Routes round the Occidental Coast
This is considered one of the classic routes available through Cantabria, taking you round the extensive, beautiful beaches and impressive wealth of monuments which you can enjoy in the historic province of Cantabria.
We begin our journey in the pretty tourist town of Sauces, situated on the San Martín river. This lovely town has distinct parts , the upper part of the town is the old fisherman's enclave and the lower part is the residential area as well as the summer holiday resort. The emphasis here is on the monuments such as the Town Hall, the house of Polanco and the ancient Cortiguera tower with the remains of the defence wall, originally constructed to ward off coastal attacks.

We take the C-6316 road until Santillana del Mar where we visit the Cuevas de Altamira caves, locally known as La Capilla Sixtina del Arte Rupestre, which house one of the best displays of pre-historic art. In 1985 UNESCO declared this an area of Cultural Heritage. In Santillana del Mar we go to the old part of town, this medieval village is notable for it's steep streets and old fashioned beauty. Here we can visit the local monuments such as the Merino tower, the Estrada house, the Hombrones house, La Colegiata and the Quevedo house.

We take the C-6316 from Santillana del Mar on to Comillas, the stately town settled on the rolling hills, with beautiful local beaches such as Oyambre and the lovely fishing port. Towards the end of the 19th century many modern buildings were constructed such as the el Capricho de Gaudi, which is now a restaurant. In the San Cristobál cemetery you'll find some interesting Roman ruins which were once the local parish church, as well as the chapel of Los Marqueses de Comilla with its sepulchre and the impressive sculpture of El Angel Exterminador. Other interesting buildings here are the Sobrellano palace, in whose interior you'll find a selection of modern paintings and sculptures, the neo- gothic Pontificia de Comillas university and the impressive town hall.

Exploring the surrounding areas we can enjoy the Oyambre nature park with its cliffs, marsh rivers, beaches, sand dunes and unique array of flora and fauna. On leaving Comillas we take the C-6316 and the N-634 to San Vicente de la Barquera ,the fishing town par excellence of the Occidental Coast of Cantabria. Higher up in the area we can see the Consistorial house and the old 15th century castle. Other interesting monuments here include the gothic church - Santa Maria de los Ángeles, considered a national monument, which has the ruins of an ancient wall in the surrounding area, the palace of the Inquisidor Corro, the old hospital building of Corro and many more.