Cantabria · Charming villages

The most beautiful villages in Cantabria

Medieval stone towns, harbours with castles, emigrants' mansions and mountain villages at the foot of the Picos de Europa: the most beautiful villages in Cantabria are close to one another, between the sea and the mountains.

Updated 20 October 2026 · How we make our guides

On the coast

Spain
Santillana del Mar

The town of three lies (it is neither holy, nor flat, nor by the sea): cobbled streets, mansions with coats of arms, a Romanesque collegiate church and the Altamira cave next door.
What to see in Santillana del Mar
Spain
Comillas

Gaudí's El Capricho, the Sobrellano palace and the former Pontifical University, in a stately town facing the sea.
What to see in Comillas
Spain
San Vicente de la Barquera

A fishing harbour with its castle, the Maza bridge across the estuary and the snowy Picos de Europa behind.
What to see in San Vicente de la Barquera
Spain
Castro Urdiales

The Gothic church of Santa María and a castle turned lighthouse, above the harbour.
What to see in Castro Urdiales
Spain
Santoña

Marshes, forts above the sea and a tradition of anchovies, across the water from Laredo beach.
What to see in Santoña
Spain
Laredo

The Puebla Vieja, a hillside medieval quarter, and one of the longest beaches on the Bay of Biscay.
What to see in Laredo

Inland

Spain
Potes

The heart of Liébana, with stone bridges, the Infantado tower and the monastery of Santo Toribio nearby.
What to see in Potes
Spain
Bárcena Mayor

One of the oldest villages in Cantabria, all stone and wooden balconies, in the Saja-Besaya natural park.
What to see in Bárcena Mayor
Spain
Liérganes

Stone bridges, Baroque mansions and the legend of the fish-man, beside the river Miera.
What to see in Liérganes

Frequently asked questions

What are the most beautiful villages in Cantabria?

Santillana del Mar, Comillas, San Vicente de la Barquera, Castro Urdiales, Santoña and Laredo on the coast; Potes, Bárcena Mayor and Liérganes inland.

What is there to see near Santillana del Mar?

The Altamira cave and its museum are a stone's throw away, and Comillas and Suances are a short drive.

Can you combine Cantabria and the Picos de Europa?

Yes: Potes and San Vicente de la Barquera are good bases for exploring the Picos de Europa from the Cantabrian side.

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Reviewed 20 October 2026. Dates and seasonal warnings: the same data the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.

Cover photo: Diego Delso (CC BY-SA 3.0), Wikimedia Commons.