Tourist attractions Santander

Santander’s seaside resort hs four beaches, the largest two of which, the Primera Playa El Sardinero and the Segunda Playa El Sardinero (separated by the Piquio Gardens ), extend over 3km of golden sand, in a bay running from the Magdalena penin..

The beauty of the landscape, and the sublime views it offers, have made this peninsula one of the town's most sought-after districts. Take a stroll through the park, an oasis of greenery, as far as El Sardinero where there is a small zoo and replicas..

Thanks to the Spanish royal family, bathing in the sea became popular in Santander from the late 19C. Summer visitors have a choice of no fewer than 12 beaches! To explore them all, start in front of the Paseo de Pereda and head along the coast towar..

Perched on the hill, the cathedral looks more like a fortress. Badly damaged by a fire i 1941, it was rebuilt in the Gothic style. The baptismal font inside is actually a Moslem ablutions basin. The crypt dates back to the 12C.

Housed in the basement of the Diputación, this is made up of collections from digs in prehistoric caves around Cantabria. Most items come from the Palaeolithic period with engraved bones and batons . Closed for restoration.

In this former iron mine on the Cabarga Sierra, an environmental rehabilitation programme has been put into place. It includes a wildlife park where you can see animals from all continents living in semi-freedom.

Aside from the paintings by local painters, this museum contains several works of art by Goya: the portrait of Ferdinand VII and famous watercolours such as Disasters of War , Bullfighting and Caprices and Dreams .

Marcelino Menéndez y Pelayo (1856-1912), a great lover of books, created a fabulous library of 45,000 books that he left to his home town.

From the lighthouse, a fine view of the coast and bay. You are on the fascinating Cantabrian coast.

The museum is hosed in a 17C home and contains furniture, utensils and work instruments found across the province. Upstairs, there are souvenirs of Pedro Velarde, a hero of the War of Independence.

In the little winding valley of the Pisueña, the church of Santa Cruz de Castañeda , a former collegiate, was begun in the late 12C. The deep portal's elegance is due to the alternating concave and convex archivolts.