Adventures and Emotions in Cantabria

Adventures and emotions, the guiding words of our stay in Cantabria. This other Spain, far from the Mediterranean. On the agenda: via ferrata, hiking and pilgrimage, snowshoeing and kayaking. Are you coming with us?

For us, Spain is primarily synonymous with family vacations, with François's family who lives in the South, in Murcia. The beautiful Mediterranean with its peaceful aura, sunshine, sand burning underfoot, water at 82 degrees... A perfect setting for relaxation (and more, like in this adventure).

This trip to Cantabria allowed us to discover new landscapes, sometimes reminding us of those in our beloved Patagonia or even Northern Ireland. These four days of adventure and sport were not only intense physically!

Discovering Cantabria means entering new worlds, all so close, all so different: dunes with tall grasses, long beaches of fine sand, powerful waves contrasting with the quiet delta, snow-capped mountains, steep gray and golden cliffs, fairy-tale forests with trees and rocks covered in soft green moss...

What better way to discover these landscapes than through a sporting immersion in nature? Climbing, kayaking, hiking, boating, surfing... and even snowshoeing: an adrenaline-packed agenda!

The car vibrates with the sound of Enrique Iglesias, reminding us of distant lands. The Spanish lyrics roll off my lips as I watch the landscapes pass by the bus window. We arrive at San Vicente de la Barquera. A long stone bridge welcomes us to this fishing village. Small wooden boats are stranded on the damp, deserted sand.

The facades of the houses seem alive, the windows leaning toward the center of the building giving them an appearance of wide eyes, sometimes sad, sometimes angry. This is where it all begins: the second pilgrimage site in Spain, and one of the four most sacred Christian pilgrimages, alongside Jerusalem, Rome, and Saint James of Compostela.

Because no, there is not just the pilgrimage of Saint James of Compostela in Spain! This pilgrimage takes the walker to the monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana to reflect in front of the largest remaining fragment of the cross on which Jesus was crucified. This 8th-century monastery is surprisingly small for such an exceptional treasure. A monk in a robe welcomes visitors, sharing the fabulous story of this piece of wood, a tangible connection to the intangible... Recent lab studies have confirmed that the wood is from a cypress tree from Palestine, and it has been dated to over 2000 years ago... With wide eyes and trembling hands, pilgrims approach after 3 days of walking to touch this small piece of wood, this connection to the beyond.

Many pilgrims on the northern route to Saint James of Compostela make a detour through the Camino Lebaniego (killing two birds with one stone) before continuing their journey via the >, heading back to Mansilla de las Mulas.

The Camino de Compostela has always held a mysterious allure for me, sending my imagination soaring along paths winding through nature and crossing sun-drenched villages. The desire to walk never leaves me, and I hope that one day I will embark on these roads. When the time is right and the call becomes too strong to resist... Where for some, this call is divine, spiritual, or pious, mine resonates with elements, nature, and movement.

And watching the pilgrims walk through these mountainous landscapes, I made a promise: to return and walk the Camino Lebaniego when I hike toward Compostela. My steps, too, will be rhythmically greeted by joyful hellos:

In May?

I was surprised by our guide and thought quietly, like Obélix, >. But yes, snowshoeing in full May is possible! Welcome to the Picos de Europa mountains!

After the astonishment comes fascination: >, the peaks of Europe. I imagine our European continent topped with a few thorns, like a porcupine. Or mountains so glorious that they take center stage, >, with Spain unable to satisfy their grandeur desires...

This range of the Cantabrian Mountains got its name from the history of navigation: it was the first piece of land that sailors would see from afar when coming from the Atlantic Ocean. Situated barely thirty meters from the sea, these peaks rise to a height of 2,648 meters (at Torre de Cerredo) and span three Spanish provinces: Asturias, León, and of course, Cantabria.

It's astonishing to see how quickly we gain altitude to find ourselves at the foot of this mountain range. Just this morning, in San Vicente, we were standing in the water, and now we are in the mountains. This drastic change of scenery reminds me of Corsica, with its mountains by the sea...

After a beautiful ascent in the cable car, we find ourselves at the starting point for hiking. Between Tintin in Tibet and Martine in the mountains, we progress on the last white patches of the region. Arriving at the edge of a small lake, my gaze drifts towards the heights... I envy the clouds swirling between the peaks.

Easy? Apparently, a day of hiking is enough to reach the peaks surrounding me. And anyone can do it. Everyone. Me, you behind the screen. Access to world rooftops (or peaks of Europe): that's a dream!

Note to self (and promise number 2): return in summer to climb one of the mountains of Picos de Europa...

How to answer that question? Yes, of course I am afraid. But how can I explain? When the feet detach from the ground and the hands are busy with carabiners, the mind doesn't have time to think. This is what a German traveler I met in Spain, Nima, a climbing enthusiast, told me:

Being fully present. Just me, the cliff, the sky... Another way to immerse oneself in nature and travel differently. This experience was my very first via ferrata. My verdict? I loved it! I'll tell you more about it: so many sensations to share.

And a new promise (already number 3): this will not be my last via ferrata.

