This extensive 20km cave system, exploited as a lead and zinc mine before 1979, makes for a popular outing inland from San Vicente. The one-hour visit goes 400m into the cave in a mine train, then continues on foot. Booking ahead is highly recommended. For thrill-seekers, the ‘adventure’ tour (€32, 2½ hours) travels 3km into the cave, opening up an extraordinary subterranean world. It’s 30km southwest of San Vicente: turn east off the CA181 at Rábago and continue 7km uphill.
El Soplao
San Vicente de la Barquera
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
22.49 MILES
Of these four World Heritage–listed caves 30km southwest of Santander, two – El Castillo and Las Monedas – are open for 45-minute guided visits (in…
15.61 MILES
The museum’s highlight is the Neocueva, a dazzling, full-sized re-creation of the real Cueva de Altamira’s most interesting chamber, the Sala de…
8.47 MILES
With this marvellous 1888 building, the Marqués de Comillas’ summer palace, Modernista architect Joan Martorell truly managed to out-Gothic real Gothic…
8.54 MILES
Antoni Gaudí left few reminders of his genius beyond Catalonia, but of them the 1885 Capricho is easily the most flamboyant. This brick building, one of…
Parque Nacional de los Picos de Europa
22.13 MILES
Founded in 1918 as one of Spain's first two national parks, the 646-square-kilometre Parque Nacional de los Picos de Europa encompasses some of Europe's…
7.76 MILES
The 2km-long, soft-blonde Playa Oyambre, 5km west of Comillas, is a sandy dream protected by the Parque Natural Oyambre. It has frequently surfable waves,…
22.77 MILES
In less than four minutes, this spine-tingling cable car whisks visitors up from the valley floor to the top of the 600m-high sheer southern wall of the…
24.39 MILES
A beautiful, gold-blonde crescent bounded by rocky headlands and a bowl of green hills, 9km west of Llanes, Torimbia is truly spectacular. Turn off the…
Nearby San Vicente de la Barquera attractions
6.02 MILES
The eastern inlet bordering San Vicente, the estuary of the Río Escudo, is spanned by the long, low-slung, 15th-century Puente de la Maza.
2. Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles
6.12 MILES
San Vicente’s outstanding monument is the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles, commissioned by Alfonso VIII in 1210. Though mostly Gothic, it sports…
6.22 MILES
San Vicente’s 13th-century castle, one of Cantabria’s best preserved, rises near the top of the old part of town. Sights inside are limited, and exhibits…
4. Playas del Rosal & de Merón
6.83 MILES
Along the coast east of town, these two beautiful beaches are basically one broad, 4km-long golden strand. Merón gets surf, while El Rosal (the western…
7.76 MILES
The 2km-long, soft-blonde Playa Oyambre, 5km west of Comillas, is a sandy dream protected by the Parque Natural Oyambre. It has frequently surfable waves,…
6. Antigua Universidad Pontificia
8.39 MILES
Several Modernistas had a hand in this imposing neo-Gothic former seminary, looming over the west end of town. Domènech i Montaner contributed its…
8.39 MILES
The small town of Colombres, 21km east of Llanes, has a particularly fine collection of indiano architecture –florid buildings of eclectic styles…
8.47 MILES
With this marvellous 1888 building, the Marqués de Comillas’ summer palace, Modernista architect Joan Martorell truly managed to out-Gothic real Gothic…
- placement: superzone
- path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
- possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
- targeting:
{ "url": "spain/cantabria/san-vicente-de-la-barquera/attractions/el-soplao/a/poi-sig/1130750/1315833", "destination": "San-Vicente-de-la-Barquera", "continent": "Europe", "country": "Spain", "region": "San-Vicente-de-la-Barquera", "position": "superzone" }