The Western Coast of
Cantabria
Cantabria (, also , , Cantabrian: ) is an autonomous community in northern Spain with Santander as its capital city. It is called a ''comunidad histórica'', a historic community, in its current Statute of Autonomy. It is bordered on the east ...
is a ''
comarca
A ''comarca'' (, or , or ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a "march, ...
'' of said
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
autonomous community
eu, autonomia erkidegoa
ca, comunitat autònoma
gl, comunidade autónoma
oc, comunautat autonòma
an, comunidat autonoma
ast, comunidá autónoma
, alt_name =
, map =
, category = Autonomous administra ...
which comprises the municipalities of
Val de San Vicente,
San Vicente de la Barquera
San Vicente de la Barquera is a municipality of Cantabria in northern Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English ...
,
Valdáliga,
Comillas
Comillas is a small township and municipality in the northern reaches of Spain, in the autonomous community of Cantabria. The Marquessate of Comillas, a fiefdom of Spanish nobility, holds ceremonial office in the seat of power at a small castle ...
,
Udías,
Ruiloba,
Alfoz de Lloredo and
Santillana del Mar
Santillana del Mar () is a historic town situated in Cantabria, Spain. Its many historic buildings attract thousands of holidaymakers every year.
There is an old saying that Santillana del Mar is ''The Town of Three Lies'', since it is neither a ...
.
As its own name indicates, this ''comarca'' extends over the western coast of the autonomous community, from its border with
Asturias
Asturias (, ; ast, Asturies ), officially the Principality of Asturias ( es, Principado de Asturias; ast, Principáu d'Asturies; Galician-Asturian: ''Principao d'Asturias''), is an autonomous community in northwest Spain.
It is coextensiv ...
by the mouth of the
Deva River
The Deva is a river in Northern Spain, flowing through the Autonomous Communities of Cantabria and Asturias until it flows into Tina Mayor, an estuary. Its main tributaries are the Cares and Urdón rivers, among others.
Deva is the name of a C ...
, to the
Saja-
Besaya mouth in Suances, although this limits may vary depending on the source, since this ''comarca'', as the rest of Cantabria's, is not regulated, but there are common characteristic elements in the municipalities that belong to it.
This zone has great tourism assets like beaches, nature, gastronomy and culture. Santillana del Mar, Comillas, Suances and San Vicente de la Barquera are the municipalities of greater renown, both in the ''comarca'' and in Cantabria, so they are the main destinations for tourists.
Three of the longest rivers of Cantabria flow into the Western coast: The Deva, the
Nansa and the Saja-Besaya. In addition to the numerous beaches, the
Oyambre Natural Park and
Mount Corona
Volcán de La Corona is a high extinct volcano on the Canary Island of Lanzarote (Spain), near the village of Yé in the municipality of Haría. Its eruption around 4000 years ago covered a large area of the northeast of the island with lava, ...
stand out as natural attractions.
As has been mentioned, the culture of the zone is quite remarkable, since in a few kilometers-radius many cultural spots are concentrated: the
Altamira Cave and Museum, the
Zoologic and Botanic Garden, the
Collegiate Church In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons: a non-monastic or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by ...
in Santillana del Mar; and the
Sobrellano Palace, the
Comillas Pontifical University
Comillas Pontifical University ( es, Universidad Pontificia Comillas) is a private Catholic higher education institution run by the Spanish Province of the Society of Jesus in Madrid Spain.
The university is involved in a number of academic exch ...
and the
Gaudí Caprice in Comillas.
The Cantabrian West is a mainly touristic ''comarca'', that opposed to the
East
East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the fac ...
, it had remained safe from the massive house buildings because of the lateness of the construction of the
Cantabrian Motorway, completed in the early 2000s
{{coord, 43, 22, 17, N, 4, 17, 14, W, region:ES_type:adm3rd_source:kolossus-cawiki, display=title
West Coast
Green Spain