Laredo

Laredo is a coastal city on the Cantabrian Sea, in northern Spain, in the Cantabria region. It is surrounded by mountains, bordered by the river Ría de Treto which flows into the sea and it has protected natural spaces and wonderful beaches.

Beaches:

  • Playa de la Salvé
  • Playa el Puntal
  • Playa del Regatón
  • Playa de Aila

 

Protected natural spaces:

  • The Santoña, Victoria and Joyel Marshes Natural Park (Parque Natural de las Marismas de Santoña, Victoria y Joyel)

Laredo was a fishing village that began to develop in medieval times. It became notorious when it took part in some important historical events such as the Catholic conquest of Seville in 1248, imprinted on the city’s shield.
Between the 15th and 16th centuries, Catholic kings stayed in Laredo on several occasions and King Charles V of Spain landed on la Salvé beach before heading to the Yuste Monastery in Extremadura where he retreated after abdicating. Nowadays the city celebrates a festival in September, which recreates the landing of King Charles V.
In the second half of the 20th century, tourism gave a greater boost to the economic and urban growth of Laredo. Currently it is a place with an interesting historical-cultural heritage to discover.
In addition to the remains of the medieval wall, the historic centre (Puebla Vieja) which includes six streets and the church of Saint Mary of the Assumption (Iglesia de Santa María de la Asunción) from the 13th and 16th centuries in Gothic style are two assets that form part of the cultural heritage of the region.

Other historic churches of Laredo are:

  • The 16th century church of Saint Francis (Iglesia de San Francisco)
  • The church of Saint Martin (Iglesia de San Martín) in Romanesque style from the 13th century
  • The Chapel of the Holy Spirit (Capilla del Espíritu Santo) in Romanesque style from the 15th century

 

Furthermore, in Laredo there are historic buildings of interest such as:

  • The Town Hall (Ayuntamiento)
  • The 19th century Casa de las Cuatro Témporas
  • The Dr. Velasco Cultural Centre (Esculas Dr. Velasco) from the early 20th century
  • The early 20th century Abastos Market (Mercado de Abastos) in modernist style

 

Other places, structures and sights are:

  • The Atalaya Tunnel (Túnel de la Atalaya) leads to an observation point (Mirador del Abra) of the coastal landscape and a rocky beach
  • The Rastrillar fort (Fuerte del Rastrillar) in the Atalaya area: what remains of the military constructions located in a strategic point to cope with enemy attacks from the sea
  • The Port

A reason to visit Laredo are its festivals of cultural interest:

  • The Battle of Flowers (Batalla de Flores) takes place on the last Friday of August and it is a parade of allegorical floats embellished with flowers, including street markets, musical bands and fireworks.
  • The historical recreation of the last landing of King Charles V (El último desembarco de Carlos V) takes place on the third weekend of September, from Thursday to Sunday, along with other activities related to the late Middle Ages era.
  • The Holy Week (Semana Santa) and in particular Good Friday (Viernes Santo) with processions in the streets of the city.
  • The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on July 16th is celebrated with a procession at sea and a floral offering to Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Virgen del Carmen)
  • The Feast of Saint Roch (San Roque), patron saint of Laredo, takes place on August 16th with gastronomic events and recreational activities.

 

Typical products to try in Laredo:

  • Anchovies in oil (anchoas en aceite)
  • Tuna soup, potatoes and other ingredients (marmita de bonito)
  • Squid cooked in their own ink (jibiones en su tinta)
  • A local vegetable (respigos) that is prepared with other ingredients such as ham or “chorizo” (pork sausage)
  • And the “Emperor’s whims” (Caprichos del Emperador), chocolate balls and other ingredients

Other cities of Cantabria to visit:

  • Castro-Urdiales: Along its coast there are wonderful beaches and high cliffs with stunning view of the landscape. Read more here about Castro-Urdiales
  • Santander: it extends along a bay with stunning views of the coast and the Cantabrian Sea. It has lush parks, paradisiacal beaches and a peninsula dominated by an elegant English-style palace. Furthermore, it has a seafront for pleasant walks between historic buildings such as the Grand Casino Sardinero, modern buildings such as the Centro Botín, gardens with monuments such as the Doctor Mesones Park and paths that reach the cliff of the Cabo Mayor Lighthouse. Read more here about Santander