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Top Cantabria activities

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Top Cantabria Walking Tours

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Enjoy a private, exclusive tour with your own local guide through one of Spain’s most celebrated Historic Old Town gems — a living UNESCO Heritage treasure with roots far older than the United States itself. Step into the medieval soul of Santillana del Mar, where each cobblestone carries centuries of civilization. Admire the Renaissance architectural grandeur of the House of Archduchess Margaret of Austria, and the classical civic elegance of the Ayuntamiento. The noble Casa del Marqués and Palacio de Los Velarde whisper stories of heritage and aristocratic legacy, while the Romanesque Collegiate Church of Santa Juliana stands as one of Spain’s most sacred archaeological and architectural jewels. Wander the ancient Historic center — a cobblestoned tapestry of cultural depth and timeless stories that no photograph can fully capture. Please note: The availability of attractions may vary based on time of day and crowd conditions, ensuring each visit is a unique experience.

Santillana del Mar Architectural Jewels Private Tour

Price varies by group size

Anchovy filleting

On this visit we discover the natural environment of the marsh reserve, the main wetland of the north of the peninsula, and its environmental importance. With the help of binoculars we will observe the marsh lemicola birds. Before that the mural of the meeting point allows us to present Santoña its history and culture. Then, we visit a canning factory where we can observe the daily work of the same and where we will explain first hand the process of making the anchovy fillet, all accompanied by a tasting of the products of the factory On Saturdays, holidays and bridge days, the factory may not be active. In that case, one of your employees will perform a live and live anchovy filleting demonstration. However, the rest of the visit will be equal to the established itinerary.

Tour to the Anchovies Factory and Santoña Marshes with Tasting

2 hoursFree Cancellation

Price varies by group size

This visit, which begins next to the monument to Juan de la Cosa, will take us to know the surroundings of the seafaring and fishing Santoña. We will begin by discovering the exploits of Juan de la Cosa and his role in the discovery of the Americas with Christopher Columbus. Next we will approach the Carnival monument where we will learn about the Northern Carnival and the unique story of the "Judgment at the Bottom of the Sea" The promenade, "the passage" will also be part of our tour in which we will take the opportunity to talk about Santoña as a stronghold, in addition to visiting places linked to the seafaring tradition of Santoña such as the "Aguada", the "Secadero", the "Inkwell", the "Machina". The marina and the Italian salters' walk will allow us to learn about the origin of the famous anchovy fillet. One of our last stages is the fishing port, and its auction room, which we will enter and where we will learn about the mechanism of selling the fish.

Tour of the seafaring Santoña and its fishing port

1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutesFree Cancellation

Price varies by group size

Discover a history older than the United States—by tens of thousands of years. On this private tour, your local guide brings you to the Altamira Museum, home to a breathtaking replica of the UNESCO‑listed cave. Gaze upon ancient bison and deer painted over 20,000 years ago, and learn the secrets of Ice Age artists. Then step into Santillana del Mar, a medieval Old Town where Romanesque churches and noble palaces line cobblestone lanes. Every stone speaks of architectural mastery and deep cultural heritage. From prehistoric hunters to medieval pilgrims, this journey reveals the layers of human civilization. Inspiring, respectful, and immersive—experience the timeless legacy of northern Spain.

Historic Altamira Museum Private Tour Through Santillana Del Mar

Price varies by group size

Enjoy the wonderful places that Santillana del Mar offers, with a guide just for you and your family or friends. Here you will see an itinerary of the walking tour, which can be modified at your convenience. We will start at Plaza Mayor, one of the most interesting places in Santillana where some of the most emblematic buildings are located, such as the City Hall, the Torre del Merino, the Parador Gil Blas and the Torre de Don Borja. We will continue with the visit of the town and its most unique streets, passing places like the house of the Marquis of Santillana, Los Hombrones, etc. and ending with the exterior and interior visit of the Collegiate Church of Santa Juliana, where we will not only visit the church itself, a real jewel of the Romanesque, but also its Romanesque cloister, undoubtedly one of the best in Cantabria.

