"Jewels of Cantabria - San Vicente de la Barquera" San Vicente de la Barquera by nomad7890

San Vicente de la Barquera Travel Guide: 28 reviews and 112 photos

Town view taken from the Castillo - San Vicente de la Barquera

The ria gives the town its unique environment

San Vicente de la Barquera is a typical and picturesque Cantabrian sea community with many interesting places to visit. From the Castle, to the beach, to walking along the ria, to the harbor, it offers something for everyone. Given its location and bus facilities it is an excellent place to establish a base for day trips to other nearby locations in Cantabria (see Off the Beaten Path tips).

This is also a place where I noticed many families with children walking around with strollers and enjoying the views. The town is very small and easy to navigate on foot - actually a car is more of a liability as parking is limited and traffic into town can be very busy at certain times of the day, particularly early evening.

Contrasts of sea and mountain

Back view of the Church of our Lady of Los Angeles

The region of Cantabria is in what is considered "green Spain". Other than the "main sights" it offers many areas to hike, one of them shown here behind the church of Our Lady of Los Angeles. When you get into the woods, you could wonder if you're in Ireland - the greens are incredible and the weather is at times wet and rainy, but the hills let you know you're in the north of Spain.

Santuario de la Virgen de la Barquera

The beautiful lady of the sea

The beautiful sanctuary of the Virgen de la Barquera sits past the Puente de la Barquera bridge on the way to the "Rompeolas" (wave breaker) down the Paseo de la Barquera. It is a beautiful structure that blends into the countryside. If you look inside, you will see a ship hanging from the entrance of the church - this is very proper of the sanctuary in this town devoted to sailing out to sea.

Jesus Cancio wrote the poem "Bronces de mi Costa" - the first part shown below:

La Virgen de la Barquera
tiene un barquito velero,
un bergantin de juguete
de los bazares del cielo,
y dicen que a medianoche,
cuando el pueblo esta durmiendo,
la Virgen de la Barquera
manda bajar a un lucero
y se va con el al mar
en busca de rumbos nuevos
sin andanades de espuma
ni bocanadas de viento.

... ok, being raised by the ocean I'm in tears just about now. In English it goes somewhat as follows, although abbreviated as part of the impact is lost in translation:

The Virgen de la Barquera
has a little sail boat
a little toy boat with oars
from the heaven's bazaars
they say that at night
when the town is sleeping
the Virgen de la Barquera
sends for a star to descend
and goes with it to sea
in search of new routes
without sea foams or currents
or wind gusts in its path.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Experience a typical Cantabric coastal town
Cons:There are none
In a nutshell:Quiet waters and Cantabrian greenery welcome your soul.

Last visit to San Vicente de la Barquera: Aug 2009
Intro Updated Sep 8, 2009
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Reviews (14)

View of hotel restaurant overlooking the scenery - San Vicente de la Barquera

Quiet, peaceful, good views, great... Hotels (2)

I did not actually stay in this hotel but after dining in the restaurant twice and inspecting the surrounding area I... more travel advice

Column - Colegiata in Santillana del Mar - San Vicente de la Barquera

Perfect place to base trips to nearby... Off The Beaten Path (1)

San Vicente de la Barquera is an excellent location to be based for a visit to Cantabria. Best part is that a car is not... more travel advice

Go for a day hike following a nature itinerary - San Vicente de la Barquera

Go for a day hike following a nature... Things to Do (6)

The tourism office in San Vicente de la Barquera has documented several day excursions to enjoy the beautiful scenery by... more travel advice

Iglesia Santa Maria de los Angeles - San Vicente de la Barquera

Iglesia de Santa Maria de los Angeles Things to Do (6)

This church was built between the XIII and XVI centuries over an older existing church, denoting the growth that was... more travel advice

Transportation (2)
See All Walking is the best way to get around
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Comments (4)

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HORSCHECK Mar 31, 2013 at 1:36 PM

Fabulous page with brilliant photos and very helpful tips. I especially like your transportation tips. We will explore Northern Spain at the beginning of May and also would like to use mainly public transport.
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  nomad7890 Apr 1, 2013 at 4:16 AM
  
  Thank you Holger! Not sure how long your journey is. We went from Santiago de Compostela all the way to San Sebastian via public transport - staying over in different places. Going east from Santiago there is Ortigueira (we stayed in Espasante). There is a "must see" town called Luarca, I know feve.es stops there. Not sure about how easy it is to see it on foot. Another favorite was Oviedo, and a day trip to Covadonga - that is beautiful. If you decide to go to Covadonga, there is an outstanding restaurant, don't think I've had time to write a tip. All the best! ps. coming to Gluhwein meet?
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Yaqui May 2, 2010 at 8:13 AM

Lovely page and your photographs a beautiful. Nice page!
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Nemorino Nov 20, 2009 at 10:50 AM

I've never been to this part of Spain, but it looks really nice. I see you have signed up for the VT meeting in Karlsruhe on December 4, so I look forward to meeting you there.
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Redang Sep 10, 2009 at 1:06 PM

Qué bonita página!