Santander, Cantábria

So here's a quick recap of the previous 6-part posts.

I've spent 3 days on a roadtrip following Frommer's "The Green Belt of Asturias" driving tour route, covering most of the key stops. (It does span across to the neighbour province of Cantábria really.)

Day 1: Madrid > Oviedo > Gijón
Day 2: Gijón > Mirador del Fito > Cangas de Onís > Potes
Day 3: Potes > The Monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana > Fuente Dé & Mirador del Cable

For the rest of Day 3 - 4, I finished off with my own itinerary, moving on eastward to the port city of Santander, the capital of Cantábria.


Above: The statue of the famous Cantabrian war hero, Pedro Velarde at Plaza de Porticada

Santander is an attractive Cantábrian coastal city in the north of Spain though its historic center is clustered along the harbour, facing inwards at the bay of Santander.

Widely known to be the summer retreat of King Alfonso XIII during the 20th century, the city was also a popular seaside destination favoured by the Spanish upper class.

Apart from enjoying Santander’s fine sandy beaches and maritime activities, one can also admire the elegant buildings, churches and plazas while wandering around the city center. Of course, do not leave before savouring a delectable seafood meal at Barrio Pesquero.

Above: Edificio de Correos, the Post Office.


Above: The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary of Santander or, quite simply, the Cathedral of Santander.


Above: Plaza de Pombo, a popular meeting place or central hub of the city.


Above: Plaza de Porticada.


Above: Inside of the Mercado del Este, the East Market.
Built in the 1800s, it underwent a major renovation in 1986.


Above: Iglesia de Sagrado Corazón de Jesús.


Above: Iglesia de la Anunciación.


Above: Mercado de la Esperanza, where you can find the freshest fish.


Above: The impressive façade of the Bank of Santander headquarters.
The building is in fact, not symmetric.


Above: The Ayuntamiento or Town Hall of Santander.


Above: Playa del Camello, one of the many beaches the city is blessed with.


Above: The lighthouse - Faro de Cabo Mayor.


Above: Looking out towards the Cantábria sea from the lighthouse.


Above: Horses grazing near Cabo Mayor.

Fuente Dé and Picos de Europa, Cantábria {Part VI of VI}

You know, in all of my roadtrips, there's always a highlight - a definitive star attraction that I most look foward to. For this trip, it was the 'Picos de Europa', or the Peaks of Europe.

There are various miradors or viewing points around the Picos de Europa, for if you want to check out the views of, or from, the magnificent mountains. The most popular one seems to be at Fuente Dé, just 30min from the town of Potes and near the source of the Deva river.

Cable cars run from the base station at Fuente Dé taking you 800m up to a panoramic viewing point called Mirador del Cable, situated at an altitude of 1,800m. From here, you can enjoy spectacular views of the mountain ranges and also the Liébana valley.
It costs 15euros for a two way ride, each lasting close to 4mins.

While I've been enjoying the whole trip thus far, I couldn't my stop mind from trying to fast forward to the time I got closer to the mountain peaks. I imagined all the amazing photographs that I could possibly take, and how fabulous it would be to feel like I'm on top of the world.

Well there were rainclouds, but nah...I thought "I'll be so high up that I'll probably see the jagged mountain tops peaking ABOVE the clouds".

Now wouldn't that be awesome?

However, when I finally got there, THIS, was what really happened...

Above: Dense fog seen at the lower station, which is at an altitude of about 1000m.

When I got to the cable car station at Fuente Dé, it was incredibly foggy.
I looked up and could see absolutely nothing. Zilch. Nada.

As the station was opened, I figured I should just do it since I came all the way here.
It was the highlight of my trip!

There was no queue at the ticket counter, apart from two other guys who said they'll
give it a miss and come back tomorrow when the weather (hopefully) improves.
I suspect they might find my dogged determination under such circumstances amusing.

Above: The cable car disappearing into nothingness.

Above: At the upper station, it was moist, cold, and dreamlike.

Above: Up here, there's a cafeteria, gift shop and viewing area.

There is a viewing deck resembling a caged balcony that protrudes out over the steep mountains. It would have been really cool (or perhaps terrifying) to look down from such a height. If only I could see something!

I decided to go back into the cafeteria, and ordered a coffee.

Then I ordered another.

What the heck, I even had lunch! I was really just waiting around, hoping for the sky to clear up, but it didn't.

So here's really all I could see. Just parts of the mountain that was visible and the rest hidden by clouds.





The experience could have been better if not for the crappy weather. Nonetheless I'm still glad I made it. I may not have been treated to the perfect postcard views, but it doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it.

Clearly, not everyone feels the same way. On the way back down, a gentleman in the same cable car ride spent the next 4mins telling me how he thought it was a complete waste of time.

Potes, Cantábria {Part V of VI}

The next recommended stop in Frommer’s guide was at Potes - a small town in the region of Liébana, Cantábria. Driving from Cangas de Onís to Potes was quite a challenge! Most part of the 1.5 hr journey was on a narrow and winding mountain road with the danger of falling rocks (though stretches of the mountain wall was installed with fences to catch the debris).

The heart of Potes is a lovely little village nestled in a valley at the foot of the Picos de Europa, where two rivers, Quiviesa and Deva converge. By the time we got to Potes, it was already late and we decided that we should set off early the next morning to explore the town instead.

Well, what do you know! Day 3 Monday was Market Day in Potes!

Above: Rain or shine, it's business as usual. The tents set up on the spacious compound outside the Iglesia de San Vicente.

Below: Vendors selling all sorts of items and foodstuff including cheeses, meats and pastries.

Apart from the Monday Market stalls, many other shops line the streets in the village selling local produce and handicrafts. The drizzle may have dampened the mood a little but the colours would certainly lighten up any day!

With its medieval bridges, traditional rural houses and cobblestone ground, the village of Potes exudes a kind of charming, rustic appeal.




Above: Wooden handicrafts for sale, including the traditional clogs worn by granary farmers.

Above: Assorted chickpeas & beans - ingredients for making the traditional stew dish that is typical of the region.

Above & below: Puente de San Cayetano, an old bridge over the River Deva.

Also called 'the town of bridges', Potes offers a different perspective for those who choose to go under the bridge and take the 'Paseo Fluvial', a stroll along the river.


Above: Puente de la Cárcel, another old bridge.

Above: Torre del Infantado, currently the City Hall, is one of the most iconic towers in Potes that dates back to the 15th Century.




Above: Calle de Capitán Palacios, which appears to be the only main road that cuts through the village.

Just like in Cangas de Onís, businesses offering Rural Tourism activities can be found here for those who'd like to spend their holidays doing something active while communing with nature.

Apart from the old quarter of Potes, there's a recommended religious site just a few minutes drive away known as the Monasterio de Santo Toribio de Liébana. It is said that a fragment of the True Cross - the wooden cross which the Romans used to crucify Jesus - is currently kept here in this Monastery.


Above: The exterior of the Monastery of Santo Toribio of Liébana.

I guess I was lucky to walk into an on-going session when a priest was conducting a tour of the Monastery and even brought out the relic from its elaborate baroque throne!


Above: A priest doing a show & tell with the Lignum Crucis relic - said to be the largest fragment of the True Cross that still exists today. What you see here are pieces of the wood protected in a gold cruciform casing.

True cross or not, this Monastery continues to be an important pilgrimage (& touristic) destination for roman catholics (& non catholics) around the world.