Cantabria is a Spanish autonomous community of uniprovincial
character, recognized as a historical community in its Statute of
Autonomy. It borders to the east with the province of Vizcaya
(Basque Country), to the south with the provinces of Burgos, León
and Palencia (Castilla y León). , to the west with the Principality
of Asturias and to the north with the Cantabrian Sea. The city of
Santander is its capital and most populated municipality, followed
by Torrelavega and Castro-Urdiales. It has a strong historical
connection with ancient pre-Roman Cantabria, Roman Cantabria, the
duchy of Cantabria, the Asturias of Santillana, the brotherhood of
the Cuatro Villas and the province of the Nine Valleys.
Cantabria is located on the Cantabrian coast, a name given to the
strip of land between the Cantabrian Sea and the Cantabrian mountain
range, in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. It has a humid oceanic
climate with moderate temperatures, strongly influenced by the winds
from the Atlantic Ocean that collide against the mountains. The
average rainfall is 1200 mm, which allows the growth of lush
vegetation. Its highest elevation is located at the peak of Torre
Blanca (2619 meters). The community is made up of a single province,
also called Cantabria, and 102 municipalities; one of them, Valle de
Villaverde, is an exclave in Vizcaya. Traditionally, its territory
is also divided into ten unofficial regions.
Its geographical
framework is framed in a large part of the extensive territory that
corresponded to ancient pre-Roman Cantabria, the main scene of the
Cantabrian wars against Rome between the years 29 BC. C. and 19 a.
C. Cantabria is a community rich in archaeological sites from the
Upper Paleolithic, although the first signs of human occupation date
from the Lower Paleolithic. The paintings in the Altamira cave,
dated to 37,000 BC, stand out in this aspect. C. and declared a
World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985. This cataloging was expanded
in 2008 to nine other Cantabrian cavities, among which the four
caves located on Mount Castillo de Puente Viesgo stand out, where
the Center is also located. of Rock Art of Cantabria. In 2015, the
Camino de Santiago de la Costa and the Camino de Liébana were also
recognized as world heritage sites, in a category that also includes
as individual assets the church of Santa María de la Asunción in
Castro-Urdiales, the collegiate church of Santa Juliana and its
cloister in Santillana del Mar and the monastery of Santo Toribio de
Liébana in Camaleño. The latter, a holy place of Christianity, is
the pilgrimage center of the Lebanese jubilee year due to the papal
bull it received in 1512. In total, the community has fifteen
properties registered by UNESCO, broken down into ten cavities,
three temples and two roads.
San Miguel, the reason that
gives rise to the celebration of the annual festival known as
Institutions Day; although the present territorial articulation of
the community corresponds to that of the extinct province of
Santander, established in 1833 through the Royal Decree of November
30. The organic law of the Statute of Autonomy of Cantabria was
approved on December 30, 1981, thus providing the autonomous
community with self-government organizations and institutions. It
has a legislative assembly called the Parliament of Cantabria. The
current president of the Government of Cantabria is María José Sáenz
de Buruaga, of the Popular Party, after obtaining the support of her
party and the abstention of the PRC, as a consequence of the 2023
electoral results.
1 Santander
2 Castro Urdiales
3 Santillana del Mar
4
Torrelavega
The Soba Valley, where you can see the wonderful waterfalls of the
Gándara River and the Asón River.
Cabárceno Nature Park is
located 15 kilometers from Santander and located in an old iron
extraction mine , in the town of Cabárceno , in the municipality of
Penagos (Cantabria, Spain ).
The climate is strongly influenced by winds from the Atlantic Ocean trapped by the mountains; average annual rainfall is about 1,200 mm (47 in). Due to the Gulf Stream, Cantabria and the rest of "Green Spain" have a much milder climate than might be expected from their latitude, comparable to Oregon. The region has a humid oceanic climate, with hot summers and mild winters. Snow is common in the highlands of Cantabria between the months of October and March. Some areas of the Picos de Europa, over 2,500 meters high, have an alpine climate with snowfall that persists throughout the year. The driest months are July and August.
By plane
Santander International Airport is located in Parayas, a
very short distance from the center of Santander. Direct flights to
Madrid, Frankfurt, Barcelona, Rome, London, Edinburgh, Dublin, Paris,
Malaga, Alicante, Gran Canaria, Tenerife North, Ibiza, Menorca, Seville,
Palma de Mallorca and Valencia
By car
Communicated by freeways with Bilbao and Asturias. Good
communications with Madrid.
By train
Several daily communications with Madrid and Valladolid.
Check with Renfe. http://www.renfe.es/
Several daily communications with Bilbao and Asturias. Check with
Feve. http://www.feve.es/
By boat
Ferries connecting Santander with Plymouth (England).
By car
Since many interesting places are located outside of
Santander in small towns in the countryside, a car is useful.
By
bus
The Alsa company has lines between Santander and the main cities
of Cantabria. Alternatively, public buses are available for larger
cities. There are frequent public buses available between Santander and
Bilbao. The company Alsa has bus lines between Santander and the main
cities of Cantabria.
By train
The FEVE-RENFE lines furrow the
Cantabrian territory in a "T" shape. The southern branch goes to
Palencia passing through Torrelavega and Reinosa. The east branch goes
to Bilbao passing through Lierganes and Limpias. The West branch is
perhaps the most attractive as it follows the course of the Saja river
to Cabezon de la Sal and then passes through Unquera until it reaches
Asturias.
Cantabria has sea and mountains, it is the ideal place for all kinds
of trips. From the tourist who wants to spend his time on the beach
where he has to choose, with fine sand and surrounded by greenery. From
Castro Urdiales (next to Vizcaya), to Unquera (next to Asturias) you can
visit countless beaches.
If you want to see Art, here you can
find "the Sistine Chapel" of rock art, the Altamira caves in Santillana
del Mar. From Mozarabic (Lebeña), the Romanesque (Reinosa), through the
Gothic (Castro Urdiales)... to monumental buildings of Catalan modernism
(Comillas).
If you like the mountains, you are also in the right
place, you can visit the Picos de Europa bordering Asturias . If you
want to choose a destination... you have just arrived at the chosen
site.
Cantabria has sea and mountains, it is the ideal place for
all kinds of trips. Of the tourist who wants to spend his time on the
beach where he has to choose, with fine sand and surrounded by
vegetation. From Castro Urdiales (next to Vizcaya) to Unquera (next to
Asturias) you can visit countless beaches.
If you want to see
art, here you can find "the Sistine Chapel" of rock art, the Altamira
Caves and Museum in Santillana del Mar. From Mozarabic (Lebeña), the
Romanesque (Reinosa), through the Gothic (Castro Urdiales) to buildings
monuments of Catalan modernism (Comillas).
If you like the
mountains, you are also in the right place, you can visit the Picos de
Europa on the border with Asturias.
Caves of Monte el Castillo
Covalanas Caves
El Pendo Caves
Caves of Hornos de la Peña
Caves
El Soplao
Roman spa in Camesa Rebolledo
Cabárceno Nature Park and
Zoo
You can surf on the beaches of Somo, Los Locos in Suances near
Torrelavega and Meron in San Vicente de la Barquera.
Regular
events
Every year on January 5, the parish of Santillana del Mar
organizes the Auto Sacramental and Cabalgata de Reyes de Santillana del
Mar , the Eucharistic feast and parade of the Three Kings. The citizens
recreate various scenes about the birth of Jesus.
