371 lines
13 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
371 lines
13 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
sponsored
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travel
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brittany_ferries
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8502883
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# Top 10 coastal resorts in Cantabria, Spain
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## Cantabria in Spain offers handsome coastal resorts, splendid beaches,
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plentiful wildlife and some lovely walks. Gary King picks his favourites.
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![Cantabria: a cove near Santander][1]
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Image 1 of 2
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Cantabria: a cove near Santander
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![Cantabria: San Vicente de la Barquera][2]
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Image 1 of 2
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Cantabria: San Vicente de la Barquera
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3:39PM BST 13 May 2011
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**1 SAN VICENTE DE LA BARQUERA**
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This captivating seaside town is typically Cantabrian; it boasts glorious
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beaches, brims with heritage and is set against a backdrop of the snow-capped
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peaks of the Picos de Europa. Add a big dash of a traditional cuisine, a
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stunning 28-arch medieval bridge, some dramatic scenery and you'll find
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yourself in one of the most beautiful spots on the entire Atlantic coast.
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Set next to the Oyambre Nature Park, many people use the town as a starting
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point for exploring both urban and country areas on foot and the local tourist
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office can provide a variety of routes for all ages and abilities.
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To cool off, go down to the wonderfully quiet two-mile-long Meron beach, or
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watch the waves break at the end of the Paseo de la Barquera in the area known
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as Rompeolas.
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On a stroll through the old town, you can discover the magnificent romanesque-
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gothic Church of Santa Maria de los Ángeles, the ramparts and the Castillo dey
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Res castle. There are fishing boats of all sizes and great views down the
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estuary.
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## Related Articles
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* [10 top beaches in Cantabria][3]
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12 May 2011
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* [Holiday in Spain: Cantabria introduction][4]
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13 May 2011
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Any day's excursions should be completed by sampling the local speciality,
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sorropotun, a tuna and potato stew that the fishermen used to take with them on
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long trips. In a word, delicious.
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**2 OYAMBRE NATURE PARK**
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Stretching across 22 square miles, the sheer diversity and the natural beauty
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of this protected area -- fronted by a six-mile stretch of coastline between
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Comillas and San Vicente de la Barquera -- is what makes it so special.
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You'll find sheltered beaches on the San Vicente and La Rabia estuaries,
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forests, wetlands, sand dunes, meadows and tiny villages, all bursting with
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the inimitable essence of Cantabria.
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Take an early morning swim or have a surf on the main beach, which is split by
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a grassy headland. Then get lost in its rolling sand dunes before exploring
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the cliffs where peregrine falcons nest alongside a host of seabirds.
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**3 SANTILLANA DEL MAR**
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A few miles east along the coast is one of the most perfectly preserved
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medieval villages in all of Europe. There have been strict planning laws in
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Santillana del Mar since the 16th century and today they stipulate that only
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residents and guests in hotels with garages may bring in their vehicles. Other
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tourists can drop off their luggage but must then park up and walk back into
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town.
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It means that you can meander the cobbled streets unimpeded by the clutter of
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traffic and become immersed in a bygone age.
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An architectural highlight is the 12th-century Collegiate Church that is
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elaborately decorated with fine paintings and carvings. There's an evocative
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mix of palaces, convents, towers and old stone houses, too, along with some
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quaint shops.
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It is said that Santillana del Mar is the "city of three lies" because it is
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not holy (santi), it's not flat (llana) and it's not by the sea (del mar). It
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is truly special, though, and a definite "must-do" for anybody's itinerary.
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**4 ALTAMIRA CAVES**
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A mile from the village are the world-renowned Altamira Caves. Known as the
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"Sistine Chapel of prehistoric art", they feature paintings of bison, boar,
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deer and horses dating back to the last ice age rendered in black, red and
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ochre tones. So intricate is the detail that when they were first discovered in
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1879, they were dismissed as a hoax. They were in fact breath-takingly
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genuine.
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Now, the only way to view these 15,000-year-old masterpieces is to book months
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in advance or be a specialist from the international science community. This
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is because the heat radiated from the thousands of tourists, who have been
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through the caves over the decades, was causing the delicate drawings serious
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damage.
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However, you can still marvel at their beauty by visiting the super Museo
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Altimira where there is an exact copy of the originals, painstakingly
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recreated in a replica cave, the Neocueva. You can take a guided tour through
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this fabulous reproduction and marvel at the beauty of our ancestors' artistic
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endeavours.
