Cantabria, in the north of Spain, covers an area of 5,289 square Km between the mountains of the Cordillera Cantabrica and the Cantabrian Sea.
Its boundaries are defined by: the Cantabrian Sea in the North, the Principality of Asturias in the West, Palencia and Burgos (Castilla y Leon) in the South and Vizcaya (part of the self-governing region of the Basque Country) in the East.
Cantabria faces the ocean from the high, broken coastal plains to the foothills of the mountains. Where the rock is softer, the sea has broken through and caused the collapse of enormous cliffs, forming promontories and islands. Wherever the rock formation and the action of the waves has combined with the effect of the turbulent river waters, nature has built deep inlets and estuaries banked by wetlands. These places were so favorable to sustaining human life that most of the population concentrated around them in far greater numbers than the rest of the country. However, there are still numerous estuaries, wetlands, inlets and beaches in Cantabria where nature is untamed and undisturbed.
The presence of nature is so strong along these coasts that, even in areas where man and his excesses are concentrated, the beauty of the landscape is still enough to overpower the senses, as at Castro Urdiales, Laredo, Santoña, Noja, the bay of Santander, Suances, Comillas or San Vicente de la Barquera. |