Every last Friday
in August the Batalla de flores de Laredo , the battle of the flowers of
Laredo, takes place . At 5:30 p.m. there is a parade through the streets
with floats decorated with countless flowers. There is also a street
market, musical events and the selection of the most beautiful car.
There are fireworks when it gets dark.
During the Guerras Cantabras,
the Cantabrian Wars, Hispania's last stand against Roman rule in the 1st
century BC is reconstructed. The event takes place in Los Corrales de
Buelna from the last weekend of August to the first weekend of September
.
Cantabria is very famous for its canned fish , if you visit Santoña ,
be sure to buy its appreciated Cantabrian anchovies, you can find them
canned or semi-preserved in glass jars. You will also find tuna from the
north and even salads with seafood.
In the inland valleys,
handicrafts are of excellent quality, both in ceramics, terracotta and
wood.
In Potes, the marc. Now other more "lazy" ones have come
out, such as herb pomace, honey, etc...
In confectionery you can
find exquisite sweets, such as ties from Unquera, Quesada pasiega,
Sobaos pasiegos (in the Pas valley) and Pantortillas from Reinosa among
others.
Milk... in its time was highly appreciated and of
excellent quality, unfortunately nowadays it is difficult to find fresh
milk. In Santillana del Mar, in the arcades next to the collegiate
church, you can taste boiled milk (to avoid health problems) with
homemade sponge cake.
Typical Cantabrian quesucos
Of the 11 denominations of origin
that exist on cheese in Spain, Cantabria has three, which are:
Cantabrian cheese
Picón Bejes-Tresviso Cheese
Quesucos from
Liébana
Other quesucos from Cantabria to highlight are:
Campoo
cheese from the Valleys
Cóbreces cheese
Lebena cheese
pasiego
cheese
Valderredible valluco cheese
Cake shop
Unquera ties
frisuelos
Custard
calves
Polkas
Quesada Pasiega
sacristans
Sobaos pasiegos
Other typical dishes of the region
to highlight are:
mountain snails
Cooked Lebaniego
Mountain
stew
Baked Nansa salmon
Tripe to the mountain
Anchovies from
Santoña
Spend a pleasant day crossing the bay of Santander by boat until you
reach the pretty village of Somo where you can enjoy a lovely romantic
evening with your partner or an afternoon playing in the sand with the
children. Upon returning to Santander, enjoy the ice cream from our land
and savor its unmistakable aroma through the historic center of
Santander (Paseo Pereda, Town Hall, Santander Cathedral, Burgos street,
Las Alamedas...).
Later you will find various restaurants at your
service to offer you the most exquisite typical dishes from Lebanese or
seafood in the beautiful fishing district. To end the day have fun in
the neighborhood of Santa Lucía and Cañadio where you can laugh and talk
about the wonderful day you will have enjoyed on this earth.
And
do not forget to taste the Orujo of the region.
You have at your disposal an infinite number of cheap and classy
accommodations to stay in Cantabria.
Official Tourism Page of
Cantabria
Rural houses in Cantabria in Toprural
Rural
accommodation in Cantabriarural.com
Finca El Mazo: Bungalows located
in the Natural Park of Las Marismas de Santoña
The beaches and coasts that border the wonderful autonomous community
There have been various authors who have dealt with the etymological
origin of the name of Cantabria (Saint Isidore of Seville, Julio Caro
Baroja, Aureliano Fernández Guerra, Joaquín González Echegaray or Adolf
Schulten, among others). Although its origin is not certain, the most
accepted opinion by experts is that it derives from the root "cant-", of
ancient Celtic or Ligurian origin and which means "rock" or "stone", and
the suffix "-abr", common in Celtic regions. From all this it is deduced
that "Cantabrian" would mean "people who live in the rocks" or "mountain
people", in clear reference to the rugged and mountainous territory of
Cantabria. It is one of the Spanish autonomous communities with the
oldest toponymy, since the term "Cantabrians" appears for the first time
reflected in Roman sources in the 2nd century BC. C. by the author Cato
the Elder, although there was not yet a united political entity, but
diverse peoples lived in its territory. In his work Origen (c. 195 BC)
he speaks of the birth of the Ebro River in "land of Cantabrians»:
[...] the Ebro River: it rises in the land of the Cantabrians, large and
beautiful, abundant in fish.
Marcus Porcius Cato, "the Elder." Origen
(VII), 195 BC.
Popularly, Cantabria also receives other names
such as La Montaña and La Tierruca.
The community has an area of 5,326 km² and its coasts have a total length of 284 kilometers. Its most outstanding cape is Cape Ajo. In the community there are three well-differentiated geographical areas: La Marina, La Montaña and Campoo, belonging to the Ebro and Duero river basins. The predominant presence of the mountain and the difficult orography of the terrain explain why the entire community is historically known as La Montaña.
Cantabria is a mountainous and coastal community with an important
natural heritage. Its energetic relief means that 40% of its surface is
above 700 meters in altitude and a third of the community has slopes of
more than 30%. It is the fourth most mountainous province in Spain based
on the slope of the mountain. terrain. Three morphologically
well-differentiated areas are distinguished:
The marine. A coastal
strip of low, wide, gently shaped valleys about 10 km wide whose
altitude usually does not exceed 500 m above sea level. n. m. and that
limits with the sea by means of a line of coastal lines, configuring
abrupt cliffs that are broken by the appearance of river mouths
generating estuaries and beaches. On the coast of the community, the Bay
of Santander stands out. To the south, La Marina borders with La
Montaña, the dividing line traditionally being set at the Escudo de
Cabuérniga mountain range.
The mountain. It is a long barrier of
steep mountains parallel to the sea that makes up part of the Cantabrian
mountain range. Mostly made of calcareous rock affected by karstic
phenomena and covering most of Cantabria. They form deep valleys in a
north-south arrangement with steep slopes pierced by torrential rivers,
with great erosive power and short due to the short distance between
their source and mouth. The valleys make up different natural regions of
the region that are well physically delimited by mountain ranges:
Liébana, Nansa, Saja, Besaya, Pas-Pisueña, Miera, Asón-Gándara, Campoo.
The Sierra del Escudo mountain range belongs to the mountain, a mountain
range between 600 and 1000 m above sea level. n. m. and that throughout
the western area of Cantabria it continues parallel to about 15 or 20 km
from the coast. We find higher mountains as we move south, with an
alignment of ridges that limit the valleys and hydrographic basins of
the Ebro and Duero rivers and those that flow into the Cantabrian Sea.
They generally exceed 1,500 meters of altitude, from the port of San
Glorio in the west to that of Los Tornos in the eastern part: Peña
Labra, port of Sejos, port of Escudo, Castro Valnera and La Sía. Also
noteworthy are the large calcareous massifs of the Picos de Europa in
the south-western part of the region, whose peaks mostly exceed 2,500
meters and where the presence of glacial modeling in its geomorphology
is extensive. The highest elevation in Cantabria is located at the peak
of Torre Blanca (2619 meters), on the border between Cantabria and the
province of León, although this honor has traditionally been assigned to
Peña Vieja (2617 meters) because it is completely within the Cantabrian
territory.
Campoo and the southern valleys. The other region that
differs is Campoo, in the extreme south of Cantabria. With a more
continentalized climate, they present an optimal development of forest
masses of rebollo (Quercus pyrenaica) and which is in an expansive
period due to the abandonment of agricultural lands. There are also
large reforestations of conifers (Pinus sylvestris) on the gentle slopes
of the region.
