A weekend in Santander is the perfect escape if you live in the North of Spain. This small but charming Spanish city has lots for you to do in 48 hours. Here are some of the highlights.
How to spend a weekend in Santander
The first thing you should be aware of is the weather. I’m afraid the expression “Sunny Spain” doesn’t always apply to Santander. Now don’t get me wrong, there are days where the sun is shining and it’s warm. However there are also many days of cold, wind and rain.
Both times that I went to Santander were in mid-June and the water was still a bit too cold to swim (although locals were enjoying a little dip in the water). I would definitely recommend to still pack a bathing suit as the beach is still a great option! Be careful because the tide rises. I kept having to move my stuff back!
Getting around the city
Another thing you should know about Santander is that it is a hilly city! It’s not a city that you can exactly walk from one end to the other quickly. If you don’t have a car, there is a bus system that works perfectly!
On my second trip to Santander, I took a bus from Logroño and met my boyfriend there since he was coming from the opposite direction (he had a business trip that week). I arrived about four hours earlier than him. After grabbing lunch, I looked up how to get to our hotel on Google Maps and saw that it was a 40 minute walk and that there were no buses! Well … no buses showed up on Google Maps.
One thing I’ve learned from living in Spain is that not all buses show up on Google Maps. If you want to easily find the public transit somewhere, I recommend the app Moovit as they seem to have all the public transit options for cities all over Spain (and likely other countries too). I looked up how to get to our hotel on there and they showed me several buses that I could take. Easy peasy!
If you have a car, that would probably be ideal. Also most cities apart from Madrid and Barcelona will not have Uber. However there will also be lots of taxis you can take.
Exploring the city center
The center of the city is where you can find all the good shops and restaurants. You’ll find lots of places with good pinchos in this area.
You’ll also find the Centro Botin here. It’s a space along the water and right in downtown Santander. It’s an art gallery and a space with an rooftop terrace offering amazing views of the city like this one below. When I went, I also enjoyed a cup of coffee and a toast in their cafe after my climb up to the roof.
If you wish to get another view of the city, you should take the the Funicular. It’s basically a free elevator found in the center of the city. I highly recommend taking it up around sunset.
Enjoy the beach and coast
Another great way to really enjoy a weekend in Santander is enjoying the seaside. Our hotel was within walking distance of Playa del Sardinero. This spot is a great place to go for a walk if you don’t quite feel like a swim. Somedays the water felt a bit too cold for me. On our first trip to Santander, we ate lunch at a placed called El Parque de Trueba. It was the perfect spot if you’re planning to spend the entire day at the beach. Unfortunately they aren’t open for dinner.
If you wish to take a short hike, you can check out the lighthouse Faro de Cabo Mayor. Personally these were some of my favorite views of the coast in Santander. You can walk around the lighthouse and right up to the coast. It’s a cliff, so not quite a beach where you can swim.
Another spot you should check out is the Magdalena Palace, a beautiful building right next to the shore. We didn’t have time to visit this trip, but hopefully we can visit it in the future.
Catch the ferry
If you wish to explore the surrounding areas, you can also catch a ferry from the city center to Pedreña and Somo. Tickets are 5,20€ roundtrip. It was fun to see a little something different and ride on a boat. We caught the ferry into Somo, walked around and enjoyed lunch there. They also have quite an amazing beach.
On the way out of Santander
Cabárceno Natural Park
Just outside of Santander there is an amazing animal park called Cabárceno. This wonderful park isn’t a zoo because the animals are not in cages. This park has over 120 animal species on 1,900 acres of land. You pay an entrance fee per person at the gate and then are free to drive all over the park. You also have the option to rent bikes. I would definitely recommend doing one of the two as it is quite big.
Included in the price of your ticket is a ride on the cable cars. I would definitely recommend taking advantage of this as you can see the park from a whole new angle.
Day trip to Santillana del Mar
Just about 30 minutes outside of Santander you will find one of the prettiest villages in Spain. Santillana del Mar is an adorable spot for a walk, a drink and maybe lunch.
Where to stay
Your accommodations for a weekend in Santander will depend on which part of the city you want to be in. On our first trip, we stayed in a hotel more in the center of the city called Royal Suites Santander.
On our second trip, we opted for a place near the beach and near the race my boyfriend was running. It was called Sercotel Palacio del Mar. We stayed in a suite that had a separate living room from the bedroom. Overall, it was very nice, but not around as many shops or restaurants as the place we stayed on our first trip.
Have you explored Santander or the Cantabria region?
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