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Located in Cantabria in the north of Spain, Santander is the capital of Cantabria and it has over 170.000 habitants. With an average temperature of 14ºC and an average of 1.200 mm/m² of rain (what we call humid Spain), the city and its culture is greatly influenced by the sea and its port.

Santander was named capital city of Cantabria in 1983, and it is connected to the UK since 1974 thanks to the cruise service between Santander and cities like Portsmouth. Santander citizens have grown accustomed to seeing ferries waiting on the bay every week.

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The first reference we can find of Santander as a settlement dates back to the 26th century B.C., according to the Roman Empire when fighting in the Cantabrian War.

The origin of Santander's city name comes from San Emeterio, and a famous legend where the heads of two saints arrived in a boat to the city.

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Santander grew after the muslim conquests in the VIIIth century, when people fled from the rest of the peninsula to the north. Different cultures and treasures where brought, like San Emeterio and San Celedonio's remains, or the largest known piece of the Lignum Crucis, where Jesus was supposedly cruficied.

Santander was always an important place in medieval times for fishing, trading and commerce thanks to its port activity. Some routes were connected to foreign cities like Plymouth or Bremen.

The city developed as a tourism destination thanks to the health related "Baños de ola" phenomenon and the growth of the rail system, and also the construction of the Magdalena Palace in 1911. Gifted to the royal family, it became a famous tourist spot for the high class of Spain.

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The lack of an old town or quarter in Santander is due to a number of tragedies hitting the city, such as the effects of war or accidents. For example, the fire that took place in 1941, destroying lots of homes and properties in hours, but also historic buildings like the cathedral.

Nowadays, the service sector is a key element to the city of Santander because it is where most people work. It is said that 76% of Santander's citizens work in this field.

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Click on the links of this PADLET (in coloured bold text) for more information, schedules, reservations, etc.

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ITM Guía Cantabria.

Espacio Joven Ayuntamiento Santander.

AENA.

Renfe.

Transporte de Cantabria.

Turismo Cantabria.

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Ayuntamiento Santander: 942 200 611 / 942 200 786

S.O.S.: 112

Local police: 092

National police: 091

Guardia Civil: 062

Firemen: 112

Crane service: 942 203 090

DGT: 060

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Ayuntamiento Santander.

Turismo Santander.

Oficinas Turismo Santander.

Oficinas Turismo de Santander.

Turismo de Cantabria.

Turismo de Cantabria - Santander.

Oficinas Turismo Cantabria.

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Santander Convention Bureau.

Spain Convention Bureau.

AFID Congresos.

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There is not a defined distribution but leisure and tourist activities are usually located to the south, as near as possible to the city center. Factories, other services and commerce are normally found to the north and in Peñacastillo.

The majority of services (hotels, restaurants, banks, hospitals…) are concentrated around the city center and near the beach and other tourist attractions.

The city is also equipped with a modern and big web of public transport like the airport and the bus and train stations.

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San Román and La Albericia.

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Valdenoja and La Pereda.

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Peñacastillo, Nueva Montaña, Cazoña and El Alisal.

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Sardinero, Puertochico, Paseo Pereda, General Dávila, Los Castros, San Fernando, Numancia, Valdecilla, Calle Alta and Castilla Hermida.

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The city hall from Santander and the tourist office offers a document where you can see a list of places to stay. You can find the rest here.

The following accommodation places are available all year and they offer the highest amount of services.

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Gran Hotel Sardinero, located in Plaza de Italia 1.

Santemar, located in Joaquín Costa 28.

Don Carlos, located in Duque Santo Mouro 20-22.

San Millán, located in Ortega y Gasset 94.

Santander Antiguo, located in Avenida de los Castros 65-A.

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Santander Central Hostel, located in Calderón de la Barca 4.

Hostería Santander, located in Joaquín Costa 43.

Mimosa, located in Jazmín 8.

Plaza Pombo B&B, located in Hernán Cortés 25, 3rd floor.

Suite Home Pinares, located in Avenida los Infantes 23.

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Hostel las Facultades, located in Avenida de los Castros 137-A.

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Las Brisas, located in Avenida Castañeda 17.

Estudio 12, located in Alberico Pardo. 65-B.

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Tourists can enjoy fish, seafood, cheese, beef and calf meat, vegetables and fruits, rice and dessert related products almost anywhere.

Santander is also common for its samples, snacks and tapas and wine in different restaurants.

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Casa Lita in Paseo Pereda 37.

Umma in Calle del Sol 47.

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La Rana Verde in Calle Daoiz y Velaverde 30.

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Bodega Cigaleña in Calle Daoiz y Velaverde 19.

Bodega del Riojano in Río de la Pila 5.

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Cañadío in Calle Gómez Oreña 15.