Due to the Gulf Stream, Cantabria, like the rest of the Cantabrian
region, has much milder temperatures than would correspond to its
latitude, similar to that of Nova Scotia in North America. The community
is affected by a humid temperate oceanic climate, with mild summers and
winters. Precipitation is around 1,200 mm per year on the coast,
increasing the values in the mountainous areas to 2,400 mm, which places
it in the so-called humid Spain (or green Spain).
The average
temperature is around 14 °C. Snow is common in the high parts of
Cantabria between the months of November and March. The driest months
are: July and August, although generally there is no drought per se,
since on the one hand there is always a minimum of precipitation, and on
the other hand the temperatures are not very high (Except for areas with
a Mediterranean or temperate sub-Mediterranean climate) . In some areas
of the Picos de Europa with a high mountain climate, above 2500 m above
sea level. n. m. Snow banks remain throughout the year.
However,
the differences between regions can be important. Thus, those furthest
from the coast, such as Liébana and Campoo, have a continentalized
Mediterranean climate, in the first case due to the special mesoclimate
of the area and in the second due to its proximity to the central
plateau.
The influence of the mountainous relief of Cantabria is
notable on its climate, being the main cause of peculiar atmospheric
phenomena such as the so-called suradas, caused by the Foehn effect. The
south wind blows strong and dry, increasing the temperature as we
approach the coast. This causes a striking decrease in the relative
humidity of the air and the absence of precipitation. Conditions that
contrast with those on the southern slope of the mountain range where
the wind is cooler and more humid and it may be raining. These
situations are more frequent in autumn and winter, with abnormally high
temperatures of more than 28 °C being recorded. Fires fueled by this
wind are not unusual, such as the one that devastated the city of
Santander in the winter of 1941.
On the other hand, coastal areas
are usually subject to constant winds coming from the Atlantic Ocean,
which frequently become strong. In very particular conditions, more
favorable in the months of April-May and September-October, westerly
winds can reach gale-like magnitudes.
The Cantabrian rivers are short, fast and low in flow; They overcome
considerable slopes as the sea is close to its source in the Cantabrian
mountain range. Their routes are usually perpendicular to the coast,
except for the Ebro River, and they have a more or less persistent flow
throughout the year motivated by generally constant rainfall. Even so,
this is scarce (20 m³/s annually) compared to other rivers of the
Iberian Peninsula. The speed of its waters, motivated by the
considerable slopes of the routes, means that they have great erosive
power, forming the deep V-shaped valleys characteristic of the
Cantabrian coast. Human activity, increasingly abundant in them due to
the constant increase and concentration of the population in the
valleys, is exerting strong pressure on these rivers.
The main
rivers that divide the region into many other hydrographic basins are:
Northern Basin (flows into the Cantabrian Sea).
Agüera
Ason
Besaya
Deva
Shield
Miera
Nansa
Pass
Pisueña
Saja
Ebro Basin (flows into the Mediterranean Sea).
Híjar
Ebro
Duero Basin (flows into the Atlantic Ocean).
Camesa
The
Tres Mares Peak (2175 m a.s.l.), in the Campoo-Los Valles region, on the
border with Palencia, separates the three hydrographic basins; The
Híjar, Pisuerga and Nansa rivers are born on its slopes and flow
respectively into the Mediterranean, Atlantic and Cantabrian seas.
Cantabria is, along with Castilla y León, the only autonomous community
whose rivers flow into each of the three seas that surround the Iberian
Peninsula.
The altitudinal variability of Cantabria, which ranges from a short
distance from sea level to 2600 m above sea level. n. m. of La Montaña,
make the plant diversity great and there is a large number of biotopes.
Cantabria has Euro-Siberian vegetation, within the Atlantic province. It
is characterized by having forests of leafy and deciduous species, such
as oak and beech. However, human action since ancient times has favored
the creation of pastures, providing large areas of grasslands and
meadows that feed cattle.
The result of this interaction of
agricultural and livestock activities with the natural space has
generated an agricultural landscape called bocage, typical of the
European Atlantic regions of the oceanic climatic subdomain. This
landscape of closed fields is made up of small plots associated with
smallholdings, forming a mosaic reticulated by a pattern of dry stone
walls and hedgerows. The different sections of this network of hedges,
composed mainly of ash trees or species that allow a thorny border to be
configured, constitute the boundary between one property and another,
reinforcing the ecological connection of the entire landscape.
The southern part of Cantabria, already within the Campoo region and
bordering the Castilian plateau, is characterized by having a landscape
of transition towards dry vegetation, coexisting Atlantic and
Mediterranean bioclimatic varieties. Its plant diversity is favored by
being located at the limit of the Mediterranean biogeographic domain,
which means that there are species specific to this bioclimate, such as
the holm oak or the strawberry tree, located in poorly developed
limestone soils with little humidity.
In Cantabria several
floristic levels can be differentiated:
The coastal strip,
represented by sandbanks and dunes with reduced vegetation. Next to them
are the cliffs with herbaceous vegetation exclusive to these areas.
The marina, a coastal strip that reaches up to 500 meters in altitude
and was originally deciduous forests with mixed species: ash, linden,
laurel, hazel, maple, oak, poplar, birch, holm oak, etc. The river banks
were populated by riverside forests of alders and willows. Today these
primitive forests have almost completely disappeared, leaving native
forest masses of a residual nature in areas that are difficult to
cultivate. In their place appear meadows, areas of pasture that are very
productive due to the benign climate and that support the rural economy
of Cantabria. Along with them, large monospecific repopulations of white
eucalyptus appear for the paper industry and which are beginning to be
questioned from some quarters.
The average mountain levels, from 500
to 1100 m above sea level. n. m. They are colonized by monospecific oak
forests (Quercus robur and Quercus petraea) on those slopes with greater
sunshine. In shady areas and especially from 800 m above sea level. n.
m., the beech forests stand out and where the holly usually appears,
which produces edible fruits in the winter and which are almost the only
sustenance for many animal species.
In the subalpine zone, at very
high altitudes, the vegetation is made up of birch trees, bushes and
herbaceous plants such as grasses, which are of special importance in
the livestock economy during the summer as they function as port
grasslands (called brañas in the region). or branizas) for cattle and
horse feeding.
Along with these characteristics, we should also
mention the peculiarities of the Liébana region, which, having a
particular mesoclimate close to the Mediterranean, also grows cork oaks,
vineyards and olive trees, and whose degree of degradation due to human
activity is very low.
In Cantabria, natural and forest areas have
enormous importance, not only quantitatively, the forest area of
Cantabria occupies more than two thirds (67.5%) of the territory of the
autonomous community, but also qualitatively, they are fundamental for
conservation. of biodiversity, house representative habitats of wild
flora and fauna, contribute to the maintenance of ecological processes
essential for life and the natural environment, form a substantial part
of the rural landscape and supply renewable natural products essential
for the socioeconomic development of the Cantabrian rural environment.
From the point of view of its flora, Cantabria is located between two biogeographic regions. Most of the territory belongs to the Euro-Siberian region, but the southern tip is part of the Mediterranean region. This border situation has a direct effect on the characteristics of the region's plant landscape, in which Mediterranean species and Atlantic species intermingle, enriching the botanical composition of the different existing ecosystems.
