Added: 04/28/2006 |
Holidays in Santander -- Time for Unforgettably Matchless HolidaysAlthough Santander is not a particularly large city, it is peculiarly elongated. The region's mountains forced the city's development to conform to a slightly odd shape, running west-east and hugging the northern rim of the bay. During its history, Santander has suffered from some great disasters. Two of the more recent were the explosion of a dynamite laden ship in 1893, which killed 500 and a fire in 1941 that destroyed most of the old city center.
Aside from the outlying areas that have sprung up around the city there are two well-differentiated areas in Santander: the centre and El Sardinero. The centre is where you will find most of the shops, businesses and services, as well as the greater portion of monuments and tourist attractions in Santander. El Sardinero is the summer holiday area par excellence, where there are endless accommodation options as well as an elite residential area.
Obviously, the Spaniards know their country well-in the summer months, many of them rush north for relief from the hard-bitten sun of the south to Cantabria's cool air and broad spaces. Santander is also a great base from which to see some of the country's most talked-about landmarks. For instance, Bilbao, in the Basque region is a two-hour drive, and is also easily reachable by train or bus. Visitors can take a full-day trip to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and sample the region's version of tapas, called pintxos. In addition, one of the highest mountains in Europe, the Picos de Europa, is about a three-hour drive from Santander, and along the way there are numerous villages to visit, breathtaking gorges to see and tiny inns at which to dine.
Santander's seaside zoo is located on the Peninsula de la Magdalena. Popular with children, the zoo is home to animals of all kinds, including polar bears and lions. The zoo is housed in the gardens of the old Palacio Real, which was built by Alfonso XIII.
The Magdalena palace in Santander was originally the summer house of the Spanish Royal Family. Today, it belongs to the city and hosts summer courses. The Palace is located in the most beautiful part of Santandert, inside a small peninsula with gardens and next to the Sardinero beach. It's a great place to go for a walk and enjoy the breeze.
Sardinero beach is one of the best knows beaches in Spain. It is located on the north part of the city.
The sand is fine and the waters here are more refreshing than in the Mediterranean. Other great beaches in Santander are Bikinis Beach and Somo Beach. Bikinis Beach lies in the bay area of Santander. Since the beach is protected from the big waves by the bay, its waters are very calm and are perfect for children and swimming. The sand is also of good quality and there are some rocks among which you can do some snorkeling. Although not exactly in Santander, Somo beach can be reached by boat. Somo beach is about 3 km long and is less crowded that Santander's beaches. Nowadays it's very popular among kite surfers.
Although Santander is not known for its cuisine as well as San Sebastian, you can always bet that any seafood item you order will be delightful to your taste buds. The city places a lot of pride on its local fish market.
Anyone traveling to Santander discovers it to be a great place to come back for another holiday.
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