Parador de Limpias

Spain – Cantabria – Limpias

19th-century palace

4-star

This recently opened Parador, just a few minutes from the coast in the little village of Limpias, is conveniently situated roughly half way between Bilbao and Santander. It comprises a 19th-century palace designed by Emilio de la Torriente for a local nobleman, plus a light and airy modern wing, designed in the Bauhaus style. The Palacio de Eguilior, as it is known, was used as the summer home of the council of King Alfonso XIII (reigned 1886–1931), and is surrounded by 5 hectares of park land containing so many rare specimen trees that it has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The grounds also include gardens, a tennis court and a swimming pool. The interior of the Parador has all the elegance one would expect of a former palace, and facilities include a gym, a sauna and an indoor heated swimming pool. The restaurant offers both seafood from the nearby coast, such as Marmita (a traditional fisherman’s stew) and clams sautéed in parsley sauce, and hearty fare from the Cantabrian mountains, such as Cocido montañés (a bean and sausage casserole).

There is garage parking at this Parador.

The indoor swimming pool and the gym are currently closed for refurbishment (Spring 2010)