The stunning city of Santander in the Spanish landscape of the Cantabrian Sea
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Santander, nicknamed la novia del mar (The Mermaid), is the capital of the autonomous community of Cantabria in northern Spain. Her Cantabrian husband gives her some of the most enchanting bays and beaches, but the nearby mountains that ring her territory beckon to their enduring courtship. With elegant palaces and gardens, it recalls typical Northern European city influences, yet the traditions, culture and way of life are one hundred percent Spanish. Among the outstanding history, nature and gastronomy, an overview of the main places of interest in Santander, connected from Italy by direct flights.
This charm that conquered the Spanish royal family
Roman is the origin of the founding of this city with ancient traditions associated with the sea. In the twelfth century, the shipyards of Santander, together with those in Cantabrian San Vicente, Laredo and Castro Urdiales, built ships for the fleet of the Kingdom of Castile, and in the nineteenth century, its port, thanks to trade with the United States. colonies, elevating them to an international reference point. Until the end of the nineteenth century, Santander’s fame spread as a tourist destination, and it was even chosen by members of the royal family of the monarchy who were attracted by the charm of its beaches and the Cantabrian Sea. In 1941, a massive fire destroyed the historic center of the city, but that did not prevent it from returning to its former glory and attracting everyone’s attention thanks to its privileged location. Today, to appreciate Santander, you can start from the natural context provided by the Magdalena peninsula with its green lungs provided by its park, La Cerda lighthouse and the magnificent panorama that opens out to the bay and El Sardinero beach. Getting to this part of town, the highest, can be simple and fun if you take the famous red tourist train that stops at the Palacio de la Magdalena. Built in the early 20th century to give the Spanish royal family a summer residence, it was King Alfonso XIII along with Queen Victoria Eugenia and their children who enjoyed the Cantabrian summer for about twenty years, since then the building has seen various uses, today it is also a museum that preserves Traces of years of visits and stays by the monarchy.
In the heart of the city are museums and art spaces
In the heart of Santander, on Calle Rubio 6, the Menéndez Pelayo Library is a place that seems to be part of the fairytale world of some of the forty-five thousand volumes in existence, a bibliographic heritage gift from the writer Marcelino Menéndez y Pelayo to his city. Declared a Site of Historic Artistic Value with the Menéndez Pelayo House Museum, which can be admired from the outside. The mausoleum of the generous Cantabrian writer is located nearby within the Gothic cathedral of Nuestra Senõra de la Asunción. Santander boasts many museums to discover its history and artistic treasures. The Archaeological Center of the Medieval Walls, in the very central Plaza de Velaverde – also known as the arcaded square, houses the oldest ruins of the capital of Cantabria with the famous preserved medieval walls of about twenty meters in length and displays ceramics and many objects that tell us how we lived in the past . MUPAC, Museum of Prehistory and Archeology of Cantabria, on Calle Bailén, offers an educational and interactive space with a chronological path in stages, from prehistory to the Middle Ages. MAS, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, is unfortunately closed at the moment for restoration. What catches your eye as you stroll along Paseo de Pereda, the waterfront promenade in the city center, is Centro Botín, a space dedicated to art and creative development designed by architect Renzo Piano. Inaugurated in 2017, the building is integrated into the city and the beautiful gardens of Pereda, from which it is possible to start a visit to this building to get to know the collection of the Botín Foundation and to be able to appreciate the temporary exhibitions, among which we point out the “Retratos: Esencia Y Expresión”, a selection From images from Jaime Botín’s art collection, including works by artists such as Henri Matisse and Francis Bacon, “Roni Horn: me paralyzion hope,” an exhibition running through September 10, traces three decades of American artist Roni Horn’s career through photographs, drawings, and sculptures. Continuing along the seafront of Santander, facing the bay, you come across the Cantabrian Maritime Museum; Within the itinerary, across an area of three thousand square meters, the history of this city and this city’s relationship with the sea, as well as with regard to human and technology intervention, are shown.
Gourmet cuisine in star restaurants and historic markets
The seafaring tradition in the same place also imposes on the table. However, the presence of mountains and pastures in the hinterland creates a fortunate combination as well in the kitchen, where you can savor fine meats and delicious cheeses. To test Cantabrian delicacies, there is the star-rated restaurant La Casona del Jodio in the Monti district of Calle Repuente 20, which hosts customers in a suggestive neoclassical building from the 18th century; Here fish and seafood are undoubtedly at the top of the list with hake and baked sea bass, but they also offer meat dishes such as steak with potatoes and braised veal cheek. Another restaurant included in the famous red Michelin guide is El Serbal on Avenida Manuel García Lago. In addition to the cuisine, which offers both fish and meat specialties, the strong point is the privileged location in front of El Sardinero beach with a wonderful view of the sea. To live the gourmet experience in the historic center of the city, the proposal is instead El Riojano, a restaurant well known for its traditional cuisine. Both were built in the late 19th century as an organized space for the trade of fresh produce, and the structures of the two most popular markets – Mercado de Este and de la Esperanza – can be the answer to a quick lunch, shopping or purchasing local specialty products such as cheese, wine and of course the selection of fish and cuisine. fresh marine. From 5 to 31 August it is possible to witness all the creative energy of Santander thanks to the International Festival: a historical event held since 1948, which includes theatre, concerts, performances, art and dance organized both in the Palacio de Festivales, opposite the bay and in different historical places in the center historical sites such as churches, gardens and palaces.
Stop by Sumo to ride the most beautiful waves in Europe
Santander has some of the most beautiful beaches, such as El Sardinero, El Camello, Mataleñas, La Concha and Los Peligros. But for those who want to make their days at the beach more active, the suggestion is to get to Somo, on the other side of the Magdalena Peninsula. Somo is known as one of the best European destinations for surfing, with its wide beach of fine sand, and welcomes surf lovers and tourists in a wonderful place that provides unforgettable moments, especially at sunset. Here everything revolves around the world of surfing with bespoke services, schools and specialty shops. Don’t miss Happy Bay, on Calle Los Hornos, a workshop that makes surfboards with resin dyes, according to the traditional Californian method. Somo is also famous for a few small ceramic hoops – torches -, a perfect purchase to remember this Cantabrian excursion.
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