Discovering the North of Spain: Cantabria

At 10 PM I arrived in Santander, it was really cold, but I was happy that I was meeting my friend. He was waiting for me at the other bus station, but luckily we found each other very fast. I was so thrilled to be in Santander. I really wanted to visit the north and especially that town and finally, I did it. I was there!

We went on a walk and enjoyed the beautiful view of the sleeping city. I liked the atmosphere, the harbour was huge and the air was so fresh and strong. My friend lived in a village which was around 40 minutes away by train. So I was very happy that I would discover another rural area.

Lierganes is small but so full of life. It has a beautiful museum, historical buildings, a very welcoming train station; you can even have a walk along the river and eat fantastic Mexican food. People were warm and friendly and I really liked the vibe of that place.

What to do in Cantabria if not hiking? We took our backpacks and went into the wild.

I have to say that until now, Cantabria remains my favourite spot on earth. The landscapes were breathtaking. In front of you, yellow mountains would appear. Further away, there were snow-covered peaks. Behind, everything was green. It was all a symphony of colours, amazingly blended together. Of course, because of the rainy season, our route was very muddy, but I enjoyed it a lot.

I discovered once again small isolated communities of people. This time, I was lucky to meet a woman who was wandering, so I could talk to her about their lifestyle. In her settlement there lived only 5 people, all of them elderly. She was no longer working, she sold her cow and the sheep and all she did for the entire day was taking long walks admiring the beautiful Cantabrian view. Apparently, there are many other isolated settlements in the area. I was happy to find out that they receive weekly visits; a truck comes with fruits and frozen products, and a car is bringing them bread every day. It`s nice to see how people are being thoughtful.

The next day I went to visit Santander, at daylight. One friend recommended me the Peninsula of Magdalena, and I went there straight away. It was a long and peaceful walk, as I chose the beach path, hearing only the waves crashing into the sand.

What a calm town! I wish to return there one day!

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