Cabarceno Park in Cantabria - Cabarceno Park in Cantabria -

Cabarceno park in Cantabria

9.1/10

Cabarceno Park in Cantabria: gorgeous open enclosure zoo in Nothern Spain

The Cabárceno Nature Park is not a conventional zoo or a nature park, located in Cantabria in Northern Spain. It is a natural space molded by the hand of man, that still retains the primitive beauty of its karst landscape, on the 750 ha of an old open-pit mining operation.

In the Cabárceno Nature Park, is home to over 120 species and life develops in the most natural environment possible. Except for the food that is provided to them, the rest of the activities are marked by their almost total freedom and instinct.

At present, due the facilities of the Cabárceno Nature Park are among the best valued by the organizations that monitor the living conditions of the animals.

Cabarceno Park

The Cabárceno Nature Park is conceived for educational, cultural, scientific, and recreational purposes, and has become one of the major tourist attractions in northern Spain.

The more than 20 km of roads that cross the park will lead you into the different enclosures through wonderful gorges, peaceful lakes, and suggestive rocky figures. In addition, throughout the park, there are numerous parking areas and paths that allow you to discover corners of great beauty.

The Cabárceno Nature Park is an ideal place to spend the day with your family as it has numerous recreational areas, picnic areas, viewpoints, botanical routes, cafes, restaurants, a children’s playground …

 

cabarceno park bison

The visit spans over more than 20 km, to be done by vehicle, bicycle, or on foot, and recently the park has also incorporated a cable car you can take.

The park offers several different shows and spectacles including birds of prey demonstrations, with vultures, kites, Harris’s hawks, buzzards, hawks. 

It has an area equipped for motorhomes with an ecological waste treatment service before the entrance to Cabárceno (Penagos).

The Cabárceno Nature Park also offers visitors the possibility of getting to know the park with other types of visits. One of them is the “Wild Visit”, in which accompanied by a specialized worker and in a parked car, you will learn more about all the characteristics of the complex. You will also access the enclosures of some animals such as elephants, bears, giraffes, gorillas, and rhinos by car.

 

Where is Cabarceno Park?

The park is located in northern Spain in the region of Cantabria. It is located within the larger Cabarceno Nature Park which is located about 22 minutes from Cantabria’s capital city of Santander. 

Northern Spain is cooler and rainier than the rest of the country, so make sure to check the weather forecast before your visit to make sure you can see all the enclosures dry and comfortable. 

Cabacerno Park Ticket Prices 

Tickets to the park cost 32€ for adults and 18€ for children and kids under 3 can get in for free. 

The park also offers the “Visita Salvaje” or the wild visit which allows visitors to see first-hand the research and nature conservation work carried out in the Cabárceno Nature Park is another of the activities that take place during the visit.

Always accompanied by specialized personnel who will tell you what the philosophy of the Park is and why it is considered one of the best in the world in conservation, research, and education. During the entire visit, safety is the top priority, for this reason, you cannot leave the vehicle in the bear enclosure.

Minimum 2 people (one of them an adult) 

Price

Includes entrance and special lunch at the Park restaurant.

Adult € 230 / person
Child € 115 / person

 

Cabacerno Opening Hours 

Cabacerno nature park opens from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. during the winter months and from 9:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. in summer, which should give you more enough time to explore the whole park and see all the enclosures.

 

Cabacerno Park Map 

cabacerno park map 1
cabacerno park map 2

 

Video of Cabacerno Park 

Share this attraction
SPECIAL OFFER

More interesting things in northern Spain

Burgos Cathedral
North
Burgos Cathedral

Check out our full guide to the world famous Burgos Cathedral, one of the most spectacular gothic-style cathedrals in Spain, and perhaps the world. … Read More

Cíes Islands
Galicia
Cíes Islands

This chain of small islands are located off the coast of Galicia in northwestern Spain. The go from the Vigo estuary to Arousa. Within the park there are four distinct archipelagos the islands of Cíes, Ons, Sálvora y Cortegada. The islands are gorgeous, with a unique ecosystem, but the true richness of the park is located underwater.

The biodiversity of sea dwelling creatures in this coastal area is almost overwhelming. In addition, many legends and rumors swirl around these islands, making the all the more interesting and mysterious. The park, created in 2002, spans over 7.200 maritime hectares and 1.194 hectares on land. … Read More

Picos de Europa National Park
North
Picos de Europa National Park

The Picos of Europa National park is located in Northern Spain and spills over into three different regions: Cantabria, Asturias and León. The Picos de Europa are an abrupt and imposing group of mountains, that at their closest, are just 15 km from the ocean. Within this natural fortress there are forests, lakes and hidden villages with centuries old traditions.

This legendary area of Spain became a national park in 1918 and spans over 67.000 hectares. … Read More