Located in the heart of the Parque Natural de las Marismas de Santoña, Victoria y Joyel, between the green mountains and the Cantabrian Sea, the Pico Velasco boutique hotel is a superb example of 17th-century Cantabrian civil architecture. In the tastefully renovated interior, Inés Aguirreburualde and award-winning chef Nacho Solana showcase a traditionally based modern cuisine that always aims to highlight the full value of local and seasonal ingredients. Choose between two tasting menus: Albiar (which translates as “sunrise”), and Sincio (a Cantabrian expression that is used to denote a desire or craving). What sort of dishes will you find? Some lovely starters (Anchovy Platter) and small plates such as Alubias marinas or the so-called Lonja del Cantábrico, featuring fish, vegetables and seaweed.