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From £1,795pp
Including flights
Hotel Stays
Special Interest
History
History in Cantabria and the Basque Country
All Inclusive
7 nights
London Heathrow Airport
Santoña, Costa de Cantabria, Spain
1 hour away from airport
Discover Cantabria and the Basque Country through a journey of world firsts, from the first prehistoric cave paintings to Spain’s global empire. This seven-night holiday combines coastal villages, medieval towns, and modern cities, with five included guided talks at key sites and a series of evening talks at the hotel by author and historian Jason Webster. Explore themes from Prehistory and Early Human Imagination to Imperial Spain, the Age of Discovery, Napoleonic conflicts, and the Spanish Civil War, experiencing history that shaped the world. Two days of leisure provide time to relax and explore at your own pace, while each day reveals landmark moments and hidden stories.
Facilities
Restaurant offering buffet-style breakfasts, tapas lunches and á la carte dinners
Indoor heated swimming pool
Wi-Fi
There is a lift to all floors.
Nationwide shared chauffeur service– included on all departures from April 1, 2026
A nationwide return shared chauffeur service from your home to your UK departure point
Your holiday includes
All Inclusive
- All meals
- Tapas/snack lunches and waiter served table d’hote dinners
- Wine list at meal times including Rioja and Ribera del Duero wines
- Free bar open up to 12 hours a day with a wide range of spirits
International flights
Prices are based on return flights with easyJet or British Airways from London Gatwick. Supplements may apply from other airports.
Minimum 20kg checked luggage, per person
Return transfers direct to your hotel
Plus
- Expert host author and historian Jason Webster
- Five included excursions
- Evening talks
Exceptional value every time
Saga Host
Our trained hosts will welcome you and ensure you enjoy your holiday. We also offer 24/7 support if needed.
Travel insurance and additional cancellation cover included §
A price reduction is available if you choose not to take the included insurance and additional cancellation cover.
Included excursions
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Altamira and Santillana del Mar - First discovery of Paleolithic cave art
1 / 5
The holiday opens with a visit to the Altamira Museum and Neocueva, home to the first discovered Paleolithic cave paintings. The museum houses significant finds, and the recreated cave reveals its renowned bison and ceiling art. Lunch takes place in Santillana del Mar, followed by an afternoon exploring this well-preserved medieval town. Visits include the Romanesque Colegiata de Santa Juliana and the Palace Museum of Velarde, with time to walk through the historic streets and absorb the setting.
Puente Viesgo and Comillas - From mankind’s earliest art to the beginnings of modern architecture
1 / 5
The morning focuses on the caves of Puente Viesgo, including El Castillo or Las Monedas which contain some of Europe’s oldest known cave art. Find out more about these works within their wider prehistoric context. In Comillas, visit Gaudí’s El Capricho, his first private commission and an early expression of his architectural ideas. You will also visit the town’s Indianos mansions where returning emigrants from the Americas reshaped local life and architecture.
Santoña and Laredo - Maps, empires, and the reach of early global power
1 / 5
Visit Santoña, where the first world map depicted the Americas the first world map to depict the Americas. The town’s fortifications and monuments also provide insight into the Napoleonic era, the Franco dictatorship, and Spain’s transition to democracy. The afternoon continues in Laredo, where the Iglesia de Santa María de la Asunción and the historic port connect the town to the Reconquista and the reign of Charles V. Here you can learn about the figures such as Catherine of Aragon and Philip II who place Laredo within the wider story of imperial Spain.
Bilbao - Engineering innovation and the reinvention of a city
1 / 5
Bilbao showcases the Vizcaya Bridge, the world’s first transporter bridge and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, highlighting late-19th-century engineering innovation. The Itsasmuseum gives an overview of the city’s maritime and industrial past. The afternoon explores the Casco Viejo, including Santiago Cathedral, the San Antón bridge, and the Ribera Market. Views of the Guggenheim Museum and riverfront illustrate how culture became central to Bilbao’s regeneration.
