Green Spain: A little known secret worth exploring

A trip to Cantabria and Asturias reveals Green Spain, a little known secret worth exploring, writes Rita de Brún.

From the moment we touched down at the airport in Santander, our five day trip to Northern Spain was a cultural whirlwind. It propelled us into cable cars on which we glided seamlessly to and from cloud-skimming summits. It carried us deep underground on screeching miners’ train carriages. It took us to winding mountain roads and heavy forests, to bustling towns, tranquil villages and quiet harbours.

Day one was spent exploring Santander. It’s not as you might imagine. A carousel glimpsed beyond a copse of trees set the scene, rotating in silence without any of the accompanying music you might expect.