The city of Santander, located in the north of Spain on the shore of the Biscay Bay, is, in my opinion, one of the most pleasant and pretty cities of this country. The stretched kilometers along the coastline, Santander is impressive with its buildings, embankments and, of course, gorgeous sandy beaches. Despite the fact that most of the buildings were built in the middle of the last century, the city seems old and aristocratic. Inspection of the city turns into a pleasant leisurely walk, especially if you are lucky and you will get into sunshine warm weather, unfortunately, not so frequent in this region.
Walk in the city
Despite the greater length along the sea, the historic part of the city is quite compact. The main architectural attractions of the central part of the city are the Cathedral, a city town hall building, a post office and standing on the embankment of the building of the bank "Santander". A walk around the city is best to start along Calvo Sotelo Street, which runs along the city, and on both sides of which the most interesting buildings are located. On PORTICADA Square, this street goes to the embankment of Paseo de Pareda, along which the second, no less interesting stage of acquaintance with Santander begins. Here are a wonderful Pareda Garden and the Monumental Building of the Santander Bank, built in 1923. On the waterfront, you will see a very interesting sculptural composition - Los Raharos depicting young people standing on the berth and diving into the water. This composition is devoted to poor children and young people whining coins who threw rich people in the XIX-XX centuries.
Not far from the monument is the port of Puertocyko, in which there are yachts and boats. It can also be very tasty to dine or dine seafood in one of numerous restaurants.
Walking along the shore in the picturesque embankment, you get into the Santander's resort area, famous for its chic beaches with small yellow sand. There are excellent buildings, drowning in colors, built, in my opinion, with excellent taste. In this area, the attractiveness of the city is like a place to relax and relax for people who appreciate the entourage and sophistication. In this part of the city, near the beach, there is a casino, attracting his luxurious architecture.
And, if you, having loved this part of the city, continue your way, then you will be taken to the main attraction of Santander - Magdalena Park, in which there is a former royal palace, built in 1912 and used as a summer residence of the royal family.
Magdalena Park
Park and Palace are located on the peninsula, towering over the sea and densely swords. This is a favorite place of resting citizens who come here the whole family, because there is also a mini-zoo here, in which children can see different birds, including penguins, and sea animals - cats and seals. The entrance to the park and the zoo is free.
The royal palace is striking by its appearance - it is not at all like the majestic, usual palaces of Europe. It is rather a very cozy, stylish and beautiful villa, in which all architectural details look harmoniously and without excess strongest. Those who are interested in the Spanish cinema are easily recognized in this palace the Gran Hotel from the eponymous Spanish TV series.
From this peninsula there are amazing views of the city, on the beaches and on lighthouses. Near the Palace there is a museum with copies of the Viking ships and the Tour Hayerdal.
By peninsula, a small tourist trainer runs.
If you are a fan of museums, then in Santander you will have a very good choice. You can visit the Museum of the Prehistoric Epoch and the Archeology of Cantabria, Maritime Museums, Museum of Fine Arts.
Lighthouse
If you want to see the sights of the region, be sure to visit the Mayak, located on Cabo Major, not far from the city. This place is very unusual, it seems that you are on the very edge of the earth. Here is a small art gallery dedicated to the marine subject.
Santillian del Mar
Next to Santander is the stunning city of Santillana del Mar. This cozy town seemed to have descended with illustrations to fairy tales - so unreal impression creates low houses laid out of stone and drowning in colors. When you go into souvenir shops, located on cobbled streets, for some reason an irresistible desire to purchase some trinket or magnet with a picture of this cute town is arisen. The city has a museum of torture, in which exhibits are collected, reminding us of the times of the Inquisition in medieval Spain.
Not far from Santillian del Mar, there is one more attraction of the region - the Museum and Caves of Altamira, famous for their maskal pictures that are considered the most beautiful and preserved.
Picos de Europe
If you are interested in nature and mountains, the province of Cantabria, the capital of which is Santander, will seem to you the very place for which it was worth going to this not too popular in Russia in Russia. After all, it is here that the most beautiful mountains of the Pyrenean Peninsula - Picos de Europe are located. This is one of the most visited national parks of Spain, located in Asturias, Cantabria and Castilla-and-Leon. Here you will see the stunning landscapes of the mountains, the valleys, wounded in these valleys of villages, old towns, winding mountain rivers and huge reservoirs.
A lot of pedestrian routes are laid in the park, and very many Spaniards spend their weekends here. If you go to the mountains, then the closest city, by which you definitely do not drive, will sweat. This charming town is located on both sides of a small mountain river, through which several picturesque bridges roll. The medieval houses of the city cause a huge dignification and the desire to stay here if not forever, then at least for a few days.
Not far from Pota is a mountain village of Fuente de, from where you can climb on the funicular to the top of the mountain and from the observation deck to see the amazing panorama of the mountains.
Summing up, we can say that without being a city, saturated attractions, Santander, nevertheless, is very interesting for both relaxation and dating north of Spain.