Lush greenery, tempting beaches, a long history and mouthwatering cuisine make Cantabria a destination for all seasons, writes Joe Shooman.

Santander, the capital of Cantabria, is situated nicely on the northern Spanish coast, which is an area famous indeed for its temperate climate and, as you might expect, some incredibly delicious seafood.

Nearby, the caves at Altamira host some of the oldest and most beautiful cave art in the world, 18,000 years old and still looking grand.

Since the days of the Romans, history tells us that the area, with its lush greenery and strategic position, has been an important one. It’s noted that the “modern” city was first mentioned in 26BC, when after the Cantabrian/Roman wars, Emperor Augustus founded Portus Victorae (Port Of Victory). As ever with empires, however, it was doomed to fall, and the Romans were no exception. Later on, Cantabria was the centre of the resistance against the Moorish invasion, being one of the refuges for those fleeing from the invaders from the south. A couple of the refugees were Saint Emetrius and Celedonius. The former’s name in Vulgar Latin was Sant Emeter, which was finally truncated into the more palatable Santander.

Following centuries of development of its infrastructure as a fishing and then tourist port, Santander was given a massive fillip when, in 1862, Queen Isabella II was granted some land by the council to build a palace following her visits to the unspoilt beaches of the area including El Sardinero (named for the famous local Sardines and the fishermen who went out to gather them). Later, La Magdelena palace, completed in 1912 and still a gorgeous outline on the peninsula of the same name, became a royal residence and the area boomed once more with the addition of everything a holidaymaker would need, from chalets and hotels to the Gran Casino. Santander was bestowed as the official capital of the Autonomous Community Of Cantabria in 1983.

All of which is very well, but what you really need to know is that this is somewhere with 13 beaches that are walkable from the city centre, some surprisingly bustling nightlife, a wonderfully healthy cuisine; as a base to explore Cantabria, the coast and the nearby mountains of the Picos de Europa it is unparalleled. The people are friendly and polite, the coastline is alternately dramatic and calming, and when the sea’s in the mood the surfing is wonderful too.

In contrast to the more famous resorts down south, a trip to Cantabria is one where you can really get under the skin of what it’s like to holiday like the Spanish do. It’s in your hands up here; travelling around the area or simply kicking back and watching the undulating waves rush into the incredibly clean beaches at El Sardinero. Santander is something of an unknown gem - so don’t tell too many people, eh?

GETTING THERE:
Ryanair flies direct to Santander once daily from London Stansted, and depending on the season flights start at £10 including taxes/fees (luggage charges not included).
www.ryanair.com

If you'd like to take your car and do some exploring, Brittany Ferries sail from Plymouth to Santander on Sundays and Wednesdays (returning Mondays and Thursdays). The crossing takes about 20-and-a-half hours. You might well see some dolphins in the Bay of Biscay if you’re lucky.
Expect a typical car with five passengers sharing a cabin to set you back around £150 per person.
www.brittany-ferries.co.uk

TOURIST INFORMATION:
The main tourist office is situated in the old market, Calle Hernán Cortés 4. There is also a tourist information booth near the Brittany ferryport.
www.turismodecantabria.com
www.ayto-santander.es
www.spain.info

ACCOMMODATION:
If budget is no problem, live it up at the four star Hotel Silken Coliseum, slap bang in Santander city centre, with doubles starting at £70 or thereabouts.
www.hoteles-silken.com
There are also countless pensions (the equivalent of a B&B) and two star hotels where you can pick up a room for as little as £45 a night. The tourist office can help you find the right hotel.

THINGS TO SEE:
Santander’s main calling card is, of course, its beaches and they range from the young, palas-playing, surf 'n' sand extravagance of El Sardinero to the altogether more sedate Los Peligros, where there are virtually no waves, making it brilliant for families. Pick of the lot, however, is the hidden gem of Los Molinucos, a tiny cove that – depending on tide – is a world away from some of the more popular beaches, and so small it’s not covered by lifeguards.

For an extra-special experience, try taking a boat trip round the bay. Tickets are available on the main paseo for the one-hour trip on a sailing boat that puts the scenery of this lush and quite beautiful area into a unique perspective.

Landlubbers have plenty to keep themselves busy, with the Cathedral & Church of El Cristo a relaxing, if not entirely thrilling, place to sit and ponder eternity (there are also some recently-uncovered Roman remains to gaze at). Taking a walk down the Paseo de Pereda – as most Santander inhabitants tend to do post-lunch – is a popular pastime and at the end of it is the impressive Maritime Museum, near the beach of Los Peligros. Here you can find a comprehensive history of the area’s relationship with the sea. Elsewhere, the Museum of Fine Arts is host to 16th- to 18th century Flemish and Italian works, Spanish art from the 16th century onwards and a host of stamps, coins and medals. It’s Cantabria’s showcase facility and well worth the time. The Museum of Prehistory and Archeology does pretty much what the name would suggest.

DAY TRIPS:
Head out to the lovely medieval village of Santillana Del Mar and the famous UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Altamira caves, featuring 18,000-year-old paintings of quite stunning aspect. The original cave paintings aren’t viewable, but there is a partial reconstruction, which is still rather breathtaking. It’s about an hour away by bus. Nature-lovers can’t fail to be astounded by the Picos de Europa, the mountain range that is home to wild bears and a host of other beautiful animals. Take the bus to Potes, for example, and you can trek to your heart's content.

A little further afield is chess-obsessed Bilbao, home to the modernist marvel of the Guggenheim Museum. Officially of course, Bilbao is part of the Basque region. Ferries also run from Portsmouth directly to Bilbao, if you want another angle from which to begin.
www.santillana-del-mar.com
www.asturiaspicosdeeuropa.com
www2.bilbao.net/bilbaoturismo

FOOD & DRINK:
Undoubtedly, Cantabrian seafood is among the best in the world and the things they do with octopus, for example, are breathtaking. You will want to brush up on your Spanish food vocabulary, though – most of the menus aren’t in English and although that language is widely spoken sometimes there isn’t an easy translation for the names of some of the fish.

But the meat is also exceptional as you’d expect from an area with oodles of greenery and, particularly in the budget menu del dia, you can snag three courses at lunchtime for eight euros and upward. Wash it down if you dare with the local spirit, Orujo, which also comes in friendlier form mixed with cream. Red wines from the nearby Rioja region are cheap and numerous, and verging on the mindblowing.

On the weekends, Santander locals tend to stay out late round the many bars, cafés and restaurants the city has to offer and it’s not unreasonable to see families – including small children – sitting down to dine at midnight. The busiest places are quite often the best, but as with Spain in general the locals often tend to bar-hop in search of the best tapas ("pinchos" up here) each establishment has to offer, so be prepared to move around rather a lot of an evening – your stomach will love you for it and with the quality of the wine on offer, hangovers are pretty much unheard of too.