Santander travel guide
Sardinero beach, Magdalena headland and razor clams by the bay
Cantabria's capital, a port city on a sheltered bay with town beaches at Sardinero, the Magdalena palace and plenty of fresh seafood. June to September brings the warmest, driest weather. Two or three days lets you see the bay and make a trip along the coast. Costs are above average, and many passports enter visa-free.
Santander, the capital of Cantabria, is a working port on Spain's north coast with a regular ferry to Britain. People come for the bay. It has city beaches, a palace on a headland and a lighthouse on the cliffs, all under a mild, rainy climate that rarely brings heatwaves.
Much of the old town burned in a two-day fire in February 1941, so the centre is largely postwar, laid out around the neoclassical Plaza Porticada. The cathedral is worth a visit for its two stacked churches: the Iglesia del Cristo, begun in the 12th century, below, and the Gothic basilica with its cloister above. Paseo de Pereda then runs east along the waterfront to Puerto Chico, the old harbour.
Sardinero, about 4 km from the cathedral, is the beach end of town, built up from the 1840s as a resort to rival Biarritz. Walk out over the Magdalena headland and its palace, carry on to the Faro de Cabo Mayor lighthouse, then take a boat round the bay from Paseo Marítimo if the weather holds. Racing, back in La Liga, play at El Sardinero stadium near the beach.
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Top things to do in Santander
A long bay walk from the cathedral to Sardinero beach, with a palace, a lighthouse and seafood along the way.
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Best time to visit Santander
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Mild, rarely hot; beach weather at Sardinero, though showers still pass through.
Fewer people and mild days, with more rain; the bay walk still works between showers.
Cool and frequently wet, but cold snaps are rare; good for the old town and museums.
Pack a rain jacket even in summer; rain is frequent all year on this coast.
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Getting there
Buses from Camargo, Chamartín trains and the ferry quay
Seve Ballesteros-Santander Airport (SDR) is in Camargo, 5 km from downtown, with Ryanair flights from Britain, Ireland and western Europe, Iberia from Madrid and Vueling from Barcelona. Alsa buses run from outside Arrivals to the central bus station every 30 minutes between about 06:30 and 23:00, a 10-minute ride; buy tickets from the machine in the hall or from the driver. Taxis wait outside and take cards. In the centre, the bus, mainline and Cercanías stations stand side by side, with left luggage and cafés. Ferries from the United Kingdom dock at the port, close to the centre.
- Alsa airport bus
- Every 30 minutes, about 10 minutes to the bus station
- Train from Madrid Chamartín
- About five a day, 4-5 hours via Segovia and Valladolid
- Alsa coaches
- Hourly from Bilbao (about 90 minutes); every two hours from Madrid (about 5 hours 30)
- For non-Schengen departures, stay landside until about 45 minutes before your flight; gates 6 and 7 have no toilets or cafés.
- The return airport bus leaves from the south side of the bus station.
Where to stay
Paseo de Pereda, Cañadío or the Sardinero seafront
Choose between the centre near the stations and the cathedral, the old-town bar streets, or the beach district out at Sardinero. The centre is best for short stays and train connections; Sardinero suits a beach holiday.
- Centre and Paseo de Pereda
- Close to the stations, the cathedral and the waterfront
- Around Plaza de Cañadío
- Bars on the doorstep, lively in the evening
- Sardinero
- On the beach, a bus ride or a 4 km walk from the centre
Getting around
On foot, TUS buses and the sightseeing loop
The city sprawls along the bay, but almost everything worth seeing lies on a 4 km strip from the cathedral and Town Hall out to the Magdalena headland and Sardinero, and walking it along the water is the best part of a visit. TUS runs 24 city bus lines; pay the driver for a single ride, or buy a rechargeable contactless card at kiosks near the main stops, which lowers the cost per trip and allows free transfers within an hour (it is not valid on the airport bus). The hop-on sightseeing bus loops hourly from the cathedral past the Magdalena palace, Sardinero and the Cabo Mayor lighthouse, a 75-minute circuit.
- Walking
- Cathedral to Magdalena headland or Sardinero is about 4 km along the bay
- TUS city buses
- 24 lines; a rechargeable card gives free transfers within an hour
Know before you go
What makes Santander worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- The bay walk from Puerto Chico to the Magdalena headland and on to Sardinero.
- The cathedral's lower church, the Iglesia del Cristo, dating back to the 12th century.
- A plate of navajas or anchovies, the razor clams and small fish this coast does best.
Good to know
- Avoid the cathedral during Mass, held several times a day and more often on Sundays.
- Bring a rain layer in every season; showers are frequent even in summer on this coast.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Santander, month by month
Santander's August peaks at a cool 23°C, and January holds 13°C by day and 8°C at night. November is wettest, at about 153 mm.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Santander, downtown, 64 m (Météo Climat, via Wikipedia).
