In Cantabria, they don’t really like being the “Ibiza of the North”. This was made clear by a demonstration in May, supported by thousands of people who took to the streets to show their rejection of an urban project that included a golf course. And this was emphasized once again by another march in July, organized at the call of Cantabria para Vivir, with nearly a thousand participants demanding a new model of tourism, without crowds. Whether the movements are more or less effective, one thing cannot be denied: measures are already being taken to limit saturation in some of the region’s most successful spots among visitors.

It is the other face of tourism in the north.

Tourism is being discussed. Cantabria is far from absorbing large influxes of visitors from other communities in Spain, such as the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Catalonia or Andalusia, from areas consolidated on the national and foreign tourism map. Approximately 223,000 travelers were accommodated in Cantabrian hotels in August; this figure was far from the 2.1 million in the Balearic Islands or the one million in the Canary Islands. This does not mean that Cantabrians face a scenario where tourism promises to come to the fore.

Because? Simple. Because tourism is growing. These 223,000 passengers staying in hotel establishments – even more in those staying in tourist apartments designed by INE and other categories – may not be many compared to those in the Canary Islands, but they represent 5.28% more than in 2023 and bring out the best. In August, hotels in the region are outperforming pre-pandemic results since at least 1999. At least if we talk about the influx of travelers.

Spanish Newspaper Recent data from the Cantabrian Regional Tourism Promotion Association (Cantur) showed that the number of travelers staying in hotel and non-hotel accommodation increased by 0.5% in July and 3.7% in August. The total number of visitors will reach 788,300, but the newspaper warns that this calculation does not include houses for tourist use, so the final balance could be higher and completely close to a million.

Avoid extreme heat. Another important point is that tourism in the north of the peninsula appears to be gaining traction for the sector, with other traditional destinations becoming more popular and increasing studies warning of the impact global warming will have on travellers. To give an example: there are reports estimating that the climate crisis could reduce the flow of visitors to the Canary Islands during the summer campaigns by up to 19%.

An analysis from BBVA Research concludes: “The rise in temperatures could damage coastal areas of the Mediterranean, particularly in the most extreme global warming scenarios, but this impact will be partially offset by an improvement in tourist demand in northern Spain.” In other words: If these studies are correct, demand will increase in the future in regions with milder (and cooler) climates, such as the Cantabrian coast.

limit tourism. It’s too early to know whether the predictions will be accurate, but one thing cannot be denied: the influx of tourists to Cantabria is already high enough that some governments have decided to take action and protect particularly hot spots. Their goal: to limit tourists. And protect the region’s heritage and environment in the process.

There are two clear examples. We talked about the first one with you recently. In Cabezón de la Sal, local officials are considering controlling access to the popular redwood forest, a unique environment that attracts thousands of photo-taking visitors each summer. The second is the Caballo lighthouse in the Santoña Marismas Natural Park, another common destination among tourists that must be protected by capacity controls. At the end of August, the regional government and Santoña City Council announced a pilot test to control access.

Control… and protect. That seems to be the motto. Cabezón de la Sal’s redwood forest is visited by approximately 200,000 people a year, with as many as 800 on peak summer days. In addition to affecting the vegetation of the soil and roots, some of these visitors even hug tree trunks. Tear off pieces of bark to take home as souvenirs. Environmentalists have already warned of damage. Even signs demanding responsibility were placed.

Considering that the City Council of Cabezón de la Sal was already looking for a way to control access to the forest, neither one nor the other served to stop the degradation of the redwoods. It will limit capacity to about 300 or 350 people per day, based on numbers the mayor gave a few weeks ago. The measure has not yet been implemented, but Newspaper This week it was announced that the municipality expects access to the forest with turnstiles to be limited from Easter.

“It’s disturbing that there are so many people.”. A similar precaution has been taken at the Caballo lighthouse in Santoña. This summer, autonomous community and municipal authorities launched a pilot test to control access. Its purpose: Those wanting to visit the area between August 24 and September 29 would need to visit Consistory’s website to make a reservation.

There was already talk in 2022 of limiting visits to 300 people per day to keep the surroundings clean and prevent overcrowding, famous for the 763 stone stairs leading down to the lighthouse dating back to 1863. “It’s disturbing how many people there are,” he admitted. . Country A young woman approached the monument recently. The City Council assures that testing is “going very well” and is working to maintain the restriction in July and August, limiting the crossing to “a few hundred people every two hours.”

On the streets… and in institutions. Mass tourism and its many derivatives have also reached the streets and Cantabrian institutions. In May, between 3,000 and 8,000 people took to the streets with banners to show their rejection of the Ribamontán al Mar tourism megaproject, which is about 30 kilometers from Santander and includes hundreds of homes as well as a golf course. Their slogan: “We don’t want to be the Ibiza of the North.” In July, hundreds of people once again demanded a change in the tourism model and solutions to access to housing.

The issue has also reached institutions in the region; Both options, which have been discussed in the last few months: the borders of holiday homes or the tourist tax, did not convince the Cantabrian Administration very much.

Pictures | Rubén Díaz Caviedes (Flickr), Raúl Hernández González (Flickr), Cantabristas (X), Ecologists at Work and Cantabrian Government

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