Sign in with Facebook
Monument to Pedro Velarde (Santander, Spain)
Jardines de Pereda (Santander, Spain)
El Sardinero. Steam tram on far left.
The yard of the palaceThe "Bay" of Santander
Although they call it a bay, Santancer actually faces a vast estuary. This is indeed the largest estuary in the Northern coast of Spain, although none of the rivers that converge here is significantly long or mighty. To the South, the most important tributaries are the rías of Solía, San Salvador and Astillero, to the East, the rías of El Carmen and Raos and, finally the most important of all, the ría de Cubas, which is how the mouth of the river Miera is known.
It is said that centuries ago the Bay of Santander was double its current size. Different land reclamation projects for residential, industrial and port facilities have modelled its shape, particularly on the side where the city of Santander stands. Currently, the bay is 9 km long and 5 km wide. About half of the population of Cantabria lives around the bay but, there are still a few pockets of swamps and lagoons where you can still enjoy the wildlife.
The estuary is protected by a long sandbar known as El Puntal, which makes for a good spot to spend a beach day. It almost closes the estuary from the open sea and prevents the existence of marine currents or high waves (except when a strong South wind blows) but also difficults the access to the port of Santander.
The Bay can be enjoyed from most of the city's waterfront and, particularly, from the promenade that connects the old port with the beaches and residential areas of El Sardinero offering fantastic views of its beaches and the natural backdrop of snow-capped mountains.
