What to see in Cantabria with children

What to see in Cantabria with children? Perhaps you are asking yourself this question because you plan to travel to the northern community soon with your family. Logically, the little ones need a different type of activity than that of adults.

However, there are many things you can do in Cantabria with your children and that will amuse you all. Among them, visiting beautiful beaches such as those of Santander, discover the wild beauty of the Picos de Europa, discover monuments such as those of Liebana or enjoy natural parks like the one in Cabárceno. For all this, we are going to show you in detail what to see in Cantabria with children.

Cabárceno Nature Park

We just started with this wonderful natural enclave located in the heart of Pisueña Valley about twenty kilometers from Santander. It is not a zoo to use. Because the animals that inhabit it and that come from the five continents are in semi-freedom.

You can visit this magical place in your own vehicle, but you can also enjoy other activities that will fascinate the little ones. For example, make the call wild visit in the company of a worker from the center who will show you places like the caves where the brown bear hibernates.

You can also see with your children an impressive demonstration of the flight of birds of prey or about the life of sea lions. Also, in Cabárceno you have a cable car that allows you to see the park from the air. And, of course, there are no cafes and restaurants for children to regain strength. There are even gift shops where you can buy a souvenir of your stay in Cabárceno. For all these reasons, this natural park is perfect for spending a day with your children and should appear in any guide on what to see in Cantabria with children.

Santillana del Mar

Very close to Cabárceno you will find the beautiful medieval town of Santillana del Mar, another perfect visit to do with children. Considered one of the most beautiful towns in Spain, it has many buildings that you should show your children.

The most important of them is the Collegiate Church of Santa Juliana, an imposing Romanesque construction to which Renaissance elements were later added. But the entire set of streets in the town is a monument in itself. In them you will find wonders like the Palaces of Velarde and Valdivieso, Houses of the Archduchess and the Polancos, towers of Merino and don Borja or Dominican convent. All of them are examples of the impressive monumental heritage of Santillana del Mar, belonging to different artistic periods that range from the Romanesque to the Baroque.

But the Cantabrian town still has another surprise in store for you. We talk about the Altamira facilitiesaround the famous prehistoric cave. This is not currently open to visitors to preserve it from deterioration. However, you can see a replica that closely matches the original. It also has the National Museum and Research Center, dedicated to preserving and disseminating everything related to the time when the caves were painted. The visit to Altamira is also a perfect recommendation on what to see in Cantabria with children.

Picos de Europa

Along with its beautiful coastline and endless beaches, the other great wonder of Cantabria is inland. We are talking about the peaks of Europe, which it shares with its neighbor Asturias and that offer you some unique landscapes in the world.

In the part of Santander, the best hiking trails for them are concentrated around Source of and Hermida Gorge. Precisely the latter communicates the Asturian municipality of Peñamellera Baja with the district of Liébana, which we will talk about later. It is an impressive journey of twenty-two kilometers surrounded by vertiginous mountains that holds the category of special protection area for birds. But, above all, it offers you wonderful views.

For its part, in the surroundings of Fuente De you have magnificent mountain routes. Some of them have some difficulty, but others are simpler and perfect to do with children as long as they are over twelve years old. In either case, you must upload them to the cableway that leads to Cable viewpoint.

Precisely from this the route that leads to Old Rock. It is a journey of just six kilometers that takes about three hours. Similar distance has the Fuente Dé-Vuelta route to Mount Quebres, with its spectacular Atlantic beech and oak forest. Or also, finally, the one that leads to the Liordes lathes.

Region of Liebana

As we told you before, we are now going to talk to you about the Liébana region, where Fuente Dé is located. In it you have the Santo Toribio monastery, declared a national monument in 1953. Although the current construction is much later, its origins go back to the XNUMXth century after Christ and its existence is certain in the XNUMXth, a time when the Beatus of Liebana he wrote his works living in it.

Some of them can be seen today in the monastery. And a fragment of the Lignum Crucis, the cross on which he himself was crucified Christ. In addition, next to the main building are the Holy cave, of pre-Romanesque style, the remains of the sanctuary of Santa Catalina and the hermitages of San Miguel and San Juan de la Casería. Through the sanctuary passes the lebaniega rula, which connects the the Camino de Santiago coastal with the French.

On the other hand, you should also take the children to Jars, a beautiful town that is the capital of this region. All of it holds the title of historical complex. But you have to show them two monuments. The first is the Infantado Tower, built in the XNUMXth century and belonged to the famous Marquis of Santillana, Spanish poet of the Middle Ages. And the second is the church of San Vicente, built between the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries and which, therefore, combines Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles.

Santander, essential among what to see in Cantabria with children

Naturally, the capital of the autonomous community is a must-see in Cantabria. But, in addition, Santander is a beautiful city that offers you many alternatives to do with your children. One of the most outstanding is to enjoy its beautiful beaches.

The most famous are the two of the Sardinero, framed by Noucentista buildings and by the Paseo de Pereda and Piquio Gardens. But, if you are looking for something quieter, choose the one of the dangers, with floating platforms for children to play. Or those of The camel, perfect for families, Matalenas, in a quiet cove, or that of Virgin of the Sea, located next to the homonymous hermitage.

But there are many other things you can do in the city with your children. So visit the La Magdalena peninsula, with its beautiful palace and a small zoo that has seals and penguins. All this not to mention its spectacular views that you can enjoy from the recreational train that runs through it.

Perhaps even more fun for your children is the visit to the Forestal Park, a unique natural environment that offers zip lines, Tibetan bridges and many other skill activities. However, it has all the security measures. In fact, it is very visited by schools in the area.

Also, you will be fascinated by the Planetary. It is located next to the Festival Palace and has a large circular room with folding seats. In this way, they can observe the great dome in which the movements of the Sun, the Moon, and other planets and stars are projected.

Finally, another instructive visit for the little ones is that of the Cantabria Maritime Museum. It has more than three thousand square meters of exhibitions. And it shows, in addition to the lives of men linked to the sea, different examples of maritime technology. But, above all, the little ones will enjoy seeing the wide variety of species that make up marine biology.

The Broken Coast and the Liencres Dunes Natural Park

Precisely very close to Santander you have a natural monument that will fascinate both you and your children. We talk about the Broken Coast. It is an itinerary on foot that goes from the Magdalena peninsula itself to Cuchía beach, in lying. It is made up of different coves framed by cliffs that, in turn, draw capricious rock formations that look like knife edges, hence its name.

On the other hand, at one end of the route you have the Liencres Dunes Natural Park. It is mainly made up of the dune system that is located to the right of the mouth of the Pas River. But it covers the entire estuary and includes beaches as spectacular as the one in Valdearenas, with its imposing waves, and that of canavalle, as perfect as the previous one for surfing. Also, behind these and the dunes you have the beautiful pine forest of Liencres, a true natural lung.

In conclusion, we have shown you some of the things What to see in Cantabria with children. But we could add others such as the visit to the beautiful town of Quotation marks, with monuments such as Gaudí's Capricho, a walk through the imposing sequoia forest of the Mount Cabezon or, finally, a tour of the precious Pas valleys, with its traditional cabins. Do not you think Cantabria Is it a perfect place to visit with your children?