Private Guided Walking Tour of Santillana del Mar

2 hoursFree Cancellation

Make the most of your visit to El Capricho de Gaudí with a carefully designed experience that goes beyond a standard ticket. Unlike a self-guided visit, this tour is led by expert guides who bring the vision of Antoni Gaudí to life through engaging stories, architectural insights, and historical context—helping you truly understand one of his earliest and most imaginative works. Located in a quieter setting than Gaudí’s more famous sites, this experience offers a more relaxed and intimate atmosphere, allowing you to fully appreciate the details, colors, and natural inspiration behind the design—without the overwhelming crowds. Ideal for architecture lovers, culture seekers, and curious travelers alike, this tour offers a richer, more meaningful way to discover one of the few Gaudí masterpieces outside Catalonia.

Guided Tour of El Capricho de Gaudí in Italian with ticket

1 hour 5 minutesFree Cancellation

Laredo’s compact old quarter still resembles the medieval Castilian port that protected merchants and sailors from pirates raiding the northern coast. On this walking tour, you’ll follow streets that once connected the walled centre with the working port below, and discover how this strategic harbor town evolved from a fortified enclosure into a seaside destination. This circular tour starts and ends at Pisuco Salvé guesthouse on Calle Ruamayor, the medieval main street where carts were loaded with wool, iron, and wine bound for Flanders. You’ll pass through sections of the outer wall, now integrated into modern buildings, and descend through the Puerta de San Lorenzo, where the walled town gave way to expansion and growth.

Laredo: A Self-Guided Walking Tour of its Seaside and Old Town

1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutesFree Cancellation

On this visit your guide will be the French emperor himself who will guide you through the fortifications of what was the impregnable square of the French troops in the War of Independence. Such was its strategic importance that it came to be called "The French Gibraltar" or the "Gibraltar of the North". Dare to have a fun and different time while learning about the history and culture of the place.

Theatrical Visit to Napoleonic Santoña

1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hoursFree Cancellation

Price varies by group size

In the port of Santoña

In this visit, which we offer in collaboration with the Anchovy Art Gallery of Conservas Ana María, it begins in the fishing port of our fishing village, touring the town's dock, thus learning about the arrival of the purse seine boats, the mechanism of auction, the walk of the Italian salters... Our steps will take us little by little to the Anchovy Gallery where, thanks to its varied contents and the explanations we receive there, we will be able to learn about the origin and production process of the anchovy fillet. The final touch comes with the tasting of such an exquisite delicacy!

Tour of the Port and Lonja de Santoña and Anchovy Museum

2 hoursFree Cancellation

We will meet at the start of the tour in the central San Antonio square. There we will start a tour of the urban center of Santoña knowing its many frescoes of marine themed murals, its squares, streets and monuments. The many seafaring murals we will find will tell us the history of Santoña and its fishing tradition. We will also visit places as noted as the palace and institute of Manzanedo. But so much walking and knowing whet our appetites. Well, there is no better place than Santoña to try a skewer so northern, so Cantabrian, so Santoñés than the Gilda! We will visit three establishments in the town and in each we will taste 2 gildas accompanied by a wine, must or water. The tour will conclude in the square of Manuel Andujar, commonly called in Santoña, del Peralvillo, where we will make our last gastronomic stop.

Santoña Guided Tour with Anchovy Spike Tasting

1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hoursFree Cancellation

A real luxury at your fingertips! Not only will you avoid unnecessary queuing and waiting, but you will have a museum-appointed guide for interpretation, exclusively and available to you, your family and friends. We will visit the replica of Altamira Cave, an exact copy of the original, which remains closed and can only be visited by a very limited number of people, on a regular basis. The neocave allows you to know the so-called “Sistine Chapel” of rock art with all comfort and fidelity regarding the royal cave. You will learn about the customs and life of our ancestors, as well as their impressive artistic footprint. Afterwards, we will visit the most important points of the museum, which you can continue enjoying after the end of the guided tour.

