Santander is the capital of Cantabria, a region located in the northern part of Spain. This coastal city offers interesting landscapes and places to visit. It is a city that can be easily visited in a weekend, but that offers us great spaces to enjoy, as well as an enviable gastronomy, like almost all the cities in the north of Spain.
If you want to know what places are what you can see in this beautiful city, we show you some that may be of great interest. Every time we visit a city we must have a list of places to see, otherwise we may miss very interesting things.
Peninsula and Palace of the Magdalena
In the Magdalena Peninsula, an area with incredible views of the Cantabrian Sea, built the Magadlena Palace, palace that the city gave to Alfonso XIII. This king promoted the tourism of the upper classes in the north of the country, turning Santander into a luxury destination for a vacation. The palace would thus become his summer residence until 1929. Today this peninsula is one of the most visited places in the city. You enter it for free, but you do have to pay to see the Palace from the inside. On the Peninsula there is also a small zoo, a beautiful pine forest and three caravels.
Cantabrian Maritime Museum
If we go with the whole family to Santander, one of the best places we can visit is the Cantabrian Maritime Museum. This museum was already inaugurated in the eighties and today it has much more things than those related to the sea. You can see archaeological pieces, marine charts, boats, photographs and much more. There is even an aquarium, which is one of the parts that children like the most.
Go up to the funicular of the Río de la Pila
This funicular is located in the old part of the city and it was inaugurated in 2008. It is a funicular with three stops and it costs nothing, so it is a good idea to see the city in a different way. At the last stop there are great views of the bay, a great panoramic view of the city, and it takes only a few minutes, so the experience is worth it.
Santander Cathedral
La Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady is the religious building most important in the city. Although it is not one of the most spectacular or famous cathedrals in Spain, the truth is that it is another point of interest. The cathedral was built between the 1941th and XNUMXth centuries on top of the ruins of an old monastery. Although during the following centuries it underwent many reforms. Especially due to the great fire of the city in XNUMX. The cathedral that we can see today is made up of two overlapping churches in Gothic style.
Visit the Cabo Mayor Lighthouse
This lighthouse, which began to be used in 1839It is a really beautiful place, hence it is another point of interest. Its views of the sea and the natural enclave in which they are located is perfect for taking pictures. This is an area above sea level that was always used to send signals to ships, hence the lighthouse was built. The lighthouse also has several annex buildings in which there are exhibitions about lighthouses.
Botín Center
This center has two buildings in the shape of a book, located in the Jardines de Pereda. This building houses art exhibitions and music concerts and it is a very interesting modern building. It was inaugurated in 2017, so it's one of the novelties in town.
El Sardinero Beach
This is the beach par excellence of the city of Santander. A really famous urban beach, which was turned into a summer resort for the upper classes in the XNUMXth century. Today it is still a great place to spend the summer and also to walk during the winter.
Grand Casino
In the old casino great parties of the upper classes were held, with nobility and royalty from all over Europe in the XNUMXth century. The building has a neoclassical style that makes it stand out. At present it is only dedicated to being a place for games and bets although before it was also an events and art center.
Enjoy the Bay area
This, together with the old town of Santander, is one of the most famous areas of the city. In the bay is the Botín Art Center, but we can also continue the walk to see the Stone Crane or the Embarcadero Palace.
Peñacabarga Natural Park
This is the closest natural area to the city of Santander. It is a protected area located in the Sierra de la Gándara. In this area we can enjoy beautiful hiking trails.