Spain: Cantabria

Overview

Like its neighbour Asturias, Cantabria, once part of the Castile and Leon region, is situated on the northern green coast (Costa Verde) on the Cantabrian Sea (Bay of Biscay) and contains just one province: Santander. The region covers an area of 5,289km2 (2,042mi2) with some 555,000 inhabitants. The Cantabrian mountain range, which divides the region from the more arid landscapes of Castile and Leon, gave rise to the region’s colloquial name, The Mountain (La Montaña). The region’s main towns include Comillas, Laredo (an ancient port and Cantabria’s biggest resort), Santander (the region’s capital) and Santillana del Mar. Santander is an important port and a fine town, situated on a lovely bay boasting a number of excellent beaches such as El Sardinero. The coast has a number of popular summer resorts, including Laredo, where the population of 10,000 increases ten-fold in August, drawn by the beautiful Salvé Beach. The region also contains a wealth of pretty villages such as Comillas, Los Tojos and Santillana del Mar. Cantabria is a stunning unspoilt region noted for its dramatic mountains that fall to the sea, lush countryside and meadows, fine sandy beaches, picturesque fishing villages, historical inland villages, and typical stone and slate-roofed houses. The region’s main industry is dairy farming and food production.

Santander has a regular ferry service to Plymouth and good rail connections, and the region’s road connections have improved greatly in recent years due to the completion of the Cantabrian Highway in the region. If you’re travelling south from Santander it’s quicker (although more expensive) to take the AP8 toll motorway and A1 motorway via Bilbao and Miranda de Ebro, rather than the mountainous N623 to Burgos. Bilbao and Santander airports are accessible, although they offer limited flights to the UK. The region is of increasing interest to foreign homebuyers, particularly hikers and climbers and those seeking tranquillity, and in recent years many Britons and Dutch have shown an interest in the area. Property is generally inexpensive (with the exception of Santander where property is among the most expensive in Spain).

© Survival Books Limited 2005

“Buying a Home in Spain 2006” 5th Edition, David Hampshire.

Reproduced with the permission of Survival Books Limited.

Further information on this topic can be found in “Buying a Home in Spain 2006” 5th edition, by David Hampshire.

For extensive, annually updated information about buying a property in Spain, you can purchase this book at www.survivalbooks.net