Private Walking Tour of Altamira and Neocave Museum

1 hour 30 minutesFree Cancellation

Enjoy the wonderful places that Ligueganes offers with a guide just for you and your family or friends. Here you will see a possible itinerary of the walking tour, which can be modified at your convenience. Discover the history, customs and traditions of the town of Pasiega, walking along the Miera River and crossing the Roman Bridge, where we will discover the famous statue of Man-Fish. Legend has it that, after throwing himself into the river, he disappeared in the Cantabrian and appeared years later in the Bay of Cadiz. The visit will also take us through the squares and streets of the town, discovering its beautiful regionalist architecture of the 17th and 18th centuries. Some of these buildings were built thanks to the economic boom of the first gun factory with blast furnaces in Spain. We will admire the noble houses while learning the meaning of their shields. After an hour and a half, we will finish the tour of Liérganes on the Paseo del Hombre-Pez.

Private Guided Walking Tour in Liérganes

1 hour 30 minutesFree Cancellation

Discover the history and medieval charm of Castro Urdiales exclusively with this private tour. You will have a guide just for you and your family, partner or friends. Castro Urdiales has an important medieval past, which we will meet on this visit while walking. Castro Urdiales’ Castle-Lighthouse, the Town Hall Square, the Santa Ana Hermitage and, of course, the Church of Santa Maria de la Asunción, an example of Gothic architecture. Castro Urdiales is full of amazing places! In addition, since it is a private tour you will be the ones who will decide which of these places you want to visit. Surely this small fishing village surprises you!

Private Tour of Castro Urdiales with Face-to-Face Guide

1 hour 30 minutesFree Cancellation

The geological and environmental importance of the Costa Quebrada is unmatched. Costa Quebrada is a genuine geological catalogue, so its candidacy as a Geopark has been accepted, a figure created by UNESCO in 2015, in which its natural heritage is valued and its cultural heritage has also been taken into account. Our tour will take place over 8 kilometers, from Covachos Beach, through La Cubeta in the Arnía, the most photographed and recognizable abrasion platform on the Costa Quebrada; we will see the Pedrondo pit, La Baselga, the inlet of El Portío, Cerrías beach and Somocuevas beach. An exciting tour, which will make us discover an unrivalled natural environment. The tour will end in the parking lot of Arnía beach. IMPORTANT : Comfortable and closed shoes, type sneakers or trekking and long pants are necessary to avoid chafing with the vegetation. Water to hydrate during the tour.

Private tour of Costa Quebrada Geopark in Cantabria

3 hoursFree Cancellation

Enjoy the most with your family and friends in one of the most beautiful towns in Cantabria, exclusively, with an official tourist and heritage guide at your disposal. The fame of Comillas is fully deserved: it is one of the most beautiful towns in Spain and this is due not only to its old town, which we will visit, including the exterior of the Church of San Cristobal, its two town halls and the palaces of the nineteenth century built, by some of the best Catalan modernist artists, who gathered here and whose works will be thriving throughout the visit. We will approach the Palacio de Sobrellano by Joan Martorell, see the Pontifical University on the hill and end up getting to know the famous Caprice of Antonio Gaudí and its interiors.

Private Tour of Comillas and the Caprice of Gaudí

2 hours 30 minutesFree Cancellation

A unique visit! Discover this magnificent 19th century mansion, unique in Comillas, as it is one of the few that remain in the hands of the original family and, in addition, it is inhabited, as its owners spend their summer vacations there. The construction is inspired by English rustic architecture, in stone, brick and wood. During the guided tour we will know the rooms of the main floor: the hall, the living room, the dining room, among others and a fantastic staircase of modernist style. After the visit you can combine it with a tour of the main squares and streets of Comillas, the largest exponent of Modernist art in Cantabria. In addition, you can include the famous Capricho de Gaudí, a modernist building designed by the celebrated architect, at the request of the Indian Maximo Díaz de Quijano, noted for its ceramic decoration, its striking minaret and the prominence of vegetation and music.

Private tour of the Duque de Almodóvar Mansion in Comillas

2 hours 30 minutesFree Cancellation

Unlike crowded group tours, we offer an exclusive private experience led by the local expert Maria, founder of Cantabria Treks. We don't just walk; we share the 'hidden' Picos de Europa. From the quirky history of a hut built from a recycled aircraft carrier to the geological secrets of the 'lunar' massif, you get a safe, professional, and deeply personal connection to the mountains. Plus, you'll get our insider tips on where to eat and what to visit next, ensuring you experience Cantabria like a local, not a tourist.

Private High Mountain Trek to Cabaña Verónica Picos de Europa

6 hoursFree Cancellation

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