The fauna of Cantabria has a richness that can be considered high,
both in number of species and in the importance and uniqueness of some
of them, due to its still high degree of naturalness, variety of
environments and its geographical location. Most of the territory
belongs to the Euro-Siberian region, but the southern tip is part of the
Mediterranean region. This border situation has a direct effect on the
characteristics of the region's fauna and causes Mediterranean species
and Atlantic species to coincide.
Natural Protected Areas
Despite its small size, Cantabria has a good number of protected areas.
They make up the Network of Protected Spaces of Cantabria:
Picos de
Europa National Park
Collados del Asón Natural Park
Santoña,
Victoria and Joyel Marshes Natural Park
Macizo de Peña Cabarga
Natural Park
Oyambre Natural Park
Saja-Besaya Natural Park
Liencres Dunes Natural Park
Natural monument of the Sequoias of Monte
Cabezón
in addition to Cantabria, by Castilla y León and Asturias
and whose management is shared by the three autonomous communities.
On the other hand, Cantabria has eight Special Protection Areas for
Birds (ZEPAS): Santoña, Victoria and Joyel marshes and Ajo estuary,
Liébana, La Hermida gorge, Sierra de Peña Sagra, Sierra de Híjar, Sierra
del Cordel and headwaters. of the Nansa and Saja, Ebro reservoir and
Ebro sickles.
In addition, there are 21 Places of Community
Importance (SCI): Liébana, Montaña Oriental, western estuaries and
Oyambre Dune, Liencres Dunes and Pas Estuary, Puntal Dunes and Miera
Estuary, Central Coast and Ajo Estuary, Santoña marshes, Victoria and
Joyel, Sierra del Escudo de Cabuérniga, Upper Valleys of Nansa and Saja
and Alto Campoo, Sierra del Escudo, Río Deva, Río Nansa, Río Saja, Río
Pas, Río Miera, Río Asón, Río Agüera, River and Embalse del Ebro ,
Camesa River and two cavities with important bat colonies.
In 2020 Cantabria had a population of 582,796 inhabitants according
to data from the National Institute of Statistics (represents 1.25% of
the population of Spain).
Cantabria only surpasses,
demographically speaking, one autonomous community, La Rioja (319,653)
and the two autonomous cities Ceuta (83,842) and Melilla (87,076). In
terms of provinces, it ranks 28th out of 50 provinces in Spain.
It has a population density of 109.53 inhabitants/km² and a life
expectancy of 80 years for men and 87 years for women. According to the
WHO (World Health Organization), in Spain (in 2005) life expectancy is
80.3 years on average: 76.9 for men and 83.6 for women.
Compared
to other Spanish regions, Cantabria has not experienced high immigration
rates, since in 2017 4.99% of the population of Cantabria was an
immigrant while in the same year in the total Spanish population 9.79%
were immigrants. immigrant. The predominant nationalities are Romania,
Moldova, Morocco, Colombia, Peru, Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Brazil
in this order.
The main Cantabrian populations are found in the
coastal zone. Thus, the coastal area has undergone significant
urbanization and settlement, while the interior areas of the Community
suffer high depopulation. Three cities stand out, the Cantabrian
capital, Santander, with 172,044 inhabitants, Torrelavega, as the second
urban and industrial center of Cantabria, with a population of 51,687
inhabitants and Castro-Urdiales with 31,977 inhabitants (INE 2018). The
first two are the nuclei of a conurbation called the
Santander-Torrelavega metropolitan area.
The most important
municipalities from a demographic point of view (more than 10,000
inhabitants; INE 2018 data) are the following:
Santander (172,044
inhabitants).
Torrelavega (51,687 inhabitants).
Castro-Urdiales
(31,977 inhabitants).
Camargo (30,263 inhabitants).
Piélagos
(25,223 inhabitants).
El Astillero (18,108 inhabitants).
Santa
Cruz de Bezana (12,964 inhabitants).
Laredo (11,148 inhabitants).
Santoña (11,050 inhabitants).
Los Corrales de Buelna (10,910
inhabitants).
The province of Cantabria is the 23rd in Spain with
the highest percentage of inhabitants concentrated in its capital
(29.56%, compared to 31.96% for Spain as a whole).
Crime was at
very low levels in 2011 compared to the Spanish average, with a crime
rate of 29.5 criminal offenses per thousand inhabitants (the Spanish
average is 45.1 and the Spanish average is around 70). The EU).
The first human presence on the Cantabrian coast dates back to
200,000 years ago (Paleolithic). Homo erectus, settled during an
interglacial period, organized themselves into semi-nomadic clans
dedicated to hunting and gathering, and manufactured bifaces. During the
Würm glaciation, Neanderthal man occupied the caves and developed an
important lithic industry (points, scrapers, scrapers, denticulates)
that will be taken to its zenith (assegais, perforated canes) by Homo
sapiens during the Upper Paleolithic.
The art that that caveman
developed, both rock and furniture, is found throughout an extensive
list of Cantabrian caves (Altamira, El Castillo, La Pasiega, Las
Monedas, Covalanas, Hornos de la Peña, El Pendo). They practiced
engraving, painting and certain glimpses of sculpture, representing
their hunting prey (deer, horse, bison, reindeer), geometric and
symbolic motifs, but rarely the human figure and never their predatory
enemies.
The Neolithic revolution—emergence of producing
societies—started in the Mediterranean, reached the Cantabrian Sea with
a significant chronological gap, turning it into a marginal region in
which hunter-gatherer and producer (agricultural-livestock) societies
coexisted for a long time. Culturally, megalithism stands out, linked to
transhumant livestock farming.
The Romans found themselves in Cantabria with a clan society without political unity that lived in forts (fortified towns) and practiced pillage on the Plateau to balance its fragile economy. This, the mining resources, the will to close the borders of the Empire and the search for victory laurels led Octavius Augustus to begin the invasion of the region in 29 BC. Romanization in Cantabria was late, focused on mining and livestock exploitation, which marked the layout of communications, arranged for the transport of goods and merchandise. As cities, only Julióbriga and Flavíbriga stand out.
The Visigothic society succeeded the Roman one, and in 574 Leovigild
established his dominion in the Cordillera, founding the Duchy of
Cantabria as a defensive mark with its capital in Amaya. At the
beginning of the 8th century the Islamic conquest reached Peña Amaya,
pushing an important Hispanic-Gothic immigration to the north.
In
722, Pelayo's victory in Covadonga allowed the constitution of the
Kingdom of Asturias, the political nucleus within which medieval
Cantabrian society would be configured: settlement of villages in the
valleys, implementation of an agrarian economy based on cereals, vines
and fruits. and triumph of Christianity will introduce feudalism in the
region, with the development of religious lordships linked to the first
monasteries (art of repopulation): Santo Toribio, Santa María de Piasca,
Santa Juliana, Emeterio and Celedonio, San Pedro de Cervatos, San Martín
by Elines.
The advance of the Reconquista towards the south once again
marginalized the Cantabrian region, which only achieved a new and
relevant role from the 12th century onwards, with the granting of
charters to the fishing villages (San Vicente de la Barquera, Santander,
Laredo and Castro -Urdiales) by the Castilian crown to promote the wool
trade with northern Europe and secure the borders of the kingdom. The
towns thus experienced notable demographic growth and urban development
around fishing and commerce, introducing Gothic to the region (the four
great cathedrals stand out). Their prosperity led them to confederate in
the Brotherhood of the Four Villas first and in the Brotherhood of the
Marismas (1296) with other ports in the Cantabrian Sea later, serving
the kingdom militarily in the conquest of the Andalusian cities during
the 13th century.
