15 Essentials: what to see and do in Santander in 2 or 3 days

Santander It is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful cities on the Cantabrian coast in Spain, which reaches its tourist peak in the summer season.

But the capital of Cantabria It is also an ideal place for visit at any time of the year.

In fact, in recent years I have had the opportunity to do getaways to Santander at different times of the year to enjoy the numerous attractions of the Cantabrian capital.

What to see on the Santander tourism visit

Based on this experience, below I am going to highlight the best corners what to see and visit on a trip tourism in Santander, as well as the most interesting activities to do in the Cantabrian capital.

Walk through Sardinero and its beaches

La Sardinero area It is the most frequented by visitors to Santander thanks to the attractiveness of its beaches and its stately atmosphere.

During the summer vacation season they are the great daily meeting point for the people of Santander and the many visitors who come to the city.

But these beaches are not only ideal for swimming in summer, but also for walking at any time of the year.

Piquío Gardens in Santander

You can take the walk along its sandy beach on the seashore, or along the promenade that connects the two. Sardinero beaches, with the pleasant Piquío gardens as a link between both.

If you still don't know it, I can tell you that the area of Sardinero It is perhaps the most beautiful of the city ​​of Santander, where you will find historic hotelsand Royal Hotel, or leisure establishments such as Grand Casino, which has just turned one hundred years old.

On this walk you will also see the numerous palatial mansions that are distributed throughout the residential area of ​​Sardinero, such as the Quinta de los Pinares or the Brown House.

Without a doubt they are a great reflection of the great boom that the city has had as a summer residence of the monarchy.

Visit the Magdalena Palace in Santander

walk through the Sardinero area in Santander It is an invitation to visit what is, perhaps, the most emblematic building in the city, the Magdalena Palace.

Located on the wooded peninsula of the same name, it is the palace that the city council gave to the kings Alfonso XIII y Victoria Eugenie on the occasion of their wedding in 1906.

From then on, until 1930, Santander It became a summer residence for the kings.

Property of the city council since 1977, currently the Magdalena Palace hosts the summer courses of the Menendez Pelayo University, as well as conferences and other events.

You can tour the palace in guided tours that take you to know its most outstanding rooms, such as the Alfonso XIII Room, Gala dining room, Royal Hall or Family Room.

Cabo Mayor Lighthouse in Santander

Tu visit to the Sardinero area It is incomplete if you do not end up reaching the Cape Major Lighthouse.

It is a place from where you will have good panoramic views of the cliffs and coastal area that opens from the Santander Bay.

Inside the building you can see a art Gallery with artistic works and objects related to lighthouses, as well as the artist's private collection Eduardo Sanz.

Mataleñas park and beach in Santander

Between the second beach of Sardinero and the lighthouse extends the Matalenas Park, gardens donated to the city council at the beginning of the 20th century.

In addition to a beach, rather a cove, in Matalenas you find a municipal golf course, which you can enjoy if you are a fan of this sport.

La Maruca beach in Santander

Returning from the lighthouse you can approach one of the least known and most frequented corners among visitors to Santander, which shows the most rural facet of the Cantabrian capital.

Is The ling, a beach and a small port located in the northernmost coastal area of ​​the city.

When you are in The ling You feel transported to one of the small coastal towns of Cantabria...but in reality it is a neighborhood in the municipality of Santander.

Due to its location at the entrance to the bay, this area had military use in the past.

Thus, next to what was an old battery from the mid-17th century, the Coastal Interpretation Center, where you will find panels with information about landscapes, flora, fauna and other facets of this coastal area.

If you are fond of Hiking, I will tell you that there is a path that runs along the seashore from the Cabo Mayor Lighthouse to La Maruca, and that if you followed it it would take you to Liencres, already outside the municipality.

If you do it completely you will have traveled more than eleven kilometers after about three hours of walking.

Botín Center and Pereda Gardens in Santander

Also forming part of the aforementioned cultural ring, In the Pereda Gardens, a symbol of the city that occupies land that in the past was reclaimed from the sea, you find what has become the main cultural axis of the city, the Botín Art Center.

It is a large building that was inaugurated in 2017, and which has come to mark a before and after for the cultural aspect of Santander.

Design Botín Center It shows two large volumes that are joined by open spaces and walkways.

Inside there is a 2.500 square meter exhibition hall, and outside there is a terrace from which you can see panoramic views of Santander and its bay.

At Botín Center they present themselves international art exhibitions and others are carried out cultural activities with film series, guided tours and training workshops.

Santander Cathedral

Without a doubt yes visits Santander In a time other than summer, you will feel an invitation to discover the most cultural side of Santander, less known for being overshadowed by the appeal of the more summery face it represents El Sardinero and its beaches.

At the outset I suggest that you visit the Santander Cathedral, where you will discover the curious medieval history of the city, which in the 200th century was a very small coastal town of just XNUMX inhabitants.

