Santander - Do & See
Cathedral
This Gothic building was restored after the 1941 fire. Relics include the skulls of Santander’s patron saints. The writer Menéndez Pelayo’s tomb is also here.
Club Nautico La Horadada
This centre on the Playa de la Magdalena offers a wealth of watersports for the active beachgoer, including windsurfing, surfing, sailing, waterskiiing and canoeing.
Cuevas Del Monte Castillo
It’s worth a trip out to these magnificent caves at Puente Viesgo (24 kilometres from Santander), where stalactites and stalagmites stretch among incredible prehistoric paintings. The village itself is also pretty. Open every day during the summer, but closed Monday and Tuesday October to April.
Menéndez Pelayo Library
This impressive collection contains 41,500 volumes gifted to the town by the writer and thinker, Menéndez Pelayo.
Museo de Bellas Artes
This museum features works by Goya, including his portrait of Fernando VII, and Zurbarán, as well as lesser-known modern pieces.
Museo Marítimo
With exhibits ranging from model boats to whale skeletons and sixteen aquariums, this is a superb museum covering everything nautical. Look out for the two-headed sardine!
Paseo Marítimo
The Spanish like to stroll, and this one-kilometre boardwalk is a good place to join them. It stretches from the Estación Marítima (Ferry Station) and Puerto Chico, and features several points of interest including the Palacete de Embardadero and sculptures of the raqueros – children who used to dive naked into the sea to gather coins thrown by passers-by.
Playa De Somo
This beach across the bay from Santander is much loved for its soft sand, incredible views and relative tranquillity. It’s also known as a good spot for surfing and there’s a surf school that gives lessons and rents boards (Escuela Cantabra de Surf, Calle Isla De Mouro, 12). The best way to get there is by the regular boat service run by Los Reginas on the Paseo Marítimo.
Playa Del Sardinero
This beach is the largest and most popular in Santander. It’s divided into three parts: the Playa de la Concha is the most southerly, then there’s the Primera Playa, and lastly, the Segunda Playa to the north. From the Segunda Playa it’s a short walk to the Cabo Mayor lighthouse, which perches on picturesque, towering cliffs. El Sardinero is a couple of kilometres from the city centre – take bus number one.
Santanilla Del Mar
Many people enjoy a day trip to this sensationally pretty nearby village, 26 kilometres west of Santander.