The crisis of the 14th century is reflected in
the flag wars caused by the different lineages that wove the seigneurial
structure in Cantabria in pursuit of the extension of their heritage (La
Vega, Manrique, Velasco). This lordly offensive will bleed the
Cantabrian territory (in towns and valleys) until the imposition of
royal authority during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs.
During
the Middle Ages, the Cantabrian administrative structure was articulated
through councils, boards (or valleys) and merindades (Becerro de las
Behetrías, 1352), with the subsequent implementation of the townships as
institutions of state control: one for Asturias de Santillana , Campoo
and Liébana and another for Cuatro Villas and Trasmiera.
The end of the Middle Ages in the 15th century will not alter the
situation of political and administrative disintegration of Cantabria,
compartmentalized into towns and valleys, royal estates and lordships,
coast and interior. The 16th century will also mark the crisis of the
seaside towns, affected by the economic distortions caused by the
Austrian wars of hegemony and by the succession of famines and plagues
between the end of the century and the first half of the 17th century.
On the other hand, the introduction from America of new agricultural
products, especially corn, will improve the precarious diet, enabling a
demographic recovery that will be sustained throughout the 18th century.
From the opening of the Camino de las Harinas in 1753, Santander,
converted into the port of Castile towards America (Royal Decrees of
1765 and 1778), will experience strong development around commercial
activities: creation of the Bishopric in 1754, granting of the title
city in 1755, creation of the Consulate of the Sea in 1785.
The
unity projects of the Cantabrian regions gain strength as the end of the
Modern Age approaches, starting from two areas. One, traditional, from
the Partido de las Cuatro Villas (seeking the defense of its tax
exemptions) or from the province of the Nine Valleys that would give
rise to the province of Cantabria in 1778. Another, linked to the
Santander bourgeoisie, will be the one that triumphed with the creation
of the province of Santander in 1801 and its definitive restoration in
1833 within the territorial scheme implemented by Javier de Burgos.
During the 19th century, processes began and developed that would
shape contemporary Cantabria.
Administratively, territorial unity is
achieved with the formation of the province of Santander. This, however,
will not put an end to the problems of disintegration and lack of
communication that affect a large part of the territory.
Economically, the Santander mercantile economy triumphed until, in the
second half of the century, the decline of Antillean trade led to a
productive reorientation: cattle production and mining preceded the
notable industrial growth of the 20th century.
Socially, it is the
century of bourgeois hegemony, which will see the emergence of a new
middle class and an incipient working class with the progressive
introduction of industrial activities. Furthermore, the depopulation of
the interior valleys begins, with the population migrating towards the
coast and the urban-industrial centers (Bay of Santander, Besaya basin,
mouth of the Asón, Castro-Urdiales) and towards the exterior (Indians
and Jándalos). .
Politically, dynastic liberalism is imposed with the
consolidation of the province, which will achieve a stable functioning
of the turnismo during the Restoration (1874), thanks to the clientelist
networks woven by a caciquism that finds a favorable habitat in the
rural and compartmentalized Cantabrian space. A thriving republicanism
developed in the urban centers and at the end of the century the first
workers' organizations appeared.
The changes initiated in the previous century accelerate and deepen,
evolving the province towards what will be the Autonomous Community
created in 1981.
Demographically, the virtual depopulation of the
valleys and mountains in the interior far from the main centers and
communication routes is certified, with the population concentrating on
the coast and in urban areas.
Economically, industrial development
based on dairy production, fishery processing, chemistry and metallurgy
was consolidated, reaching its maximum expression in the middle of the
century, then beginning a slow decline that led to the strong crisis and
reconversion of the 1970s and 1980s. . Prolonged critical period that
will influence the complex stabilization of Autonomy.
Socially, a
notable proletarianization was experienced, creating a strong contrast
between industrial areas and agricultural areas that in the 1930s fueled
the confrontations that resulted in the Civil War. The
deindustrialization of the last third of the century altered the
socio-professional profile of the region, considerably reducing the
agricultural population, reducing the working population and promoting
the tertiary sectors. Since the sixties, in addition, a tourist activity
marked excessively by seasonality has been promoted.
Politically,
democratizing impulses began in the first third of the century,
consolidating during the Second Republic, a period of intense political
activity. The imposition of the Franco dictatorship eliminated
democratic organizations and works, supporting the regime on renewed
networks of bosses. The recovery of democracy starting in
1975—inseparable in Cantabria from the achievement of Autonomy—had to
survive, however, with that old despotism now wrapped in the discourse
of an indeterminate regionalism and supported by the links between the
political class and real estate development. , forger of new clientele
networks. A policy marked, furthermore, by conservative tendencies
reinforced after the long and traumatic process of deindustrialization.
After the approval of the Spanish Constitution of 1978, the door
opens to the path of autonomies for the Spanish regions. The incipient
community of Castilla y León initially sought to integrate the former
province of Santander into its statutory project, but pressure from the
municipalities and Cantabrian authorities promoted a Statute project for
the region that was supported by the regional Assembly. , as well as 87
of the 102 Cantabrian municipalities. Like Madrid and La Rioja,
Cantabria was not granted the so-called pre-autonomy by decree law.
In 1979, the drafting of the Statute began, which would be approved
by the Cortes Generales in 1981. Finally, on February 1, 1982, the
Statute of Autonomy of Cantabria came into force, officially converting
the former province of Santander into the autonomous community of
Cantabria.
In 1998 the Statute of Cantabria was reformed,
eliminating the possibility of incorporating Cantabria into Castilla y
León (article 58) and Cantabria was renamed a historical community; "by
eliminating the old article 58 that regulated, through a special
procedure, the incorporation of the Autonomous Community of Cantabria to
another neighboring one, to which historical and cultural ties join,
thereby referring to the possible integration of Cantabria to Castilla y
León , whose Statute, in its 8th transitional provision, also
contemplated an integration mechanism. On the other hand, the Statute
stops referring to Cantabria as a historical regional entity, an
expression used by the Constitution itself to allow the existence of
uniprovincial communities, to be replaced by the expression historical
community".
Cantabria belongs to a common cultural unit that it shares, despite
regional differences, with the communities of northern Spain bathed by
the Cantabrian coast. This cultural unity, which has its roots in
pre-Roman times, was already recognized in the first century by the
Greek geographer Strabo:
Such is the life of the mountain people,
that is, of the tribes that live on the northern side of Iberia: the
Callaicos, Asturians and Cantabrians to the Vascones and the Pyrenees.
Because the lives of all of them are identical.
Geographica III, 4, 7
However, this cultural unity of the Atlantic façade does not mean a
cultural homogenization of the societies of this geographical area.
Within this whole group, Cantabria has an undoubted ethnographic
personality, which distinguishes it to the east and west from the
Basques and Asturians, as well as naturally from the inhabitants of
Tierra de Campos to the south. To fully understand the regional cultural
structure, it is necessary to understand the nature of its territory,
divided into valleys, more or less isolated from each other. The strong
compartmentalization of the territory, as a consequence of a robust
orography, has generated a marked internal division of Cantabria, with
difficult transversal communications between valleys, this being an
essential issue to be able to understand the set of traditions and
customs of the region.
