81 Best Sights in Galicia, Asturias, and Cantabria, Spain

Steps from the old town is the protected Playa del Sablón (whose name derives from the Asturian word for "sand"), a little swath of beach that gets crowded on weekends. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; showers; toilets. Best for: swimming.

Santander's longest and most popular beach has a full range of amenities and fine golden sand. Although this northeast-facing stretch is exposed, moderate waves in summer make it fine for bathing—despite the chilly water temperatures. In winter, it is a favorite among surfers, particularly the part of the beach in front of Hotel Chiqui. Enter the beach via the sun-dappled Piquío Gardens, where terraces filled with flowers and trees lead the way down to the beach. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: surfing; swimming; walking.

Peaceful and well conserved, this plaza marks the center of the old town, which is partially surrounded by the remains of its medieval walls.

Make sure you check out the arcaded porticoes here and the view over the town from the Unquera road (N634) just inland.

In the old city, the center of life is this unassuming little square, officially called the Plaza Velarde. In August it's the venue for Santander's star event, the outdoor International Festival of Music and Dance.

A favorite with surfers and sport fisherman, this somewhat undiscovered beach is buffered from the wind by green forested hills on either side. It's a fine place for a midday picnic or romantic stroll at sunset on fine white sand. Amenities: showers. Best for: sunset; surfing; walking.

The focal point of the old town, this bustling, large plaza has a north side that's given over to the neoclassical Palacio Municipal, or city hall, built 1908–12 with three Italianate domes. The monument in the center, built in 1998, depicts the heroine Maior (María) Pita. When England's Sir Francis Drake arrived to sack A Coruña in 1589, the locals were only half-finished building the defensive Castillo de San Antón. A 13-day battle ensued. When María Pita's husband died, she took up his lance, slew the Briton who tried to plant the British flag, and revived the exhausted Coruñeses, inspiring other women to join the battle. The surrounding streets of the old town are a hive of activity, lined with tapas bars and shops.

The imposing baroque facade of the cathedral dominates this sprawling square. Look for the stone slab in the center, which indicates "kilometer zero" on the pilgrimage trail. It is also the setting for the spectacular fireworks display on July 24 (the eve of St. James's Day). Traffic-free and flanked on all sides by historical buildings—including the 16th-century Hostal de los Reyes Católicos—it is the quintessential place to soak up the city's rich history.

This museum has a large collection of clocks and sundials you may want to take the "time" to see.

A high, humpback medieval bridge (also known as the Puente Romano, or Roman Bridge, because of its style) spans the Río Sella gorge with a reproduction of Pelayo's Victory Cross, or La Cruz de la Victoria, dangling underneath.

In 1903, four caves were discovered in this 16th-century hamlet in the Pas Valley, under the 350-meter (1,150-foot) peak of Monte del Castillo. Two of these—Cueva del Castillo and Cueva de las Monedas—are open to the public. Bison, deer, bulls, and humanoid stick figures are depicted within the caves; the oldest designs are thought to be 35,000 years old. Most arresting are the paintings of over 50 hands (some 35 of them remain). The painters are thought to have blown red pigment around their hands through a hollow bone, leaving the negative image. Online reservations are essential.

The 16th-century seafarers' basilica has lovely, sinuous vaulting and, at the back of the nave, a Romanesque portal. There's also an 18th-century Christ by the Galician sculptor Ferreiro. Entrance to the basilica is free, but a pop-in to the museum and tower will set you back only €1.

Discovered in 1968, the cave here has 20,000-year-old paintings on a par with those in Lascaux, France, and Altamira. Giant horses and deer prance about the walls. To protect the paintings, no more than 150 visitors are allowed inside each day, so reservations are essential. The guided tour is in Spanish. There's also a museum of Asturian cave finds, open year-round. Audio guides for the museum are available in English.

Older than its more famous pre-Romanesque counterparts on Monte Naranco, the 9th-century church of Santullano has surprisingly well-preserved frescoes inside. Geometric patterns, rather than representations of humans or animals, cover almost every surface, along with a cross containing Greek letters.

This 14th-century church has many well-preserved medieval tombstones, each carved with a family emblem and the tools or symbols of the buried artisan. One shipbuilder's stone depicts a compass, an anchor, and an ax.

Aside from legends, another draw in this tiny seaside town is its main plaza and the 12th-century church of Santa María das Areas. Romanesque, Gothic, and baroque elements combine in an impressive (if gloomy) facade.

Covadonga's shrine is considered the birthplace of Spain. Here, in 718, a handful of sturdy Asturian Christians led by Don Pelayo took refuge in the Cave of St. Mary, about halfway up a cliff, where they prayed to the Virgin Mary to give them strength to turn back the Moors. Pelayo and his followers resisted the superior Moorish forces and set up a Christian kingdom that eventually led to the Reconquest. The cave has an 18th-century statue of the Virgin and Don Pelayo's grave. Covadonga itself has a basilica, open to visitors except during services, and its museum(daily 10:30–2 and 4–7:30; €2.50) has the treasures donated to the Virgin of the Cave, including a crown studded with more than a thousand diamonds.

As you approach the parador of Fuente Dé, at the head of the valley northwest of the hamlet of Espinama, you'll see a wall of gray rock jutting 1,999 meters (6,560 feet) into the air. At the top is a tiny hut: El Mirador del Cable (the cable-car lookout point). Get there via a 800-meter (2,625-foot) funicular (€20 round-trip). After you exit the funicular, you can hike along the Ávila Mountain pasturelands, rich in wildlife, between the central and eastern massifs of the Picos de Europa National Park.

Dating to the time of Augustus, the ruins of Gijón's baths are under the plaza at the end of the beach. Visits take approximately 20 minutes. Descriptions are in Spanish only, but English pamphlets are available upon request. 

Hot springs along the Minho River draw visitors from far and wide and are ideal for soaking weary muscles on the pilgrim trail. At the spring at Burga de Canedo you can enjoy a 90-minute soak free of charge. In Outariz, you'll have to pay a small fee of €6.50, but the sessions are two hours long. Neither baths allow for reservations.

A crucial building during the medieval wars between Castile and Portugal, Tui's 12th-century Romanesque cathedral looks like a fortress. Its majestic cloisters surround a lush formal garden. Rooftop ("Cubiertas") tours take place every day but Sunday at 1:30 pm from July to September.