Spain - Treasures of Charming Cantabria

Based in popular Suances, famous for its stunning beaches, this tour takes in the very best that Cantabria has to offer visitors. Located in the more unspoiled north of Green Spain, this region is the proud home to some of the jewels of Spain: amazing landscapes, charming beaches, exciting cities, cultural treasures, the Picos de Europa mountain range and one of the most wonderful natural parks in Europe!Sunday: We depart the Travel Centre this morning and make our way to Plymouth to catch the ferry to Santander.

Monday: We arrive in Santander this afternoon and travel onwards to our hotel, arriving in time to relax before dinner.

Tuesday: We spend our first day in Suances at leisure, relaxing in our resort and exploring our home for the next week. Relax at our wonderful hotel or perhaps sun ourselves on the lovely golden beaches that Suances is famous for.

Wednesday: This morning we explore the glorious Cantabrian coastline and visit the picturesque seaside town of San Vicente de la Barquera. Set against a stunning backdrop of the Picos de Europa mountain range, we have time to relax on the long sandy beaches or explore the charming shops, local fish markets and tasty eateries. We can also admire the pretty Old Town and its beautiful, historic sites, including the Church of Santa MarÍa de los Angeles, the 13th century Castillo del Rey castle and the 32-arch Maza Bridge in the bay.

Thursday: Today we visit the wonderful Parque de la Naturaleza de Cabárceno for a step-on guided tour. Our guide will breathe extra life into the beautiful and primitive landscape of the park, all from the comfort of our coach. The Natural Park is home to various species from 5 continents that are free to roam wild, including bears, elephants, zebras & giraffes!

Friday: Today we travel to the capital city of Cantabria, for a half-day guided tour of Santander. Full of fine beaches, shops, cafés and some intriguing cultural attractions, there is plenty to take in here. The Palacio de la Magdalena, once the royal summer residence, lies at the mouth of the Bay of Santander on the rocky La Magdalena Peninsula, whilst the city centre is home to Santander Cathedral, with its octagonal cupola and Gothic cloister. In the afternoon we can enjoy shopping or exploring and strolling along the nearby Paseo de Pereda promenade, which runs along one side of the Jardines de Pereda gardens.

Saturday: Today we make our way through the Spanish countryside to the Picos de Europa National Park’s Sotama Visitor Centre, close to the village of Potes. We spend some time here before travelling on to Fuente Dé, where we have free time to enjoy lunch before travelling on the Fuenta Dé cable car up the sheer mountain slope. We enjoy spectacular views from the top, at a height of 1,800m!

Sunday: We spend our final day in Spain heading west along the coast to the pretty village of Santillana del Mar, where we spend time at leisure exploring its cobbled streets and admiring the honey-coloured churches. We enjoy a lunch stop at the visitor centre at the Cave of Altamira, which boasts a spectacular reconstruction of its remarkable prehistoric cave paintings. In the afternoon we continue to Comillas, home to many types of neo classical buildings and a beautiful cemetery declared a Site of Cultural Interest.

Monday: We enjoy our final morning in our resort before making our way to Santander to
board our overnight ferry back to the UK.

Tuesday: This morning we disembark our ferry in Plymouth and make our way north, making adequate comfort stops, before arriving back in Leicestershire.Britanny Ferries
Accommodation onboard: Inside cabins with lower berths. Upgrades may be requested. There are two cinemas, swimming pool, shops and leisure areas on board.

Gran Hotel Suances - Suances, Cantabria
The Gran Hotel Suances is located 700m from the beach and is an impressively grand, brilliant white, Victorian style building. This elegant hotel is beautifully fresh and bright throughout, with marble flooring and decorated in stylish fabrics.
The 99 air-conditioned bedrooms are decorated in light colours and equipped with a televison, hair dryer and safe. All bedrooms have views of either the sea or the beautiful countryside. Guests can unwind in the stylish bar area before a buffet dinner is served in the spacious restaurant. All single rooms are double/twin for sole occupancy.