This abrupt relief, and the consequent
type of exploitation that the Cantabrians have been carrying out in the
territory since time immemorial, is another of the distinctive factors
when defining the cultural reality of Cantabria: settlements tending
towards concentration in the central and western regions. , and
dispersed or ultra-dispersed in the eastern area and especially in the
Pasiega region, that is, in the headwaters of the Pas and Miera rivers.
One of the most characteristic peculiarities of Cantabria is the
very defined model of traditional mountain housing, with a gable roof
and main façade on one of the falls. In it, the sunroom or continuous
wooden balcony, protected under the eaves, is very common. This model,
which has variants depending on the region, has given rise to the
typical mountain house. One of the elements of this is the portal,
usually stamped with a coat of arms, which gives access to the
corralada. But there are also other models of houses, the so-called
pasiega cabin being characteristic and unique, with the main façade on
the gable end.
As for the traditional productive model, its forms
do not differ excessively from what is common to the other regions of
the northwestern quadrant of the Iberian Peninsula. It was in the middle
of the 20th century when a profound change began in the agrarian economy
of La Marina and the pre-coastal valleys of Cantabria, when the people
of rural areas began to abandon the predominantly agricultural
dedication until then to devote themselves to extensive livestock
farming. yields, supported by a territory with extremely fragmented
terrain, which has not been corrected until a few decades ago.
Within this complex it is worth highlighting, as very characteristic,
the use of a peculiar model of a screaming chariot, with its typical
cornal yoke, as well as the use of the basna. In the same way, and
related to field work, the craftsmanship in farming implements and tools
stands out, frequently made with a true artistic taste, as is the case
of the albarcas and the collodras.
It is in intangible culture
where the particularity of Cantabria perhaps stands out especially. In
addition to its own beliefs, myths and superstitions, we must point out
the wide diversity of its rich oral literature, composed of stories,
legends, romances, trovas, proverbs, riddles and prayers. But it is here
where it is worth highlighting above all the richness of its heritage
and musical culture in all its varied forms: from lullabies, to round
songs, through children's songs, tunes, jotas, picayos, marzas, etc.
Many of these melodies are accompanied by dances, highlighting the lu
altu and lu baju dance modalities, and among these the Baila de Ibio.
Among the many prestigious Cantabrian writers or writers of
Cantabrian descent, we must highlight those whose work has achieved
national and even universal renown in the course of history:
Lope de
Vega, ancestry of Villacarriedo
Francisco de Quevedo, ancestry of
Vejoris
Pedro Calderón de la Barca, ancestry of Viveda
José María
de Pereda
Thorn Shell
José María de Cossío, Cantabrian descent
Victor de la Serna
Manuel Pombo Angulo
Amos of Escalante
Ángel
Fernández de los Ríos
Spanish or Castilian is the official
language of Cantabria. Currently, the novelist Álvaro Pombo is one of
the most recognized writers on a national scale.
Marcelino
Menéndez Pelayo stands out, polygraphist, politician and scholar devoted
primarily to the history of ideas, criticism and history of Spanish and
Latin American literature and Hispanic philology in general, although he
also cultivated poetry, translation and philosophy, brother of writer
Enrique Menéndez Pelayo.
Another illustrious person is Gerardo
Diego, poet and writer of the generation of '27.
The Cantabrian
or mountain dialect, considered within the linguistic system of
Asturias, is not regulated nor does it have official recognition.
Remnants of the mountaineer remain more strongly in the western half and
in the valleys of Pas and Soba, in the eastern mountain.
Caves: Altamira Cave, El Soplao Cave, Valle Cave, El Pendo Cave, La
Pasiega Cave, Las Monedas Cave, El Castillo Cave, Morín Cave, more.
Civil architecture: Magdalene Palace, Gaudí's Whim, Pontifical
University Comillas, Sobrellano Palace, Bárcena Palace, Argüeso Castle,
Agüero Castle, Soñanes Palace, Hornillos Palace, Elsedo Palace, Rugama
Palace, more.
Religious architecture: collegiates of Santillana del
Mar, Santa Cruz de Castañeda, Monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana,
churches such as the Church of San Cristóbal de Comillas, Santa Maria de
Lebeña, Santa Maria de Piasca, Santa Maria del Puerto de Santoña, the
Cathedral of Santander, Collegiate of St. Martin of Elines, Cadalso Cave
Church in Valderredible, more.
Museums: Cantabrian Maritime Museum,
Cantabrian Ethnographic Museum, Santander Museum of Fine Arts, Booty
Centre, Cantabrian Regional Museum of Prehistory and Archaeology,
Cantabrian Nature Museum, Altamira National Museum and Research Centre,
Artillery Museum de la Cavada, Cape Mayor Lighthouse Art Center Museum,
Santander, Torre Pero Niño Museum.
University of Cantabria
Menendez Pelayo International University
European Atlantic University
National Distance Education University
Quotes Foundation
Cesine University Center
In Cantabria, a multitude of patron saint festivals, fairs of
commercial origin and festivities of pagan origin are celebrated with
greater or lesser survival of traditional folklore. The most frequent
ones celebrate celebrations around San Juan and San Miguel.
On
the second Sunday of August, Mountain Day is celebrated in Cabezón de la
Sal, on the occasion of which a multitude of traditional activities are
practiced such as bowling, oxen dragging, craft markets and performances
of Cantabrian dances and music. It is also considered of national
tourist interest.
In addition, on July 28, the Day of the
Institutions of Cantabria is celebrated in Puente San Miguel (Reocín).
As for fairs, understood as large product markets held periodically,
the Torrelavega Livestock Fair stands out, held in the Jesús Collado
Soto National Livestock Market, the third largest in Spain, which brings
together the sale and purchase of all types of livestock. region and
part of the surrounding regions, the main product being beef. Livestock
and typical product fairs are held throughout the region weekly, monthly
or annually that bring together the residents of the region.
La Vijanera (Europe's first winter carnival) (first Sunday in
January) in Silió.
Sailor carnival, February 24 in Santoña.
La
Folía, Sunday following Holy Week in San Vicente de la Barquera.
Coso
Blanco Festival, first Friday of July in Castro-Urdiales.
The Living
Passion, Good Friday in Castro-Urdiales.
La Montaña Day, second
Sunday of August in Cabezón de la Sal.
Floral Gala, August 20 in
Torrelavega.
Battle of Flores, last Friday of August in Laredo.
Campoo Day, last Sunday of September in Reinosa.
Cantabrian Wars,
last weekend of August and first weekend of September in Los Corrales de
Buelna.
Orujo Festival, second weekend of November in Potes.
Three Kings Parade, January 5 in Santillana del Mar.
Verbena del
Mantón, first Saturday in July in Ramales de la Victoria.
La Bien
Aparecida, September 15 in Hoz de Marrón, Ampuero.
San Juan, June 23
in Soto de la Marina (Santa Cruz de Bezana).
Virgen del Carmen, July
16 in Revilla de Camargo.
San Andrés, November 30 in Castro-Urdiales.
Virgen de la Salud, July 2 in Áliva, Camaleño.
San Benito, July 11 in
Barcenaciones, Reocín.
San Pantaleón, July 27 in El Churi, Camargo.
San Carlos, every 5 years in Bejes, Cillorigo de Liébana. Last edition
in 2005.
Virgin of Valvanuz, August 15 in Selaya.
The Great
Virgin, in Torrelavega.
Living Passion, Good Friday in
Castro-Urdiales.
Descent of the Deva, last Sunday of August in
Unquera, Val de San Vicente.
