’ll pass through the billiards room to the dining room, with its fantastic fireplace intact. The throne room contains an abundance of stained glass and paintings commemorating four important family moments: the opening of the Universidad Pontificia (described next); the inauguration of the church next door, Capilla-Panteón; a naval review during a visit by King Alfonso XII (who spent a summer here in Comillas); and the sailing from Barcelona of a López-funded vessel—full of soldiers—to squash a Cuban rebellion.
Nearby: The pointy-spired Art Nouveau church called Capilla-Panteón, between the palace and El Capricho, was also designed by Martorell. It contains the first furniture ever designed by Antoni Gaudí (€3, same hours as Palacio de Sobrellano, ask for details at the palace).
This huge building, peering back at the town from a parallel ridge, was also designed by Joan Martorell i Montells. Workers laid the foundation stone in 1883, a few months after the death of the First Marquis of Comillas. While originally built as a Jesuit seminary, today the building is used by the Fundación Comillas to teach Spanish and Hispanic culture. Although the obligatory guided tour is in Spanish only, English handouts translate the majority of the visit.
Cost and Hours: €3.50, guided visits at the top of each hour, daily 10:00-13:00, June-Sept also 17:00-20:00, mobile 630-256-767, www.fundacioncomillas.es.
Visiting the Building: Martorell’s brick-and-ceramic gate prepares visitors for what lies ahead after their uphill hike: IHS (the first three letters of Jesus’s name in Greek, frequently used by Jesuits), pages’ robes inscribed with 1892 (the year the seminary opened), and Leon XIII (the pope at the time of construction). Tilework endlessly hails Mary.
Huff up to the top of the hill to buy your tickets. Tours begin at the seminary’s former main entrance: the heavy, bronze Door of Virtues (Puerta de las Virtudes). Richly decorated by another leading early-20th-century Catalan architect, Lluís Domènech i Montaner, the door depicts young women as the seven heavenly virtues standing over the seven deadly sins.
Push through the door to reach a sumptuous Art Nouveau interior, with walls covered in esgrafiado (a technique where designs are pressed into wet plaster, then painted when dry). Carved wooden ceilings drip above female figures representing traits such as Tenderness, Patience, and Obedience. Don’t miss the cat and mice carved into the base of the staircase. Fellow architects at the time thought the staircase would collapse, unable to support itself, so Montaner whimsically incorporated a favorite children’s story into the design: Mice invent a plan to know when a dangerous cat is coming close—place a bell around his neck. But no mouse wants to risk his life by getting close enough to place the bell. The fable teaches a moral lesson about great plans that cannot be executed. Montaner proved all naysayers wrong by being the only brave mouse...and the staircase still stands proudly today.
Circling the staircase, stained glass windows depict the coat-of-arms of the Marquis of Comillas, and wooden panels above show beasts from the flood—amazingly carved in situ. The tour continues to a modern meeting room decorated by colorful biblical scenes painted on cloth (painstakingly restored by craftsmen from the Prado Museum in Madrid). The last stop on your tour is one of two interior patios with brickwork wells. You’ll see the seminary church, covered with the same Ave María tiles as the entrance gate. While the church interior isn’t open to the public (it’s the last part of the complex awaiting restoration), tour guides allow you ample time to wander to the church’s main facade and ponder the seaside views.
The beachside road below, lined with a few hotels, is worth a stroll, especially to get a glimpse of a guardian angel. Domènich i Montaner converted old church ruins into an interesting cemetery with one spectacular tomb: His vault for the Piélago family depicts an angel riding the surf atop a giant wave.
On the opposite hill, look for an Art Nouveau statue, donated by the town, portraying the First Marquis of Comillas. López proudly stands atop a column, carried by one of his ships.
The town center, a two-minute walk inland, is just as pleasant—with an odd jumble of squares surrounding the big Parochial Church. A final bit of Modernisme is the Domènich i Montaner lamppost/fountain (near the TI), which commemorates Comillas as the first town in Spain to have electricity.
As you continue west from Comillas on CA-131, the road follows the coast, soon crossing a wide bay over a long, dramatic bridge to San Vicente de la Barquera. This salty seaside resort overlooks a boat-filled harbor, with glimpses of the dramatic Picos de Europa in the distance.
($1 = about €1.30, country code: 34)
Both of these listings are in the town center, south of the big Parochial Church, near the long, skinny restaurant-lined Plaza de Primo de Rivera (also known as “El Corro”). The first hotel is the big red building a block off the south end of the square; the other is a few blocks above the square, on the street uphill from Bar Los Castaños.
$$ Hotel Marina de Campíos offers 20 modern, colorful rooms, each named for a different opera (standard Db-€75-110, “junior” Db-€95-130, “senior” Db-€125-150, higher prices are for mid-July-Aug, includes breakfast, closed on weekdays mid-Sept-June and completely closed mid-Dec-mid-Jan, elevator, Calle General Piélagos 14, tel. 942-722-754, www.marinadecampios.com, reservas@marinadecampios.com).
