Its very name indicates the nature of this green, sea-faring region whose pleasant countryside hides numerous testimonies of the oldest prehistoric inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula.
Among the most important are the rupestrian cave paintings at Altamira - without a doubt one of the most important finds of its type in the world - near the beautiful town of Santillana del Mar. Inland, there is breathtakingly beautiful mountain scenery
Santander, is the capital of Cantabria. Located on a beautiful bay and flanked by enormous beaches, the city, well designed and elegant, suffered damage during the great fire of 1941. However, today, after careful reconstruction, it can be seen to have recovered all its former charm.
The beautiful La Magdalena Palace is the annual site of one of the most important international summer university programs in the world. Its museum houses a valuable collection of paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries.