Santander Travel Guide
For details of what to do and see in Santander, Spain check out our Santander guide to car hire in Santander.
|
|
 |
|||
|
||||
The port city of Santander is the capital of the northern Spain region of Cantabria, and lies on the Bay of Biscay between the cities of Bilbao and Oviedo. Home to just under two hundred thousand people, Santander is an historic city which has at times carried great influence over the region.
The first thing that visitors to Santander notice is that there are comparatively old buildings in the city when it is compared to other cities in Northern Spain, and this is due to the great fire of 1941 which burned for two whole days and plunged the city into a long depression.
Away from the large harbour where cruise ships and ferries arrive, Santander boasts some truly exceptional beaches, which are amongst the cleanest in Europe. The Atlantic winds can be quite bracing however, and the beaches are only really popular in the summer.
The main nightlife area of Santander is around the Plaza de Canadio, where there is a thriving café culture, and several excellent wine bars to wander between as the evening progresses, and if you fancy trying your luck on the roulette tables, there is a popular casino close to the beautiful Sardinero Beach.
Away from Santander, the beautiful Cantabrian countryside with its small villages and profusion of vineyards makes the area an excellent place for a Spanish fly drive holiday, especially during the late summer months when the new wines are produced and the weather is at its best.