Deluz in Calle Ramón y Cajal 18.

La Bombi in Calle Casimiro Sáinz 15.

La Taberna del Herrero in Calle Rubio 4.

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Monerris in Calle Amós Escalante 8.

Capri in Paseo Pereda 3.

Regma in Paseo Pereda 5.

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In Santander there exists a gastronomic tour held in Mercado de la Esperanza, where up to sixteen people can participate. It’s only available Saturdays from May to June, from 10 to 12 AM. It serves both a gastronomic and historical purpose.

Tourists will enjoy a guided tour where they can learn about local products, hear about all the merchants’ stories and experiences and cook and taste food bought in the market alongside various cooks known in Santander.

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The following is a list of route schedules and itineraries created by the tourist office in Santander.

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A 2,5 kms long route, which begins in Pombo square and finishes in the bullring, including Pombo, Cañadío and Porticada squares, East Market, the bomb shelter and commercial streets.

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A 7 kms long route, which takes around an hour and a half, from El Sardinero quarter to Las Llamas park. Including a list of beaches, the casino and the university.

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A 2,5 kms long route, which takes place around the bay and the beaches, including the Botin Centre, the maritime promenade, the planetarium and the maritime museum.

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A 2,5 kms long route which lets you enjoy awesome sights from Santander, including the beach, the park and the lighthouse in Mataleñas.

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Enjoy Las Llamas park which has many roads for walking and natural areas where you can watch birds. There also is a cafeteria.

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This route begins from two different points and will take you to the highest peak in the city.

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A paid visit where a local guide will teach you about the historical buildings around the old quarter in Porticada square, like the bomb shelter, the cathedral and the wall.
Must contact in advance to this number: 942 20 30 99.

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Guided tour “Tour Santander bajo secreto de sumario”.

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Guided tour “Tour Santander bajo secreto de sumario”.

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A paid visit during night hours highlighting some of the most famous criminal cases files in Santander.
Must make reservations online in advance here.

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Discover Santander by the sea and its history. Labeled as one of the most beautiful bays in the world.
Schedules and online reservations can be seen here.

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This tour lasts about two and a half hours and showcases some of the modern paintings which defines the city.
Only available on Wednesday and through online reservation here.

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A promenade where visitors will reminisce about past times by visiting beautiful scenery like gardens and beaches, as well as the Magdalena Palace.
Must make a reservation online here.

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A guided tour where visitors will learn about renowned characters from the city of Santander as well as their writing pieces and how they changed our point of view of the city.
Must make a reservation online here.

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Santander is a comfortable city, because shopping, leisure and food areas are near each other, so tourists will not have to walk long distances to see everything.

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Santander offers a wide variety of sports-related activities, whether you like to participate or watch them. The main sports held in Santander are cycling, surfing, rowing and golf. People often benefit from the parks and other natural areas by taking walks or running.

There are multiple surfing schools in Santander, for example in Sardinero. The beaches of Santander are growing in popularity over the years and tourists often visit Santander just for them. Sailing has also become more popular thanks to the World Sailing Championship held in Santander in 2014.

Throughout the whole year there are multiple sports events held in Santander, like cycling, rowing or motor racing. You can also participate in them applying to different activities and schools in various villages outside of Santander.

Golf is a very important sport for the region as it has many golf fields, the most important being Mataleñas.

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The main shopping areas are between Cuatro Caminos and Burgos streets, the city hall of Santander, Porticada square, Tetuán and Lealtad streets and finally the shopping center in Peñacastillo and El Corte Inglés.

The main areas for bars and nightlife are Puertochico, Cañadío square or Río de la Pila street.

On July 25 the “Semana Grande de Santander” week is held, where tourists can enjoy multiple activities like concerts, fairs and events. More information can be read here.

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The most important museums in Santander are considered to be the modern arts museum (MAS), the prehistory and archeology museum (MUPAC), the maritime museum, the water museum or the tauromachy museum.

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The cultural circuit of Santander is a route that teaches visitors about the history of Santander and other curiosities in different places in the city.
More information about it here.

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The main art galleries to visit are “Espacio Alexandra”, “Estela Docal” and “Galería Juan Silió”. Other places to see art expositions are Centro Botín and the annual festival of urban art called “Desvel-arte”.

There are also multiple film libraries and a cinema located in Santander.

Lastly, Palacio de Festivales is a theatre hall where multiple events and plays are hosted that everyone can enjoy despite their age, located in Gamazo street.

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Santander is a good destination for families thanks to its cultural activities and public areas.

There are all sorts of events held throughout the year where children are welcome, like fairs, festivities, guided tours and sports.

The town hall of Santander provides a handbook full of information for parents who want to spend time with their children in the city. You can read it here.