Santander

Santander is the capital and largest city of the province of Cantabria in Spain. It's on the north coast, with many beaches, ferries from Britain, and a small historic centre. The bars and restaurants of the old town are popular with tourists, as is El Sardinero beach a couple of kilometres away. In 2018, Santander was home to 172,000 people. The port is still very active and a regular ferry service operates to the United Kingdom. Fish and seafood dominate the local cuisine. The city has a mild climate typical of the Spanish northern coastline with frequent rainfall and stable temperatures. Cold snaps and heat waves are very rare. 1 Tourist Information (Oficina de Turismo municipal), Jardines de Pereda, ☏ +34 942 203000, +34 942 203001, fax: +34 942 203005, turismo@ayto-santander.es. Apr to mid-Jun daily 10:00-19:00; mid-June to mid-Sep: daily 09:00-21:00; mid-Sep to Mar: M-F 08:30-19:00 & Sa Su 10:00-19:00. They're mostly helpful; difficult to park here. (updated Jul 2019) There appear to be good practical reasons for ancient settlers to have chosen the north side of the bay, sheltered from it and safer from the storms of the Bay of Biscay, on the north side of the promontory of Somorrostro and along the ancient Becedo estuary. Moreover, the hillside provided good visibility for spotting potential attackers, making this the ideal place for the foundation of a stable settlement, which was to evolve throughout the Middle Ages. In the 9th century Alfonso II the Chaste founded the Abbey of the Holy Bodies in the existing chapel on the hill of Somorrostro, housing as holy relics the heads of Saint Emeterius and Saint Celedonius and the graves of other unknown martyrs, giving the abbey its name. By the end of the 15th century Santander had a population of about 4,000 or 5,000 inhabitants. The city owes its existence to the excellent harbour of the Bay of Santander. Santander was an important port for Castile in the later Middle Ages, and also for trade with the New World. It became a city in 1755. Santander fell victim to a great fire in 1941. Fanned by a strong south wind, the fire burned for two days. The fire destroyed the Old Town Hall, Jesús de Monasterio and Vargas streets and Atarazanas square buildings. It led to a major change in the architecture of Santander, away from the older small stone and wood buildings with balconies to the enormous blocks of flats built during the reconstruction. There was only one casualty of the fire, a firefighter from Madrid killed in the line of duty, but thousands of families were left homeless and the city was plunged into chaos. The fire destroyed the greater part of the medieval town centre and gutted the city's Romanesque cathedral There appear to be good practical reasons for ancient settlers to have chosen the north side of the bay, sheltered from it and safer from the storms of the Bay of Biscay, on the north side of the promontory of Somorrostro and along the ancient Becedo estuary. Moreover, the hillside provided good visibility for spotting potential attackers, making this the ideal place for the foundation of a stable settlement, which was to evolve throughout the Middle Ages. In the 9th century Alfonso II the Chaste founded the Abbey of the Holy Bodies in the existing chapel on the hill of Somorrostro, housing as holy relics the heads of Saint Emeterius and Saint Celedonius and the graves of other unknown martyrs, giving the abbey its name. By the end of the 15th century Santander had a population of about 4,000 or 5,000 inhabitants. The city owes its existence to the excellent harbour of the Bay of Santander. Santander was an important port for Castile in the later Middle Ages, and also for trade with the New World. It became a city in 1755. Santander fell victim to a great fire in 1941. Fanned by a strong south wind, the fire burned for two days. The fire destroyed the Old Town Hall, Jesús de Monasterio and Vargas streets and Atarazanas square buildings. It led to a major change in the architecture of Santander, away from the older small stone and wood buildings with balconies to the enormous blocks of flats built during the reconstruction. There was only one casualty of the fire, a firefighter from Madrid killed in the line of duty, but thousands of families were left homeless and the city was plunged into chaos. The fire destroyed the greater part of the medieval town centre and gutted the city's Romanesque cathedral

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Santander is the ending point of The coastal route from Bilbao to Santander and it’s a stopover point on Irun to Santiago de Compostela and From Bilbao to Santiago in one month. You can reach Santiago de Compostela in 24 days.