Navajas at the Mercado del Este and wine on Plaza de Cañadío
Order fish and shellfish. Clams, razor clams, anchovies and sea bass dominate menus, the Mercado del Este food court gathers many kitchens under one roof, and Plaza de Cañadío is where locals drink in the evening. El Figón near the cathedral does inexpensive traditional food.
Look for almejas (clams) and navajas (razor clams), anchovies, sardines, sea bass and red mullet, plus squid and cuttlefish cooked a dozen ways. For variety under one roof, the Mercado del Este by the Archaeology Museum is now a food court, open from morning until late.
Around the cathedral, El Figón on Cardenal Cisneros does honest, inexpensive traditional food. In the evening, the bars clustered on Plaza de Cañadío, by Santa Lucía church, are where locals meet for a drink. Cantabria makes its own red and white wines from the coast and the Liébana valley, though none carries DO status, so order a local glass out of curiosity. Regma, the local ice-cream chain, has branches downtown and along the beach.
Plaza Porticada to the Cabo Mayor lighthouse over a weekend
A weekend covers Santander. Day one is the cathedral, Plaza Porticada and the bay walk to Puerto Chico, with dinner at the Mercado del Este; day two follows the coast out to the Magdalena palace, Sardinero beach and the Cabo Mayor lighthouse.
Day one, morning. Start at the cathedral, avoiding Mass times, and see both levels: the Iglesia del Cristo below and the Gothic basilica and cloister above. Walk a block north to Plaza Porticada, the square built after the 1941 fire. Afternoon. Follow Paseo de Pereda east along the water to Puerto Chico, and take a boat around the bay from Paseo Marítimo if the weather is clear. Evening. Eat at the Mercado del Este, then drink on Plaza de Cañadío.
Day two, morning. Walk or bus out to the Magdalena headland and its palace. Afternoon. Continue to Sardinero beach, the 19th-century resort that set out to rival Biarritz, and on along the cliffs to the Faro de Cabo Mayor lighthouse. Evening. If Racing are at home, the Campos de Sport de El Sardinero is close to the beach; otherwise head back into town for seafood.
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How we research our Santander travel guide
Santander's details come from the official Santander website, Spain.info and Renfe.
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Checked against trusted sources:
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Santander.
Getting there
Every 30 minutes from outside Arrivals, reaching the central bus station in about 10 minutes. Taxis wait outside the terminal and accept cards.
Yes, a regular ferry service links the port with the United Kingdom.
Alsa buses run hourly and take about 90 minutes.
Seve Ballesteros-Santander Airport (SDR) is in Camargo, 5 km from downtown, with Ryanair flights from Britain, Ireland and western Europe, Iberia from Madrid and Vueling from Barcelona. Alsa buses run from outside Arrivals to the central bus station every 30 minutes between about 06:30 and 23:00, a 10-minute ride; buy tickets from the machine in the hall or from the driver. Taxis wait outside and take cards.
Booking
Renfe runs about five trains a day from Madrid Chamartín, taking 4-5 hours via Valladolid and Palencia.
General
Yes. Sardinero, about 4 km east of the cathedral, is the city's 19th-century resort beach.
A fire in February 1941 destroyed much of the old town, and the centre was rebuilt around Plaza Porticada.
Navajas (razor clams), almejas, anchovies and cuttlefish. The Mercado del Este food court lets you try several in one visit.
Yes. The route follows the bay, and the cathedral to Sardinero or the Magdalena headland is about 4 km on foot.
June to September is the mildest and driest stretch, though rain can turn up in any month on this coast.
From Paseo Marítimo near the marina, where operators run trips around the bay in clear weather.
The city sprawls along the bay, but almost everything worth seeing lies on a 4 km strip from the cathedral and Town Hall out to the Magdalena headland and Sardinero, and walking it along the water is the best part of a visit. TUS runs 24 city bus lines; pay the driver for a single ride, or buy a rechargeable contactless card at kiosks near the main stops, which lowers the cost per trip and allows free transfers within an hour (it is not valid on the airport bus). The hop-on sightseeing bus loops hourly from the cathedral past the Magdalena palace, Sardinero and the Cabo Mayor lighthouse, a 75-minute circuit.
Timing & weather
The best time to visit Santander is Jun to Sep. Warmest, driest months on a wet coast, and the sea is swimmable.
- Summer: June - September (Mild, rarely hot; beach weather at Sardinero, though showers still pass through)
- Shoulder: May, October (Fewer people and mild days, with more rain; the bay walk still works between showers)
- Winter: November - April (Cool and frequently wet, but cold snaps are rare; good for the old town and museums)
Visa & documents
Spain follows Schengen entry rules. Citizens of the EU and of many other countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) records non-EU travelers' fingerprints and a photo at the border.
Health & safety
Pickpocketing in the big cities is Spain's main crime risk for visitors. Pickpocketing is common in Barcelona and Madrid, especially on the metro and in tourist areas. Heatwaves and wildfires occur in summer.
