The Autonomous Region of
Cantabria is nestled in the north of the Iberian Peninsula amongst the
communities of Castile and León, Asturias and the Basque Country.
It is a region of rough
terrain, marked by high mountains such as the Picos de Europa range, by
broad valleys hugging a sinuous, cliff-lined coast, and by a series of
quiet river estuaries through which the Bay of Biscay enters and is calmed
by the land.
The capital, Santander,
combines the charm of a summer resort from the turn of the century with
a range of cultural offerings which is constantly being renewed and updated.
The International Summer Festival, Menéndez y Pelayo University
and the chance to mix ecological tourism with many different mountain and
sea sports has made Santander (and all of Cantabria, with its little stone
villages overflowing with tradition) into one of the most interesting places
to visit along "Green Spain".
GEOGRAPHY AND REGIONS
Cantabria is divided into
two distinct natural areas. The marine, or coastal area, with some 200
kilometres of shoreline, is richer and more densely populated than the
inland.
The Montaña, or mountainous
inland area, with a less numerous population spread across small rural
and urban enclaves, is one of the areas which best symbolizes the region.
Many of its highest peaks reach sub-zero temperatures and are covered by
snow from December to May.
The Montaña is, in
turn, divided into different districts, like that of Liébana in
the Cantabrian spur of the Picos de Europa range. Liébana is located
along the border with Asturias, up the narrow gorge called Desfiladero
de la Hermida.
Northeast of Liébana
is the Cabuérniga Valley. The valley is crossed by the Saja river,
and forms the centre of the Saja Nature Reserve, and surrounded by the
mountain passes of Peña Sagra, Peña Labra and the Sierra
del Escudo.
The Pas river lends its
name to the Pas valley and to the entire Pas district. Further along its
course, the river flows into the Toranzo valley and, near the coast, through
the Trasmiera region. This was the site of a very old merindad, or judicial
district, composed of many different valleys. But the area of Reinosa is
the one which, all things considered, comes to mind when we think of the
Montaña.
Cantabria enjoys a mild
climate. The marine air is humid, and temperatures never drop below 4 degrees
nor rise above 30 degrees centigrade. The annual mean temperature is about
15 degrees. |