$ Pasaje San Jorge, with 11 cozy and comfortable rooms in a hundred-year-old house, hovers just beyond the town center. Gemma offers plenty of good sightseeing advice (Db-€65-75, higher prices are for July-Aug, cheaper off-season, includes breakfast, Calle Carlos Díaz de la Campa 16, tel. 942-720-915, www.pasajesanjorge.com, pasajesanjorge@pasajesanjorge.com).
The Picos de Europa—comprising one of Spain’s most popular national parks—are a relatively small stretch of cut-glass mountain peaks (the steepest in Spain, some taller than 8,500 feet) just 15 miles inland from the ocean. These dramatic mountains are home to goats, brown bears, eagles, vultures, wallcreepers (rare birds), and happy hikers. Outdoorsy types could spend days exploring this dramatic patch of Spain, which is packed with visitors in the summer. We’ll focus on the two most important excursions: taking the Fuente Dé funicular up to a mountaintop, and hiking the yawning chasm of the Cares Gorge.
The Picos de Europa are a patch of mountains covering an area of about 25 miles by 25 miles. They’re located where three of Spain’s regions converge: Cantabria, Asturias, and León. (Frustratingly, each region’s tourist office pretends that the parts of the park in the other regions don’t exist—so it’s very hard to get information, say, about Asturias’ Cares Gorge when you’re in Potes, Cantabria.) In addition to three regions, the park contains three different limestone massifs—large masses of rock—separated by rivers.
As you venture into the Picos de Europa, pick up a good map; the green 1:80,000-scale map is handy, featuring roads, trails, and topographical features. Serious hikers will want a guidebook (I like the Sunflower guide, published by a British company—www.sunflowerbooks.co.uk). These resources, along with a wide variety of other maps and books, are available locally.
I’ll focus on the Cantabrian part of the Picos, which contains the region’s most accessible and enjoyable bits: the scenic drive through La Hermida Gorge, the charming mountain town of Potes, and the sky-high views from the top of the Fuente Dé cable car. This part of the Picos is doable as a long day trip from Santillana del Mar or Comillas (but is easier if you stay in Potes). The next best activity is the Cares Gorge hike—deeper in the park and requiring another full day.
If you’re really serious about tackling the region, and want to do both Fuente Dé and the Cares Gorge, this is the most sensible plan:
| Day 1: | Drive from Comillas/Santillana del Mar to Potes and do the Fuente Dé cable car and hike (sleep in Potes). |
| Day 2: | Day-trip to the Cares Gorge hike via Caín (sleep in Potes). |
| Day 3: | Move on to your next destination. |
The Picos de Europa are best with a car. If you don’t have wheels, skip it, because bus connections are sparse, time-consuming, and frustrating (see “Getting Around Cantabria” on here).
The A-8 expressway squeezes between the Picos and the north coast of Spain; roads branch into and around the Picos, but beware: Many of them traverse high-mountain passes—often on bad roads—and can take longer to drive through than you expect. Puerto means “pass” (slow going) and desfiladero means “gorge” (quicker but often still twisty).
Assuming you’re most interested in Potes and Fuente Dé, you’ll focus on the eastern part of the park, approaching from the A-8 expressway (or from Santillana del Mar and Comillas). You’ll go through Unquera and catch N-621 into the park (follow signs for Potes). Wind your way through La Hermida Gorge (Desfiladero de la Hermida) and stop for a photo en route to Potes (about one hour, depending on traffic). The road crisscrosses back and forth between both banks of the Río Deva for spectacular scenery. Count on 30 more minutes to arrive at Fuente Dé.
The Cares Gorge, officially in Asturias, can be approached from either the south (the village of Caín, deep in the mountains beyond Potes) or the north (Puente Poncebos, with easier access)—but be aware that there’s no direct road between the gorge and Potes.
I’ve arranged these sights as you’ll come to them if you approach from the northeast (that is, from the expressway, Santillana del Mar, or Comillas).
This quaint mountain village, at the intersection of four valleys, is the hub of Cantabria’s Picos de Europa tourist facilities. It’s got an impressive old convent and a picturesque stone bridge spanning the Río Deva. It’s a good place to buy maps and books, mainly geared toward UK tourists who arrive by ferry in Santander. Free parking can be found all around the church. Check in at the TI with any travel questions (unpredictable hours, but generally July-Sept daily 10:00-14:00 & 16:00-19:00; less off-season—often closed Sun and Mon afternoons and all day Tue; Plaza de las Serna, tel. 942-732-188).
