One of the most beautiful areas of the Spanish coastline, Cantabria lies on the Costa Verde and is known for its spectacular scenery, hospitality and cuisine. Our base is Isla, a lovely little town with excellent beaches and within easy access of the city of Santander and the Picos de Europa mountain range.
Your Hotel
The Hotel Olimpo, which has recently undergone a full refurbishment, has a scenic location on a peninsula and is just a short walk from the town of Isla. The hotel has an outdoor swimming pool and a pleasant terrace. The bedrooms have balconies with views of the beach or gardens, however sea view bedrooms will incur a supplement (on request only). There are no ground floor bedrooms but the hotel does have a lift and most of the bedrooms have a shower. You will receive wine and water with dinner each evening and there will be live music one evening as well as a special candlelight three course seafood dinner one evening.
Itinerary:
Sunday: Travel to Plymouth for the overnight ferry crossing to Santander. The Brittany ferry cruise ferry has a range of restaurants, bars and lounges with entertainment.
Monday: We reach the port of Santander mid-afternoon and take the short drive to Isla and the Hotel Olimpo, where we will stay for seven nights. We will be welcomed with a drink with appetisers.
Tuesday: A free day to relax and enjoy the attractions of Isla, perhaps take a stroll along the beach, swim in the pool or visit the town.
Wednesday: Perhaps the highlight of the tour is our visit today to the Rioja wine region, including a tour of a vineyard. We will then visit nearby Laguardia.
Thursday: Another free day to relax in Isla.
Friday: Today we enjoy a full day tour to the Picos de Europa mountain range. We will visit the beautiful village and fishing port of San Vicente de la Barquera before joining the River Deva Valley, passing through a canyon, and on to Potes, a lovely market town set high in the mountains.
Saturday: Today’s excursion takes us to Santillana Del Mar, a fascinating village on the World Heritage list and often described as a living museum. Later we continue to Comillas, the ‘City of Archbishops’ with its grand architecture and historic centre.
Sunday: Today we visit the nearby village of Castro Urdiales, a popular resort and fishing port with a charming old quarter. We then head for the pretty village of Santona where we enjoy a boat ride in Santona Bay.
Monday: After breakfast we leave the hotel and head for the city of Santander, where there will be time to have a look around before we catch the late afternoon ferry for our overnight crossing back to Plymouth.
Tuesday: Our arrival in Plymouth is scheduled for mid-afternoon and once we have disembarked we will continue our journey back to Derbyshire.
Cost shown is per person for half board sharing a double or twin room
Single room supplement £245
Costs are based on a standard two berth inside cabin and supplements will apply for upgrades. Please ask for details.
Meals on board the ferry are not included, but linen, towels and toiletries are.
Santona Bay boat ride and Laguardia vineyard tour are included
