One Day in Santander

Santander is consiered to be one of the most beautiful cities in Spain. It has been a popular summer holiday resort for Spaniards since the 19th century when king Alfonso XIII spent the sunniest season at the impressive Palacio de la Magdalena.

We spent a wonderful day in the capital of Cantabria and today I'm going to show you around. Here's how to spend 24 hours in Santander, including what to see, do and eat,

The first thing we visited was Palacio de la Magdalena, Alfonso XIII's former summer residence. We arrived early enough to play hide-and-seek around this magnificent building before swarming tourists arrived. Ever since I had seen a photo of this place, I had been obsessed with it. It did not disappoint. We explored every single corner and spent a lovely time here.

Even though Santander is a hilly city, we explored it on foot. The best workout! It reminded me of my beloved San Francisco.

After the Palace, we went down to the beach, El Sardinero and visited the beautiful gardens overlooking the sea, Jardines de Piquio. 

The other main promenade of the city is Paseo de Pereda where we found four sculptures which pay their respects to the city’s children that worked for a living at the docks: Los Raqueros.

Our next stop was Mercado del Este where they serve delicious pintxos like those in San Sebastian.

We had made reservations to have lunch at Zacarias, a traditional restaurant with a modern twist. The decor is so original, the hanging umbrellas are so much fun!

We ordered a tasting menu which includes several starters, a main dish and dessert. The first thing we tried was an appetizer consisting of fish spread, salsa rosa (ketchup + mayonaise = pink sauce) and chopped tomato with olive oil. The first starter were anchovies (typical from Cantabria) and roasted peppers.

Next was the octopus, not our favorite one, it was a bit hard to eat.

The last appetizer was a slice of delicious tomato with tuna and onion, dressed with high quality virgin extra olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The main dish was fish for my husband and meat for me.

Desserts were delicious too: a very peculiar cheesecake -pictured below- and a tiramisu over a sobao, the signature delicacy of Cantabria.

After this scrumptious lunch, we were stuffed but we had to keep exploring the capital of Cantabria. We continued walking around Paseo the Pereda and the nearby streets. We saw traditional architecture that contrasts with the striking modernist Centro Botín, on the waterfront, from the top of which you can get spectacular views of the city.

There's a building on the previous pic that the locals know as the dog upside down. Can you spot it?

The end of our visit was approaching just like the storm. Next, we walked along Reina Victoria Avenue, where grand elegant houses from the belle-époque line up.

Our last stop was the monument to Cristopher Colombus, caravel ships just like those involved in the discovery of America. 

By the time we reached the car we were exhausted but happy. For travelers like us, there's nothing like the overwhelming sudden emotion you feel after a day well spent exploring a new place.

xo Cristina

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NAUTICAL OUTFITS FOR NAUTICAL CITIES