Kayaking, if you have followed our adventures during our sabbatical year last year, is something we know! Far from being pros, we have nonetheless had the chance to try it several times: in Chile, Argentina, Northern Ireland...

Even though I don't have much strength in my arms, I really enjoy gliding on the water and drifting away from the shore. A beautiful, gentle (except for the arms!) and silent way to enter protected natural spaces... or to venture onto capricious and turbulent rivers. And for this outing in Spain, I'll let you guess which way the balance tilted!

Sport and adventures: the key themes of this trip!

Before setting off, nervous laughter bursts out. Rapids? A waterfall?

Edwina, an Irish traveler we met in Cantabria, becomes increasingly pale. We ride on the riverbank and catch glimpses of what awaits us. > Already equipped with our wetsuits, we laugh at her horrified expression.

What can I say about what followed? That this kayaking experience in Cantabria will undoubtedly be one I remember for my entire life! For once, it wasn't my arm muscles that were tested the most, but my abs: how much I laughed!

Six of us on three kayaks, we floated several kilometers down the river, navigating some beautiful rapids, sometimes getting stuck on big rocks, and plunging down three small waterfalls. I say small, because that's how they appear from the shore. But things look completely different from the river. The sound of the water falling can be heard well in advance and becomes completely deafening in the final moments, drowning out our screams. What? Scream in the face of danger? Never.

But the most beautiful, the most memorable, and the funniest waterfall experience was the first one. The first time always leaves a more significant mark, and waterfalls are no exception to this rule! Our guide, being pro-active, awaited us before the critical point, helping us prepare for the big jump:

Before even reaching 1, our treacherous guide throws us to the mercy of the unleashed torrents. And for a few seconds, time stops, I see my kayak nosedive and get stuck vertically, the front of the kayak, and Nima, in front of me, completely submerged. A small bounce, and Nima resurfaces.

Between the scene I just experienced and this lexical illumination, I can't help but burst into laughter. Nima tries to help me regain my composure as I'm at the back of the kayak, responsible for steering, but nothing works! I hold my stomach with laughter and can't regain my composure, letting our kayak drift with the current.

But that's not all.

Seated at the front of the guide's kayak, it's Edwina's turn to face the dreaded obstacle. And seeing from the sidelines that kayak plunge into the water and bounce would have been enough to keep my laughter going. But no, it's still not all.

Is it because of Edwina's bewildered expression before the fall, or her unusual posture at the moment of falling, with her right arm raised to film with the guide's camera, or her leg movement worthy of a waterborne French cancan as she emerged from the water, or her dazed look as she takes her first breath of air, still with her arm raised? Probably a bit of all that! Regardless, it took me several minutes to regain my composure to follow the guide for a jumping session from the top of the waterfalls.

Pure Moment Of Happiness!

The thought of the day, while returning to the shore: actually, I'm pretty good at kayaking! It's decided (and another promise!), I won't miss the next opportunity to do it.

Why Cantabria? Long before deciding to go hiking on foot and snowshoeing, kayaking, and climbing, long before all that, the word that gave François a fierce desire to venture into this corner of Spain: surfing!

This wasn't our first attempt. And after such a beautiful experience, it won't be the last either. Yes, you guessed it, another promise.

My first class on Easter Island had, how to say... somewhat chilled me. Was it the instructor's too laid-back demeanor, the overwhelming strength of the waves, the numerous rocks that separated us from the shore that we had to avoid on every attempt, or the several meters of swimming lying on the board while gulping down sea salt? A bit of all that at once, leaving me with a mixed memory of that first class. Yes, I managed to stand on my board once, but at what cost?

So, with a knot in my stomach, I courageously followed François and his whim to become a surfer (he's already growing his hair out for the occasion) and tried the experience again in Cantabria... And what a great decision it was!

Before heading to the water, our instructor makes us practice our movements in rhythm: 1 - 2 - 3, 1 - 2 - 3... Like a waltz that would be danced lying down/crouched/stood up, we studiously chain our positions. The instructor adds:

And it's with these words and our timid nods that we plunge into the water.

It's a completely different memory that this new experience has left me with: of pleasure, technique, mastery, confidence, excitement, jubilation... and even victory, let's say it! Because this time, I successfully caught all my waves. Yes, for this occasion, the elements are mine: these are my waves. Every attempt was rewarded with beautiful success: me standing, hair flying in the wind, the board gliding over the crests of the (small) waves, and my enthusiastic instructor cheering behind me like a victorious warrior!

Words fail me to describe the feeling of light joy tinged with disbelief that overcomes me when I'm standing on the water. Did Jesus have the same sensations? The feeling of becoming one with everything around me... or almost, because this feeling is inextricably mixed with the awareness that this balance is completely precarious: >. Until the roll disappears: and splash! And laughter. And then it starts all over again!

This trip would never have been the same without the people who accompanied me: together we experienced intense moments and shared so many laughs that my abs still remember! Thank you to them!

And as I expected to return tired and exhausted, I landed filled with new energy, with a clear mind, recharged batteries, and a smile on my face. I bring back with me beautiful memories, a few stunning photos... and new promises I will gladly keep!

In partnership with the Spain Tourism Office and Cantabria.