Santander is located in the north of Spain, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and is the capital of the province of Cantabria.
Differences of Santander from other resorts of Spain
The first and most important difference in Santander from the popular Spanish resorts such as Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante, Malaga and others is that Santander is not a superpopular resort among tourists , Therefore, in general, it is also calmer than in places that have already been loyal to tourists and, I will not be afraid of this expression that are governed along and across. Here I, of course, I mean, first of all, Barcelona - almost at any time of the year (and in the summer so especially) in the city itself and its surroundings (in Salou, in Lloret de Mar and other towns) there are a huge number of holidaymakers from different countries Europe, as well as from Russia. A couple of days in Salou, we came to the beach early, because at 11 o'clock we had almost no place to put our beach accessories and nowhere to lie down. Without exaggeration, vacationers were busy literally every square meter of space, so strangers were in close proximity to us, and, of course, you could forget about relaxed rest. I watched a somewhat similar situation on the beaches of Valencia, Gandia, Calpe, Alicante and Malaga - Of course, there was no such excitement there, there were more places more, but still there was quite a lot of people on the beach.
As I have already written above, in Santander all this there is no - there are not many people on the beach, as in other resorts, I would even say that they are much smaller. This can be viewed as a plus, and as a minus. If you love a calm and secluded vacation alone or in the company of the closest people, then the beaches of Santander may like you more than other resorts, and if you prefer noisy, merry parties, and on the beach would like to make new acquaintances, then you should consider For recreation, more popular resorts.
The next substantial difference between Santander from other resorts of Spain - it is not on the Mediterranean, as much of the Spanish resorts, but on the Atlantic Ocean. What does this mean in a practical plan? Water in the Atlantic Ocean is significantly colder than in the Mediterranean Sea. I do not know what this is due, probably with currents, but - the temperature of the water on the beaches of Santander is rarely rising above 22 degrees - in fact it is quite cool water (for comparison in Alicante, the water temperature in August reached 26 - 27 degrees). Personally, I was able to swim in the Atlantic was not very comfortable - it was cool, it was necessary to constantly move or I froze, while on the Mediterranean I could sit in water an hour and a half.
For me personally, cool water is minus, although it is clear that someone can just like it. By the way, the air temperature in Santander is also lower than on the east coast of the country - in the summer there is a regular temperature - 25 - 26 degrees, while on other resorts is much hotter - from 28 to 34. Plus it is or minus for you - decide ourselves.
Cons Santander
Unfortunately, Santander has an unequivocal minus - Transport accessibility leaves much to be desired . If in Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia and Alicante fly direct flights from Russian cities, then there is no such flights to Santander.From the options - from Moscow to Santander can be reached with one transplant - the most popular options are a transplant in Madrid or Barcelona. Such flights perform Iberia airlines. You can still fly to Bilbao (unfortunately, only with a transplantation), and from there you to reach Santander by car, along the way I admired the types of Cantabria, especially since the distance from Bilbao to Santander is only 100 kilometers.
Pluses of Santander
In this city, I certainly have something to see. This is I. Museums of completely different focus Among them is the Maritime Museum, the Museum of Prehistoric Epoch and Archeology, Museum of the Corrida, Museum of Festivals, Museum of Contemporary Art and others. There are in the city and the Royal Palace, a number of vintage churches, a casino, several parks and, of course, the countless number of cafes, restaurants, bars and shops.
Another incomprehensible plus Santander is Gorgeous Nature I generally thought that this part of Spain was much more green than the east or southern coast, probably due to climate - there are practically no suffocating heat and the earth does not dry. That is why in the vicinity of Santander I basically watched greens. Nature made an indelible impression on me - at times I didn't seem that I was not in Spain, but in some other country - so I was accustomed to very other summer landscapes that I met on the Mediterranean coast.
So, as it became clear from my article, Santander is not a completely typical resort on the territory of Spain, or rather, a completely atypical Spanish city (of course, if you compare it with popular places). I would say that Santander is not very suitable for a beach holiday, especially for those who are used to warm water in the Mediterranean Sea - the ocean water is cool, by the way, there are waves, and the air temperature is also lower than on the coast. Nevertheless, in the city there is an enno number of beaches (very clean), so if you prefer the water backwards - they are at your service. For sightseeing, Santander is suitable as it is impossible - there are museums, and parks, and recreation places.
As for recreation with children, for me it's a somewhat controversial question - if we are talking about a beach holiday, then perhaps the cool sea does not have to make small children, although on the other hand, the children of my friend have bathed perfectly in any water. It seems to me, here you should pay attention to the features of your child. The rest of the Santander is fully adapted for children - there are playgrounds, parks, in many cafes there is a children's menu and children's chairs. From museums for children, I would recommend the maritime museum - interesting, with skeletons of fish, with aquariums, different fish and other marine inhabitants, and at the same time not too huge, so the child will not have time to get tired.