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**5 COMILLAS AND ITS ARCHITECTURE**
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With its glorious natural beauty and sweeping beaches, one of the last things
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you may expect to find along the coast of Cantabria is modernist architecture.
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Prepare to be surprised!
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The first Marques de Comillas, who made his fortune from tobacco in Cuba,
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returned to his home town and gave it a makeover that has left an endearing
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architectural legacy.
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In 1885 he commissioned the brilliant Antoni Gaudi, of Barcelona's Sagrada
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Familia fame, to design him a summer house. The result is a neo-Arabic
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creation known as The Capricho, or Gaudi's Caprice, that is adorned with
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ceramics of sunflowers and leaves. It sits in parkland to the south-west of the
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town centre and part of it is an excellent restaurant.
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In the same area, Joan Martorell, another "Catalan Modernista" who actually
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taught Gaudi, is responsible for the amazing neo-gothic Capilla Panteon de los
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Marqueses de Comillas chapel and the Palicio de Sobrellano palace.
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Other notable highlights include the Universidad Pontificia, Tres Caños
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fountain and the cemetery's guardian angel; not forgetting that the town
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itself has a lovely cobbled square, beautiful harbour and a family-friendly
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beach that is a mere amble away.
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**6 THE ASÓN RIVER ESTUARY**
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The Ason River runs for 24 miles from its source, a tumbling waterfall in Los
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Collados del Ason nature park, to the town of Colindres, where it forms the
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Santoña estuary.
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This protected wetland area is a twitcher's paradise and is home to more than
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140 different species of aquatic bird. Common sites include wigeons, curlews
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and black headed gulls, although oyster catchers, guillemots and pink-footed
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geese are also regular visitors. You can join a guided bird-watching walk in
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which experts explain the ornithological delights on display.
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**7 SANTOÑA AND BERRIA BEACH**
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Few places have such a wildly contrasting topography as Santoña, 28 miles to
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the east of Santander. This quaint fishing port really is a town of two halves
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with its municipal centre on a flat plain connected to a wild, rugged headland,
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Mount Buciero.
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Picturesque Santoña is famed for its anchovies, which can be tried in local
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restaurants.
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It's joined to the mainland by a thin strip of land that is home to Berria
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Beach. If you've brought your surfboard with you, this is the perfect spot to
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grab some waves. If you haven't, don't worry because you can hire all the gear
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and take lessons from the school on the mile-long beach.
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The sands on this stretch of coast are also great for a stroll, a spot of
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critter-hunting in rock pools or a paddle in the waves.
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**8 WALK AROUND MOUNT BUCIERO**
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Mount Buciero, the rugged half of Santoña, has forests, ancient forts,
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lighthouses, vertiginous cliffs and can only be explored on foot. If you're up
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for a full circumnavigation of this limestone peninsula, then the seven-mile
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route can be taken at a gentle pace to fully appreciate its beauty and
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delights.
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Start at the 17th-century Fort of San Martin and then follow the path that
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climbs steeply to the cliff tops past the Fort of San Carlos and the Casa de
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la Lena. After about two miles, the disused Lighthouse of el Caballo, at the
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bottom of 700 steps, is well worth a detour from the track, just to
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acknowledge the many lives that it has saved over the years.
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Once back on the path, you'll enter a stretch of one of the finest examples of
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ecology on the Cantabrian Coast. The wood of holm oaks, arbutus and laurel is
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exceptionally well preserved and combines a large selection of species that
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would have once populated the entire seaboard.
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The rest of the walk takes in the Faro del Pascador (Fisherman's Lighthouse),
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the Prison of el Duesa and a stretch of Berria Beach before heading back
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across the neck of the peninsula to complete the circuit.
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Buceiro is also an important home to griffon vultures, so keep your eyes
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peeled along the way.
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**9 LIVELY LAREDO**
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Cantabria has more than 60 beaches on its 130 miles of coastline on which you
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can surf, swim, rock-pool with the children, frolic, play or simply wile away
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the day. One such beauty is in the resort town of Laredo, across the Ason
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estuary to Santoña. It boasts a gorgeous three-mile stretch of golden sand
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that nestles in a sheltered bay.
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There's no better place to take an early evening stroll than down the Calle
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del Passeo Maritimo that runs along its edge. At dusk, with the waves lapping
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at the water's edge, work up a pre-dinner appetite before heading off to a
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restaurant for a plate of locally caught grilled sardines or mussels served
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with olives.
