Cabarceno Natural Park

If you are looking for an exotic mix, you have to come to Cabárceno. I love nature, and probably many of you do too. I’ll tell you a few things about this natural park, and for sure you’ll find it irresistible.

It’s located in the Cantabria, 17km from Santander, and you can reach it from the towns of Obregón and Cabárceno.

The Cabárceno Nature Park is not a conventional zoo or just a natural park: it’s a space that has been naturalized by man; it has a karst landscape and is located in an ancient opencast mine.

There are more than a hundred animal species from the five continents; they’re in semi-liberty, you can see them at ease and even touch some of them!

There are more than 20km of roads that lead you through the park and pass by marvelous ravines, lakes and rock formations.

I have visited this nature park on several occasions. The entrance used to be free but now they charge per person. It’s one of the best places to see wild animals in captivity.

The variety of animals is not too big, but it’s better to see them in a beautiful place than in cages. Plus, the landscape is really nice. They have different shows like a sea lion show or one about birds of prey which I really liked.

It closes at 18:00 in the summertime, so you have to get an early start to enjoy it all. You can access many areas with your car. It’s one of the best zoos around and it’s

In truth, connecting with the animals is the most superficial way of enjoying nature in Cabárceno Park. It's not called a "Nature Park" for nothing, and it has an overriding philosophy that provides a natural haven for plants and animals.

Cabárceno has a pioneering system of animal care: the goal is not to exhibit the animals, but to care for and prepare them so they can be totally self-sufficient in the park and not need the attention of caregivers, the same way people are free to move wherever they want. It's an experience that requires a lot from you. If you only go to see the animals, Cabárceno will certainly not disappoint. But, you must notice their way of treating the animals, of respecting the environment (an old mining pit), and find out how you can interact with them and they with you.

Cabárceno is a spectacular place whose large size means that the park's wild animals can live (almost) freely, a fact which gives the park a whole new dimension.

If you want a more intense experience, there is a new and more interesting option where you can explore the park with veterinarians and staff and participate in the internal life of the park. So you can feed the giraffes and elephants, explore on a 4x4, enter the Grizzly area, photograph and pet a rhinoceros or zebra, and even be a falconer with the birds of prey. It is a full day activity in which caregivers explain the jobs they do, the techniques they use to deal with animals, the vaccinations, and more.

Spent more time looking at the scenery than I did the animals. The cable car is not to be missed for pure theatre - although having to get off and queue to get back on again at each station drove the kids mad. All in all - a fantastic day out and I hope to come back again one day.

You can see all animals driving your car, take your pic nic to enjoy your visiting day