Check out the magnificent caves at Puente Viesgo (24 kilometres from Santander), where stalactites and stalagmites stretch among incredible prehistoric paintings. The village itself is also worth a look around. Tours start at the visitor centre 1.5 kilometres above the village.

Take the reins and get in touch with your inner cowboy. Several places offer unique guided horseback riding tours across different scenic mountain paths so choose the one that's right for you. Call today to schedule your ride. SK Horses Cowpoke Corner Corral and National Park Gateway Stables +1 970 586 5890 or +1 970 586 5869 www.skhorses.com Estes Park Outfitters 5229 Little Valley Drive +1 970 215 7064 estesparkoutfitters.com

Further inland, in the southern part of the island, lie the so-called masticochoria (mastic villages). These well-preserved, fortified villages date from the 14th-16th centuries and were centres for the cultivation of mastic. Mastic is the sweet-tasting gum of the lentisk bush, which was exported all over the Mediterranean – and the area still produces around 300 tonnes of mastic every year. The most picturesque villages are Pyrgi, with its houses decorated in black and white geometric patterns called xysta Mesta, where towers and walls surround a baffling labyrinth of village streets as well as Olympoi and Vessa are all a worth a visit.

Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Garden is the sky-lit atrium at Bellagio with vibrant and fantastical scenes composed of plants, flowers and trees. The airy central conservatory was inspired by the Art Nouveau conservatories of Paris. Each season, a 120-person team of professionals creates displays with more than 10,000 flowers, which are regularly switched out to maintain freshness. You never know what to expect: giant flower sculptures celebrating the New Year, koi ponds and pagodas, enormous jade medallions and animatronic figurines, whimsical architectural elements and fantastical scenes.