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**10 CASTRO-URDIALES**
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On the eastern edge of Cantabria where the region meets Basque Country, you'll
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find Castro-Urdiales. Originally a Roman settlement, many northern Spaniards
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keep holiday homes here and it's easy to see why.
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If gothic style churches are your thing, then the Santa Maria de la Asuncion,
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which dates from the Middle Ages, is a wonderful example. Sitting high above
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the harbour among myriad narrow lanes, it marks the medieval centre of the
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town.
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A great way to spend an afternoon is to go to one of the town's three beaches
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of Urdiales, El Fraile or Brazomar, taking advantage of their close proximity
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to the many excellent restaurants and bars. Go for a dip, grab a bite to eat
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or try a cold beer. Repeat. This is Cantabria, after all.
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[X][5] Share & bookmark
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[What are these?][6]
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* Share: [Share][5] [ ][7] [ ][8]
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[Tweet][9]
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/brittany_ferries/8502883/Top-10
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-Spanish-seaside-resorts.html
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Telegraph
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## [Brittany Ferries][10]
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* ### [Sponsored »][11]
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* ### [Travel »][12]
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[X][5] Share & bookmark
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Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter
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[What are these?][6]
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Share:
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* [ ][5]
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* [ ][7]
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* [ ][8]
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* [Tweet][9]
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* [![Brittany Ferries][13]][14]
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Brittany Ferries competition
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### [Win a trip to Cantabria][15]
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[![Win a trip to Cantabria][16]][15]
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Here's your chance to win a return cruise-ferry crossing from the UK's south
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coast to Santander, courtesy of Brittany Ferries.
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[**Enter the Brittany Ferries competition here**][15].
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The closing date is June 30, 2011.
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Travel with Brittany Ferries
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### [Travel with Brittany Ferries][17]
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[![Brittany Ferries: Cap Finistere][18] ][17]
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Take the Brittany Ferries service from Portsmouth or Plymouth to Santander and
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you get a wonderful mini-cruise as part of your holiday.
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### [Where to stay in Cantabria][19]
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[![Cantabria accommodation: Hotel Torre de la Ruesga][20] ][19]
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From chalets and quaint casas to luxurious escapes, Debbie Toms picks her top
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places to stay in Cantabria, Spain.
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### [Cantabria holiday accommodation][21]
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[![Hotel El Rebeco, Fuente De][22] ][21]
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There are many fantastic places to stay when you travel to Cantabria with
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Brittany Ferries. Here's some of the very best.
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[1]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01894/Santander-
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cove_1894231c.jpg
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[2]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01894/San-Vicente-de-la-
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_1894233c.jpg
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[3]: /sponsored/travel/brittany_ferries/8509147/10-great-beaches-
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Cantabria.html
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[4]: /sponsored/travel/brittany_ferries/8502837/Spain-Holidays-
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Cantabria.html
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[5]: #
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[6]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/4590190/Share-this-article-
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What-are-these.html
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[7]: mailto:?subject=A Telegraph reader thought you would be interested in
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this article&body=Depending on your email program, you may be able to click on
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the link in the email. Alternatively, you may have to open a web browser, such
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as Firefox or Internet Explorer, and copy the link over into the address bar.
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%0A%0Ahttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/brittany_ferries/8502883/Top
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www.telegraph.co.uk
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[8]: javascript:print()
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[9]: http://twitter.com/share?via=Telegraph
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[10]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/brittany_ferries/
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[11]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/
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[12]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/
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[13]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01895/in_association_wit_
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1895213a.gif
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[14]: http://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/
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[15]: http://www.cantabriabycar.com
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[16]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01895/Brittany-Ferries-
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c_1895248e.jpg
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[17]: /sponsored/travel/brittany_ferries/8502918/Brittany-Ferries-
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Cantabria-Spain.html
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[18]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01894/Cap-
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Finistere_1894901e.jpg
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[19]: /sponsored/travel/brittany_ferries/8503323/Holiday-accommodation-
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Cantabria.html
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[20]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01895/hotel-torre-de-
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rue_1895159g.jpg
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[21]: /sponsored/travel/brittany_ferries/8510228/Cantabria-holiday-
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accommodation.html
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[22]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01892/Hotel-de-
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Rebeco_1892182g.jpg
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