The second day saw a visit to the lovely city of Santander, the capital of Cantabria, a walk around the peninsula, a look at the mini zoo in the park, with seals, sea lions and penguins, and a stroll around the pretty city centre. That afternoon, we enjoyed a harbour cruise that allowed us to see some of Santander’s major monuments, such as the Palacio de la Magdalena, which was once the royal summer residence, and the eye-catching Palacio de Festivales theatre. 

The next day involved a trip to Cabárceno Natural Park, seeing a wide variety of animals and a fantastic cable car ride over the park. A coach then took us to the El Soplao Caves, near Puentenansa. This 17-mile-long cave system is a truly amazing sight to behold and a real geological treasure. 

On the last day, we went to the medieval town of Santillana del Mar. Despite the unfortunate downpour, we were still able to admire the wonderful historical buildings. We then travelled to Comillas and observed Gaudí’s El Capricho, one of his few works outside Barcelona, before setting off back to Bilbao airport. 

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the trip, and many thanks go to all staff involved.