Cabarceno Natural Park Park

Address: Parque de la Naturaleza de Cabárceno, Carretera de Entrada s/n, 39300 Cabárceno / Penagos, Cantabria, Spain

Website: https://parquecabarceno.com/

Cabarceno Natural Park is a wildlife park and nature reserve in Cantabria that occupies a rehabilitated open-cast iron mine. The site uses the former quarry landscape to create large, semi-natural enclosures for a range of terrestrial species across approximately 750 hectares.

Large enclosures and a road network let visitors follow a driving circuit of the park, while walking trails and observation points provide shorter routes and viewpoints. The park is known for its emphasis on large, open habitats rather than traditional zoo cages, and a cable car crosses the site for aerial views.

The park was developed by converting the disused mining landscape into habitats and visitor facilities, creating expansive exhibition areas for species from different continents. Over time the site has expanded visitor amenities and conservation-oriented displays while retaining the dramatic quarry scenery.

Cabarceno sits inland in Cantabria, north of Santander and within the natural limestone and quarry landscape of the region; the park is reached by road and is a short drive from the Cantabrian coast.

• Size and origin: The park occupies a former open-pit iron mine converted into a wildlife reserve covering roughly 750 hectares, allowing large enclosures and extensive drive-through routes.
• Best viewpoints: A cable car provides a high-level perspective across the park and is useful for photography and spotting animals in distant enclosures.

What to See#

• Cable car: An aerial cable car that runs across the park, offering views over enclosures and formerly mined landscapes.
• Driving circuit and trails: A network of paved roads and walking trails that allow visitors to drive or walk through large, semi-open enclosures where animals roam in expanded habitats.
• Viewpoints and visitor areas: Observation points and picnic areas positioned at cliff edges and viewpoints overlooking the park’s quarry landscape and animal enclosures.

Parque de la Naturaleza de Cabárceno is located inland in Cantabria, roughly 15-25 km west of Santander (about a 20-30 minute drive depending on route). Visitors typically reach the park by car via the regional roads out of Santander; ample on-site parking is provided.

There are also organized buses and day tours from Santander and nearby towns during the main visiting season. Once at the park, attractions are reached by the park’s internal roads and walking paths.

• Get to the park at opening on weekdays to see animals active before crowds arrive; many exhibits are best viewed from the road loop before tourist buses and picnic crowds peak midday.
• Buy a cable car (telecabina) ticket or ride early - it gives the best aerial perspective of the reclaimed-mining landscape and helps you spot animals you might miss from ground level.
• Check the park's activities schedule on arrival and time your visit to include the animal demonstrations (raptor/sea lion/keeper talks), which are scheduled events and draw crowds-plan other viewing spots while you wait.