Not far from Santander are the Picos de Europa. With a cable car that can help you climb all the way to the very top, we just had to visit.
Because we had the weekend free, we were trying to work out how to get the bus there on Saturday and back on Sunday, but in the end, we could not really confirm when the bus would return, and we could not find a local tour agency that could arrange getting us there. It was far simpler to rent a car for 24 hours, and do the trip ourselves. This actually gave us a great deal of flexibility, and meant that we could use the car early the next morning to visit
some of the places in Santander that are a bit harder when tied to a public bus route & schedule.
We were up early (in Santander-terms) and at the rental agency by 9, but having lost our senses, we had left our passports at home. In the end, with the delay of going back to pick them up we were on the road at about 9.45, and got to Fuente Dé by midday. The clouds were thick, but relatively high up, allowing us to almost see all the way to the top, with the last few metres of the cable car's ascent blocked from view on the ground.
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| Can't see the top |
Although there are only two cars that go up and down in tandem, we did not need to wait too long before starting our ascent. Crammed in with 18 others, there was little room to move, but our strategic positioning meant we had both a great view of the ground, and the "flight" upwards. Looking back down from the top took your breath away and it was hard to believe we had covered so much height in such a short time.
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| From the top |
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| With a cloud blanket |
The clouds had lifted slightly, allowing us to sit just under them, admiring the view and munching on our prepared lunch. Others were smarter than me (Kat), and recognised the need for warmer clothes at high altitude, so I was keen to get moving. We walked amongst the mountains for a few hours, stopping as we felt like it, exchanging pleasantries with mountain goats, and chatting to a sheepdog who had very little interest, in us or anything else for that matter.
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| Nothing to see here |
Once amongst the hills, we were lost to all sounds of people and civilisation but for the occasional tinkling of a sheep/goat's bell in the distance. If Kat hadn't been sick during this period, we would have done the 16km loop walk back down to th car park but as it was, she wasn't quite up to it. It was a lovely day, so instead we sat, and talked and walked and sat and talked and walked and did it again in reverse until we were back at the cable car station, with no one in line but ourselves to enjoy the relaxing ride back down.
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| Cubby holes |
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| On a break |
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| Pictures of rocks |
We punctuated the 2 hour drive home with a stop in the river-side town of Potes. It was a beautiful place and we enjoyed walking the backstreets downhill from our car park to the small river and taking in the last of the sun with a coffee and tapas.
We woke early the next morning to enjoy a slow and late sunrise over Santander Bay and then explored further west along the northern coastline before it was time to return the car. We found a nice spot where the light should start from just behind the palace. There were far fewer people out and about that I had expected. At home I would normally expect a place to be buzzing with cyclists and runners and dogs and all sorts. But our morning friends were a sole backpacker, a man with a pipe and a dog, and another man with a metal detector. As the sun started to shine through the beach cleaners also put in an appearance. Not much happens before 9 or 10 am in Santander!
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| Man and dog (and pipe) |
As the sun progressed on its journey, we drove further north, and found an even better spot overlooking a small inlet. It was so good to be able to move from place to place with our own car.
For the best spot to see sunrise, it is hard to go past Parque de Cabo Mayor, make sure to find the lighthouse!
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| Little car enjoying sunrise |
Costs:
* 16 Euro/pp return cable car
* 25 pounds car rental (it was easier to book through a British website)
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| Glad we found this spot |
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