At that time in the Somorrostro Hill the so-called Old Puebla, a group of buildings among which was an abbey, the origin of the current cathedral building.

Santander It became a cathedral when in the 18th century it was declared the main parish of the city as such.

When you visit you will see that the building has a very curious configuration with two superimposed churches.

In the lower part, the original from the 12th century, now known as church of Christ, and at the top, the Cathedral-Basilica of Santander, Gothic style and completed in the 14th century.

History of the city of Santander

In the bell tower of the Santander Cathedral Do you have the Interpretation Center of the History of the City.

While you climb to the top of the aforementioned bell tower to see panoramic views of the city center, you can learn the history of what was just a small village in the 12th century.

Santander cultural ring

Did you know Santander has a cultural ring which in just 500 meters radius allows you to visit seven exhibition spaces and tour a culture routel?

Indeed, in the most central area of ​​the city, around the Pereda Gardens, porticada square and Plaza de la Catedral, you can visit various interpretation centers that will allow you to delve deeper into the city ​​history.

Medieval wall of Santander

I want to highlight the visit to the remains of the medieval wall under the floor of the Porticada Square.

After excavations carried out in 2006, this archaeological space It has been set up for a very educational and recommended visit, which begins with a very interesting multimedia presentation.

I assure you it's worth it.

Route of the Santander Fire

Or also the cultural route of the historic Santander fire occurred in 1941, which has so marked the subsequent urban development of the city center.

La Route of the Santander Fire It allows you to see the ten most representative places of that event, and with the help of black and white photos you can see the urban development of the city in the last 76 years.

Anti-aircraft shelter from the Civil War in Santander

Another exhibition space that you can visit in the aforementioned Santander Cultural Ring is an old Civil War air raid shelter.

With an area of ​​140 square meters, in this enclave you can learn about the most relevant aspects of life in the city during the conflagration.

What museums to visit in Santander

Santander is also city ​​of museums, and you have several options to visit if the weather is not suitable for going to the beach, or if you make your getaway during the non-summer season.

First, the MAS, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Santander and Cantabria, free entry, where among contemporary works you can also see samples from other periods, such as the Portrait of Ferdinand VII made by Goya.

On the other hand, in the birthplace of the philologist Menendez Pelayo You cannot miss a museum dedicated to his figure, the House-Museum of Menéndez Pelayo, also free access.

And next to her, the Menéndez Pelayo Library where more than 42.000 books of its bibliographic legacy are preserved.

As we have commented, the history of Santander you can meet her at interpretation Center that is in the bell tower of the cathedral.

And in the MUPAC, Museum of Prehistory and Archeology of Cantabria you find a large collection of objects from the Paleolithic to Middle Ages.

Boat cruise through the Bay of Santander

Another of the great attractions that a visit to Santander is to enjoy a bay cruise what can you do between the months of April and October.

Of course, for other times of the year you always have the option of embarking on the maritime route that connects Santander with Pedreña and Somo, small towns located on the other side of the bay, which is operational throughout the year.

Already from eastern you can do the above cruise through the Bay of Santander an hour long, which takes you up to Cape Major and Santa Marina Island.

Likewise, from May to September you will also have the option of ship crossing Strut from Somo beach.

What to do in Santander in autumn and winter

We have already commented that Santander It is an ideal city to visit at any time of the year, and specifically, if the visits in autumn, you can enjoy various activities typical of the time.

Likewise, during your visit you will be struck by the chestnut locomotives, showy little trains where this dried fruit is sold in cones.

The celebrations are also celebrated around chestnuts. “solidarity magostas”, popular events that aim to raise funds for charities.

Finally, in the highly recommended visit to Hope Market you can also buy others gastronomic products typical of the autumn season.

Christmas in Santander

In addition to cultural visits, in winter you also have the attraction of enjoying the Christmas activities in Santander, starting with the Christmas lights that graces the main streets of the city center.

In this regard, on the façade of the Town Hall, multimedia projections with different Christmas motifs, which change continuously.

Also noteworthy is the christmas market that you can visit in the Alfonso XIII Square, popularly known as the lamppost square.

With up to 70 positions installed, the Christmas market schedule It is from 10 a.m. to 22 p.m.

You can also visit the traditional Belén which is installed in the Eastern Market, with hours from 9 in the morning to 11 at night.

Finally, in other corners of the city various solidarity activities, children's workshops or street performances take place, and it should be noted that during the Christmas holidays the municipal buses are free.

Best excursions from Santander

From the Cantabrian capital you can also do very interesting excursions to nearby places.

In this regard we highlight the excursion to Cabárceno park from Santander, and if you go on your own, given the capacity limitations you must buy tickets in advance.

Other very notable excursions that you can do during your stay in the Cantabrian capital are to Fuente Dé Cable Car or Soplao Caves.