Santander is not a city of grand lists, but of small discoveries. It’s about knowing when to step off the circuit, about understanding why a vermouth by the sea can be a complete plan, and about accepting that, even though Sardinero is indispensable, the real city begins right where it stops being obvious.
It is elegant without trying, gastronomic without fuss, and deeply local even in the height of August. Here coexist royal palaces, century-old lighthouses, and bars known only to those who have been born, or learned, to move as a “STV” (Santander de Toda la Vida).
Capital de Cantabria y una de las ciudades más abiertas al Cantabrian Sea, it blends its history with dense nature and a lively social life. Its bay, considered one of the most beautiful in the world, frames a city that grew looking toward the Cantabrian Sea, first as a strategic port and later as an aristocratic summer destination.
This leap was marked by the arrival of the royal family in the early 20th century, when the Palacio de la Magdalena turned the city into one of the country’s most exclusive summer enclaves. Today, that legacy remains in its architecture, in its promenades, and in a slow-paced way of understanding leisure and social life, as disseminated on its networks by its best ambassador, actress Teresa Gareche, who is also the creator of the brand nuevecuatrodos (the city’s prefix), Santanderian objects with humor.
La Magdalena Palace
The great symbol of Santander. Built between 1908 and 1912 as a gift from the city to Alfonso XIII, it was the royal family’s summer residence from 1913 to 1930. Its presence transformed the city into an aristocratic destination and shaped its tourist development. Today it houses the Menéndez Pelayo International University and is one of the most emblematic buildings in northern Spain, as well as a setting for series such as Gran Hotel.