The Virgin Girl, September 8, 9 and 10,
in Ampuero.
Exaltation of the Cross, September 14 in Potes.
San
Cipriano, September 16 in Cohicillos.
The Last Disembarkation, late
September in Laredo.
The Virgin of Valencia, September 8 in Vioño de
Piélagos
La Perola, January 20 in Vargas, Puente Viesgo.
Cantabria
Children's Day, first Sunday in June in Santander.
Santiago
Bullfighting Fair, July in Santander.
Baños de Ola, mid-July in
Santander.
Hoyala Luz Fair, last Sunday of July in Valle de
Villaverde.
La Gata Negra, August 16 in Carasa.
La Semanuca, last
week of August in Santander.
Virgin of Light, September 8 in Aniezo.
Cocido Festival, first Sunday of September in Ucieda.
Santander International Festival
Santander Film Festival
Torrelavega International Short Film Festival
Piélagos en Corto
International Film Festival
Orejo Interceltic Festival
Sea
Festival
Paloma O'Shea International Piano Competition
Sauga Folk
Festival in Colindres
Magdalena Live
Santander Music
Hoky Music
Magdalena Winter
Big Music
Torrelavega Sound City
Live the
Torrelavega Fair
Sonic Festival
Rebujas Rock Festival San Mateo
Comillas Musical Whims
Summer Festival in Camargo
Picknic Film
Festival
International Jazz Festival
Santander Bolero Festival
International Cantabrian Bolero Meeting (EnBoCa)
Reggaeton Beach
Festival (RBF)
Santander Square
Bold Music Festival
Boarding
Fest
Torrelafest
Portico Stage
Intercultural Festival of
Nations
Villacarriedo International Festival
Summer Music Festival
Picu Llen Fest
Vegetables Fest
Teresuca Festival
Nine Valleys
Festival
Gamoneo
The official language of Cantabria is Spanish, spoken throughout the territory of the autonomous community. In Cantabria there is also Cantabrian or Montagnés, a variant of Asturleonese that has suffered a great decline and today is restricted to some rural areas of the interior and to elderly people; Some initiatives have recently been carried out to protect Cantabrian, but today it does not have any type of official recognition or institutional protection.
In 2010, 2011 and 2012, the Center for Sociological Research (CIS) of
Spain carried out a study in Cantabria, interviewing 1,398 people. from
which the following data were derived:
75.1% are Catholic
Christians (37.1% claim not to be practicing).
1.8% belong to another
religion.
15% are not affiliated with any religion.
8.1% declare
themselves atheists.
Northern Spain is an area rich in mythology. Throughout the
Cantabrian coast, from Galicia to the Basque Country, passing through
Asturias and Cantabria, there are rites, stories and imaginary and
impossible beings.
In the case of the mythology of Cantabria, it
makes the Cantabrian forests and mountains magical places that foster
the appearance of legends, either maintained in the popular heritage
through oral tradition transmitted from father to children, or because
they were recovered or idealized by folklorists. like Manuel Llano,
among others.
In its mythology and superstitions, as in those of
all of Europe, elements of pre-Christian religions and beliefs (Roman or
pre-Roman) could subsist that would have been more or less
Christianized, reaching in many cases a religious syncretism. It is
worth highlighting, as in other towns, the presence of fabulous beings
of gigantic proportions and cyclopean features (the ojáncanus and the
ojáncanas), fantastic animals (the snake, the Devil's Horses, the
ramidrejus, etc.), fairy beings ( the anjanas, the Ijanas of the Valley
of Aras), goblins (Nuberus, Trentis, Ventolines, Trasgus, Trastolillus),
anthropomorphic characters (the Mermaid, the Fishman, the Bear of
Andara), etc.
Typical dishes: mountain stew (based on beans and cabbage), lebaniego
stew (with chickpeas), marmita, sorropotún and railway pot, as main
dishes. Empanadas, preñaos breads and pinchos are also common.
Meats:
beef, ox, deer, roe deer or wild boar. Prepared on the grill, stewed or
with legumes.
The livestock reputation of the region and its
favorable climatological and orographic conditions for cattle breeding
led the European Union to approve the name "Cantabrian meat" as a
protected geographical indication for beef from certain native breeds
(Tudanca, Monchina and Asturiana from the valleys and Asturiana from the
mountains) and others already adapted to the environment (Limousine) or
integrated by absorption (Parda alpina). Compango and chorizo from Potes
are typical.
Fish and shellfish: anchovies from Santoña, Colindres,
Laredo and Castro-Urdiales, monkfish, hake, sea bass or sole, snapper,
sardine, anchovy, northern bonito, sea bream, sea bream, scorpionfish,
mullet, as well as river fish such as trout and salmon. Rabas
(Roman-style squid) and cachón in its ink (sepia). As for seafood, the
following stand out: clams, mussels, razor clams, cockles, scorpionfish
cake, crabs, spider crabs, barnacles, crayfish, lobsters, snails and
lobsters.
Desserts: quesadas and sobaos pasiegos; lamb's lettuce, and
frisuelos (similar to crêpes) in the Lebaniega region; ties from Unquera
and polkas in Torrelavega (both basically consist of puff pastry),
sacristans in Liérganes, Picatostes in Caminas, honey from Campoo-Los
Valles (especially from Mazandrero), Cascadas del Alto Asón (butter
pastries with Dulce de Leche), palucos from Cabezón de la Sal and calves
from Reinosa, where donuts are also typical; just like in Santillana del
Mar.
Cheeses: Bejes-Tresviso picón cheese, Liébana cheeses, cream
cheese, etc. (many of them with designation of origin).
Drinks: apple
cider, Liébana pomace (with its pomace cream varieties, pomace with
honey, herbal pomace, etc.), chacolí and Potes toast. There are two
local wine denominations: Costa de Cantabria and Liébana.
In addition to the archaeological legacy, such as the remains of the
Julióbriga site, the autonomy had important centers of pottery activity
in Cos and the Pasiegos valleys.
More relevant were the fine
earthenware industries that were established near the Cantabrian coast,
close to the shipping trade routes.
This is what happened with
those of Isla, Posadoiros, the smaller ones of Noja and Las Llamas, and
the most important and lasting one, that of Galizano, cited by Madoz.
All of them tried to compete with fine earthenware imported from abroad,
without being able to overcome the economic disadvantage of the high
price of lead and tin, essential for the enamelling bath.
The traditional sport par excellence in Cantabria is the game of
bowling in its four modalities: bolo palma, Pasabolo plank, Pasabolo
slab and Bolo pasiego. The first is the most widespread, going beyond
the regional area to the eastern area of Asturias, and being the one
that presents the greatest complexity when playing. The existence of
bowling alleys or circles dedicated to the game of bowling is important
in all the population centers of Cantabria, generally located close to
the church or town bar.
Since the late 1980s, bowling has been
experiencing a period of consolidation with the strengthening of bowling
schools, promoted by the different Cantabrian municipalities and
institutions; League, Cup and Regional or National Circuit competitions
or their media expansion motivated by social interest.
As on the
entire northern coast of Spain, especially in Cantabria and the Basque
Country, rowing is a very traditional sport in coastal towns. The
origins of rowing date back several centuries, when several trawlers
from each town competed over the sale of fish, which was reserved for
the boat that arrived at the market first. It was at the end of the 19th
century when work became sport and regattas began to be organized
between towns in the Cantabrian Sea. The Cantabrian clubs, especially
Castro, Astillero, and Pedreña, are three of the most successful in the
history of this sport and are currently going through some of their best
sporting moments after decades of trophy drought.