Guernica - War, memory, and the first aerial bombardment of civilians
1 / 5
The final excursion focuses on Guernica, site of the first modern aerial bombardment of civilians. Visits the Casa de Juntas and the Tree of Guernica and learn about Basque political identity, and explore the Peace Museum which provides historical context for the 1937 bombing. An afternoon walk includes air-raid shelters and memorial sites, and you will hear the story of journalist George Steer and the creation of Picasso’s Guernica.
Location
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Santoña, just under two miles away, is a traditional fishing town known for its production of anchovies. Directly to the front of the hotel is a stretch of white sand beach, famous with surfers, that runs for nearly two miles. While inland there are wildlife-rich marshes and hills crisscrossed by hiking trails. The nearest bus stop from the hotel is 240 yards away. The drive to/from the airport takes approximately one hour.
Out and about
Historic Santander, the capital city of Cantabria, is around 28 miles away. While the Basque capital of Bilbao, home to the iconic Guggenheim Museum, is around 44 miles away. Both are accessible by bus.
Santander
A jewel on Spain’s verdant ‘Green Coast’, Santander has long been a popular seaside resort thanks to its white-sand beaches. Of special note are the Palacio de la Magdalena, the royal summer palace built in the early 1900s which houses an interesting art collection, the 13th-century Cathedral de la Asuncion, the Centro Botin art museum, and the Paseo de Pereda y Calle Castellar promenade park, which is lined with Baroque-inspired houses.
Bilbao
Founded in 1300, Bilbao developed into a shipbuilding centre during the 19th century. Contrast the Renaissance, Baroque and modernist architecture of the historic centre with newer additions to the cityscape. The most striking of these is the riverside Guggenheim Museum, a wave-like structure clad in titanium plates that reflect the surrounding art district. Other highlights include the funicular which offers panoramic views on its way to the summit of Artxanda and Doña Casilda Iturrizar Park, the city’s largest green space.
Address
Primera Avenida de Playa Berria, 14, Santona Spain 39740
Across the bay from this hotel in the cliffs above Liendo, lives one of the largest colony of Griffon vultures in mainland Europe, which can be visited with specialist guides on one of our Birdwatching or Walking holidays. What better endorsement of Cantabria’s unspoilt environment?
Richard Newsome, Head of Product
Hotel details
Enjoy home cooked dishes typical of the region: buffet-style breakfasts, authentic tapas or snack lunches are available at the bar or on its terrace, and dinners are waiter served in their locally acclaimed à la carte restaurant, where seafood is a speciality (the hotel has its own lobster farm where they source crayfish and lobster fresh from the Cantabrian Sea).
Breakfast is available between 0730-1030
Lunch is available between 1230-1600
Dinner is available between 1930-2100
The included wine list at meal times features Rioja and Ribera del Duero wines.
Dinners are pre-ordered the day before and are eaten at set times, ensuring your food is freshly cooked.
Tea and coffee is available between 0900-2300.
Complimentary tea and cake is available at 4pm daily in the bar.
The hotel prides itself on its food, and during your stay you will be able to enjoy an included cookery demonstration. As the chef cooks up a storm, you will be able to taste a selection of wine from the area, each carefully selected by the hotel’s owner, Felipe.
The free bar is open up to 12 hours a day, between 1100-2300, with a wide range of quality wines, spirits and liqueurs.
71 rooms
Sea or inland mountain view
Tea and coffee-making facilities
TV
Fridge
Most rooms have a bath (a room with a walk-in shower is available on request)
Guided orientation walks
Complimentary bus tickets to Santoña
Orientation tour of Santoña
Cookery demonstration with a selection of wines to taste
Talk on Spanish and British culture
Table tennis
Darts
Weekly shuttle bus to regional capital Santander
Live entertainment three times a week
There is a choice of optional excursions available for an extra cost, subject to availability.
Availability
Flight
Best deal
30 Sep 2026
07 Oct 2026
Wed - 15:30
Wed - 13:50
London Heathrow Airport
7 nights
From £1,795pp
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