Santander

Santander is the capital of the autonomous community of Cantabria situated on the north coast of Spain between Asturias and the Basque Country. Santander Tourism is flourishing with the presence of major tourist attraction in the Magdalena Palace which was used as a summer getaway of Spanish royalty. Set on a fine bay, Santander Central has attractive urban beaches. Other sights worth having a look at include the Jardines de Pereda and its carousel, a mundane cathedral with a Gothic crypt (Plaza de Obispo), and a Municipal Fine Arts Museum. While the environs have become industrialized, the city center is still the ideal zone to go for a walk along the sport harbors, nice beaches and colorful parks.

Santander has a lot of beaches, but the most emblematic ones are El Sardinero beaches. It is a sandy ground of almost three kilometers that begins in the Avenue Reina Victoria, next to La Magdalena, and it finishes in front of the famous Chiqui hotel. Magdalena and El Sardinero beaches extend out near the city center and are a little unnoticed because of a beautiful casino and the football stadium. August is the best time on a Santander Map when the music and arts festivals are held and the town gets filled with foreigners and accommodation is at a premium.

The seafront has a building the Palacio de la Magdalena on the green headland separating the two beaches. Chugging around smoothly around the pretty hilly gardens past a sea-lion zoo and polo pitch is a mini train. The Maritime Museum of Cantabria is on the far western edge of Playa de la Magdalena and is an attraction of Santander Spain for its aquarium with its elegant rays and slithery eels. The well designed museum overlooks the water. The Archaeological Museum and the Fine Arts Museum are also highlights of a trip to Santander Central. The two districts, Somo and Pedrana are accessible by boat trip from the Paseo de Pereda. Boat excursions around the bay in the summer months are an additional attraction.