Sleeping in Potes: $ Casa Cayo has 17 cozy rooms and a fine restaurant that overlooks the river (Sb-€35, Db-€50, Tb-€60, closed Christmas-Feb, Calle Cántabra 6, tel. 942-730-150, www.casacayo.com, informacion@casacayo.com).
Perhaps the single most thrilling activity in Picos de Europa is to take the cable car at Fuente Dé. The longest single-span cable car in Europe zips you up 2,600 feet in just four ear-popping minutes (but in summer, you may have to wait more than two hours to take it). Once at the top (altitude 6,000 feet), you’re rewarded with a breathtaking panorama of the Picos de Europa. The huge, pointy Matterhorn-like peak on your right is Peña Remoña (7,350 feet). The cable-car station on top has WCs, a cafeteria (commanding views, miserable food), and a gift shop (limited hiking guides—equip yourself before you ascend).
Cost and Hours: €16 round-trip, €9.70 one-way (if you’re hiking down—explained later), runs every 30 minutes (or more frequently with demand); daily July-mid-Sept 9:00-20:00, mid-Sept-Dec and Feb-June 10:00-18:00—or until 19:00 on June weekends, closed Jan unless weather is unseasonably good. Every 100 hours, the cable car must be closed briefly for maintenance—so it’s a good idea to check ahead before making the drive. Note that this is a very popular destination in summer, and you may have to wait in long lines both to ascend and to descend (up to 2.5 hours in early Aug, 1 hour in late July; quieter in June, early July, and Sept—if you’re concerned, call ahead to find out how long the wait is before you make the 14-mile drive from Potes).
Information: Cable car tel. 942-736-610. The local government website provides links to the teleférico for the most accurate information on cable car hours (www.cantur.com). The Picos de Europa National Park runs a helpful information kiosk in the parking lot during peak season (July-Aug), with handouts and advice on hikes (including the one described above). Even better, stop at the bigger National Park office on the way to Fuente Dé from Potes; about a mile after you leave Potes, look on the right for the green Picos de Europa signs (daily 9:00-18:00, in summer may be open until 20:00, tel. 942-730-555).
Getting There: By car, the road dead-ends at Fuente Dé (to return to Potes, you’ll have to backtrack). If you’re relying on public transportation, you can take the bus from Potes to Fuente Dé (2/day)—but it runs only in summer.
Hiking Back Down: Once you’re up there, those with enough time and strong knees should consider hiking back down. From the cable-car station at the top, follow the yellow-and-white signs to Espinama, always bearing to the right. You’ll hike gradually uphill (gain about 300 feet), then down (3,500 feet) the back side of the mountain, with totally different views than the cable-car ride up: green, rolling hills instead of sharp, white peaks. Once in Espinama, you’ll continue down along the main road back to the parking lot at the base of the cable car (signs to Fuente Dé). Figure about four hours total (nine miles) at a brisk pace from the top back to the bottom. Note that the trails are covered by snow into April and sometimes even May; ask at the ranger station near Potes about conditions before you hike (see “Information,” earlier).
This impressive gorge hike—surrounded on both sides by sheer cliff walls, with a long-distance drop running parallel to (and sometimes under) the trail—is ideal for hardy hikers. The trail was built in the 1940s to maintain the hydroelectric canal that runs through the mountains, but today it has become a very popular summer-hiking destination. The trail follows the Río Cares seven miles between the towns of Caín (in the south) and Camarmeña (near Puente Poncebos, in the north). Along the way, you’ll cross harrowing bridges and take trails burrowed into the rock face. Because it’s deeper in the mountains and requires a good six hours (13 miles round-trip, with some ups and downs), it’s best left to those who are really up for a hike and not simply passing through the Picos. Visitors who just want a glimpse will hike only partway in before heading back.
Getting There: To reach Caín from Potes, you’ll drive on rough, twisty roads (N-621) over the stunning Puerto de San Gloria pass (5,250 feet, watched over by a sweet bronze deer), into a green, moss-covered gorge. Just past the village of Portilla de la Reina, turn right (following signs for Santa Marina de Valdeón) to reach Caín. Note that this is a very long day trip from Potes, and almost brutal if home-basing in Comillas or Santillana del Mar.
The approach to the gorge from the north (Puente Poncebos) is easier, but won’t take you near Potes and Fuente Dé. You can reach Puente Poncebos via AS-114 to Las Arenas, then follow the Cares River on AS-264 to Puente Poncebos.