Pasiego jumping
is another of the region's outstanding rural sports and a clear example
of how the use of a skill or work technique disappears over time, giving
rise to competition and play. Similar in conception to other types of
modalities such as the Canarian shepherd's jump, initially this
technique was used in the Pasiegos Valleys to overcome the stone walls
that limited the meadows, fences, streams, ravines, etc. that hindered
passage in the abrupt topography of the high areas of Cantabria.
Within mass sports, Cantabria is present in national and international
competitions through teams such as Racing de Santander or Gimnástica de
Torrelavega, in soccer; the disappeared Balonmano Cantabria that has won
several Leagues and Copas del Rey and international titles as well as
currently the Balonmano Sinfín and the Balonmano Torrelavega in
handball; and the extinct Cantabria Lobos, which has played in the ACB,
and Estela de Cantabria, which plays in LEB Plata, in basketball.
The Cantabria Rally had forty years of history and was part of the
Spanish Rally Championship from 1989 to 2019.
It is worth
mentioning on an individual level athletes of the stature of José Manuel
Abascal, Severiano Ballesteros, Óscar Freire, María Pardo, Paco Gento,
Ruth Beitia, Santillana or Dani Sordo.
Throughout the history of
the Olympic Games, twenty Cantabrian athletes have achieved a total of
twenty-three medals for the Spanish team in different sports such as
handball, basketball, football, horse riding, field hockey, sailing and
water polo. The list of medalists is made up so far of Julio García
(gold), Toño Gorostegui (silver), Jan Abascal (gold), Juan Pellón
(silver), José Manuel Abascal (bronze), José Emilio Amavisca (gold),
Salva Gómez (silver and gold), Óscar Barrena (silver), Antonio González
(silver), Chechu Fernández (bronze), Alberto Urdiales (two bronzes),
Ismael Ruiz Salmón (silver), Fernando Echávarri (gold), Fernando San
Emeterio (silver) , Verónica Cuadrado (bronze), Beatriz Fernández
(bronze), Ruth Beitia (bronze and gold), Laura Nicholls (silver), Alex
Dujshebaev (bronze) and Ángel Fernández (bronze). Mention may also be
made of Talant Dujshebaev (two bronzes), a Kyrgyz nationalized Spanish
citizen with special ties to Cantabria, as well as coaches Chani Galán
and Vicente Miera, winners of gold medals as team leader in women's
field hockey and men's soccer coach. respectively.
The number of newspaper readers in Cantabria is above the Spanish
average, with more than 100 copies per 1,000 inhabitants. The main
newspapers are El Diario Montañés, founded in 1902, and Alerta, founded
in 1937, with a circulation in the first case of 45,000 copies.
In the autonomous community there is a clearly greater predominance of
the Cantabrian press compared to that of state coverage, being one of
the regions where this data is most overwhelming. Thus, there are cases
such as that of the aforementioned newspaper, the oldest of the
Cantabrian press and one of the most important at a regional level in
Spain, El Diario Montañés, which accounts for more than 60% of the
Cantabrian market.
The Spanish Civil War put an end to a daily
press panorama much more extensive than the current one and which had
covered the last third of the 19th century and the first thirty years of
the 20th. Three of the historical newspapers that had marked an era
until then would disappear: El Cantábrico, La Región and La Voz de
Cantabria.
In recent years, taking advantage of the dissemination
facilities offered by new technologies, new digital journalism
alternatives have emerged in the community through electronic editions
of printed newspapers or the birth of new ones that have the Internet as
their only dissemination channel. Along with these new models, free
distribution press initiatives appear, following the example of many
other similar projects in Spain and the rest of Europe.
In
February 2008, the newspaper El Mundo launched a separate edition with
an edition for Cantabria, El Mundo Hoy en Cantabria. In June of that
same year, Grupo Digital 2006 published the new newspaper Aqui Diario in
Cantabria, trying to cover the demand for left-wing media in the region.
Since October of the same year, Aqui Diario was sold exclusively along
with the newspaper Público until it ceased publication.
Currently
there are several free newspapers in the region, such as Pueblos
(weekly, distributed throughout the region), Qué! (daily), Gente en
Santander (distributed weekly, only in Santander), Rakeros (distributed
weekly, only in Santander), En Titulares (distributed weekly, only in
Santander), Diagonal Cantabria (bimonthly separate from the biweekly
newspaper Diagonal ). In 2008, the biweekly newspaper Ciudad del Besaya
was launched, which is distributed in the Besaya region.
Unlike the written press, radio in Cantabria has experienced constant
growth in recent decades. Radio Santander was the pioneer, almost
simultaneously with Radio Torrelavega (EFJ 44), which was the first to
move from OM to FM and later also the one to provide its broadcasts with
stereophony. Years later, COPE (the former Popular Radio) and later
Radio Nacional de España arrived in the sixties and seventies.
In
the nineties, frequency modulated stations made their appearance,
notably Onda Cero, and a large number of regional and local radio
stations were born, some of uncertain legality. This even gave rise to
complaints by the General Directorate of Civil Aviation for interference
in the radio frequency spectrum intended for air navigation due to the
power with which certain of them were emitted from Peña Cabarga and, in
some cases, from unauthorized locations. A large part of these problems
were based on the permissiveness of the competent public bodies
regarding the fraudulent occupation of radio space. An attempt was made
to resolve this issue through public tenders to assign new frequencies
to stations that at that time were in legal limbo and which in many
cases were controversial. Given the regional government's announcement
to open sanctioning proceedings, platforms have emerged that bring
together independent radio stations that still lack licenses.
According to various authors, it is to be expected that these radio
spectrum management problems will be overcome with the implementation of
digital terrestrial radio and with it the arbitrary policy of allocating
radio frequencies that has been a constant in Spain since the seventies.
No However, in Cantabria no contest has yet been called for the
allocation of licenses for DAB broadcasts.
Cantabria lacks a public regional television channel. In 1989 the
government of Cantabria, under the presidency of Juan Hormaechea,
acquired equipment for a television production broadcasting center but
the change of government and the great cost it entailed finally caused
the project to be scrapped and the material sold. Currently there are no
plans to resume it and the government presidency has already indicated
that the creation of regional television is not a priority.
In
1984 the TVE Regional Center was created in Cantabria and in 1996 the
first local television stations began broadcasting. With the analog
blackout and the transition to Digital Terrestrial Television, the
Government of Cantabria initially contemplated the diffusion of the
signal through satellite transmission to homes, since it was considered
that this was the only technology that guaranteed complete deployment of
the signal in Cantabria due to the strong mountainous profile of the
region. But in November 2008, the regional government decided to
terminate the contract with the company that won the public tender,
considering the implementation of the concerted service unfeasible and
given that the Government of Spain granted aid to the autonomous
communities for the installation of digital terrestrial repeaters that
would allow the deployment of DTT, which Cantabria adopted. This fact
caused the winning company SES Astra to sue the Government of Cantabria
in court for breach of contract, with the latter being sentenced in 2013
to pay 1.4 million euros.
On January 30, 2009, the Government of
Cantabria called a new competition for the distribution of local radio
and digital terrestrial television licenses, to which a good part of the
candidate stations did not apply due to the strong provisional
guarantees that were required and in the face of uncertainties about
profitability.