Santander Things to Do

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Down at the eastern end of the seafront lies the Magdalena peninsula. This high promontory is often battered by the storms in the Bay of Biscay, so it is surprising that Alphonse XIII had his summer retreat here, although the site and building were offered by the city of Santander. The palace is now the HQ of the International University of Menendez Pelayo. There is a small zoo, or what's left, just a few sealions and some penguins. There were supposed to be polar bears here but I never got to see them. Further along is a small maritime museum with some replicas of galleons with which Vital Alsar explored the Amazon. There is a small train that takes you around but much better to walk and take in the splendid views of the bay.

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The beaches down the avenue (respectively called Dangers Beach, Madeleine Beach and Bikini Beach) are the closest to the urban centre and, for that reason, they can get quite crowded on sunny summer days. Then, rather than a relaxing place, they become an excellent people-watching spot and a meeting place for the local youth. In the wintertime, however, they are a really calm: a perfect place for lovers holding hands and other romantic people walking on the surf.

In spite of being urban beaches, since there are no buildings on sight at all, they still provide the feeling of being in a relatively natural environment. Facing the Bay, protected by the Puntal sand tongue, the sea is very calm here, without the characteristic Atlantic waves unless the South wind is blowing.

The portion of the beach closest to the city centre is called Dangers Beach, as it was here where the pirates usually landed when they intended to attack the city. Towards the end, the beach is known as Bikini Beach. It was here where bikinis were seen for the first time in the city, brought by foreign students at the UIMP, in a time where Spain was still living under the extremely morally repressive regime of Franco. This portion of the beach has a long jetty which is perfect for diving off.

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Returning to the centre, pass by Santa Lucía and Hammer Streets. You will reach this beautiful ecclectic building which was used as the headquarters of the former Banco Mercantil, just behind the Banco Santander building.

With its old-fashioned style and gentle pace of life, Santander looks like an unlikely hub for finance. But there was a time when its banks and financial institutions played a determining role in Spanish economy. It was noticeably in this area of the city that the intrigues and struggles for power between the most influential families in the city took place, which could well have made the storyline of a soap opera.

The Banco Mercantil was a local competitor of the Banco de Santander. They both competed for years until the BS eventually took over and absorbed the Banco Mercantil. For this financial operation, the BS had the support of another bank, the Banesto, which received the building as compensation. For many years, this building was the headquarters of Banesto in Santander. In the end, the BS also absorbed the Banesto, but now the building is occupied by an electric utility (Viesgo).

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The Banco Santander (currently BSCH) is one of the largest in the world and, probably the entity that has made the name Santander better known outside Spain, particularly in Latin America. The headquarters were moved to Madrid decades ago, but its main seat is still unarguably the most impressive building on the Paseo de Pereda.

Most of the building is not coetaneous to the rest of constructions on the Paseo, as it is a work of González de Riancho dating from the second half of the XX century. Actually, the construction consists of two symetrical buildings linked by a triumphal-like arch over Hammer Street. One of these buildings had been erected in the late XIX century, and the second one is a replica by González de Riancho, who is also the author of the arch.

Since the office of the BSCH are still located here, no tours are currently available inside the building.

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As a tourist, everything plays second fiddle to the Madeleine Peninsula in Santander. Linked to the rest of the city by a narrow isthmus, the peninsula is surrounded by lovely sandy beaches and has large park areas and several attractions. On the highest point, the Palace of the Madeleine used to be the Royal Summer residence in the early 20th century.

The 25 hectare park that covers the Madeleine peninsula is a lovely place to walk, play sports, relax or enjoy the sea and Bay views. For its stunning location, totally surrounded by sea and sandy beaches, and for the amazing vistas, this has to be one of the most interesting urban parks in Spain.

A Maritime Museum could not be missing in a city with a long seafaring history and strong links to the sea. The MMC (Museo Marítimo del Cantábrico) is built on the promenade that leads from the Festival hall to the Beach of the Dangers, directly on the sea. It is not very big and makes a great option for a rainy afternoon.

The exhibits include three different sections: Marine Biology and Aquariums, Fishing Ethnography and Maritime History.

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Although not particularly popular with overseas visitors, who tend to opt for sunnier sides of Spain, Santander occupies a high position in the Spanish tourism branch thanks to its fantastic urban beaches, among the finest in the Iberian peninsula.

During the 19th century, its mild weather and the curative effects of the sea water attracted wealthy aristocrats from central Spain and the city became one of the most fashionable holiday resorts in the country. Eventually, the King had one of his summer residences built on one peninsula that juts into the Santander Bay and more and more affluent citizens from Madrid followed.

The city has retained the air of sophistication and elegance that corresponds to such old-fashioned resorts and many of the villas that were built in that Belle Époque are still there to be admired. Besides, unlike in many other European beach front locations, no high rise buildings line the coast disrupting the view, which remains pleasantly unspoilt.

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El marinero Cántabro Vital Alsar que cruzó varias veces el Oceano Atlántico , en sus expediciones "La Balsa", "Las Balsas", "La ruta de Orellana" o "La Marigalante" .
Donó los barcos a la ciudad de Santander y como se puede ver en la Magdalena , tanto las balsas como los barcos se constuyeron en las mismas condiciones y con los materiales que se hicieron originalmente y sus viajes siguieron las rutas y utilizaron los medios de los antiguos navegantes
The Cantabrian sailor Vital Alsar who crossed several times the Atlantic Ocean, in its expeditions “the Raft”, “the Rafts”, “the route of Orellana” or “the Marigalante”. He donated his boats to the city of Santander and as it is possible to be seen in the Magdalena, as much the rafts as the boats were built in the same conditions and with the materials that were made originally and his trips followed the routes and used means of the old navigators