Welcome to Santander! Read below for some amazing ideas on what to do while you’re in the city.

Click the blue links to open the locations in Google Maps.

Sites close to the UIMP

  • Sardinero Beach and Piquio Gardens – pretty beaches, amazing views and great surf. Rent a surfboard and wetsuit at Black Ball, 15€ for 2 hours (15 minutes’ walk)
  • Parque Las Llamas – a great place to walk, run or workout (5 minutes’ walk)
  • Magdalena Palace – Santander’s most well-known site with a lot of history. It’s been a summer home for the Spanish royal family, a prisoner of war camp during the Civil War and even the set of a TV series (40 minutes’ walk or 10 minutes by public transport; taxi/Cabify or bus line 7C1)
  • Cabo Mayor Lighthouse – great views, good rabas and Mataleñas beach (1 hour around the coast or 30 minutes along the road)
  • Sardinero Football Stadium – home to the worst team in the city, Racing Santander (10 minutes’ walk)

Bars and restaurants close to the UIMP

  • La Casita – serves food and has a terrace (Avenida de los Castros, 5 minutes)
  • Bar Chupi – best rabas in Santander (Avenida de los Castros, 10 minutes)
  • Regma – local ice cream company. The cheesecake flavour is the best (Plaza Italia, 15 minutes)
Regma ice cream at Sardinero Beach in Santander

How to get to the centre of Santander

  • Easiest: Taxi/Cabify or bus lines 7C1 (via the Magdalena Palace) or Linea Central (more direct)
  • Simplest: Túnel de Tetuán (10 minutes’ walk)
  • Alternative: Calle la Universidad to Carrefour Express (10 minutes uphill) then down into the centre. Don’t miss the views of the bay on the way down on the left.
  • Best: Funicular (free!)
    • Right along Avenida de los Castros to Parque De La Teja (5 minutes)
    • escalators to General Dávila
    • continue right until you reach the football pitch (7 minutes)
    • on the other side is the funicular and open views across the bay of Santander

Places to eat and drink in the centre

Between the funicular on Calle Río de la Pila and the port at Puerto Chico you will find most of the bars and restaurants in Santander.

Best shops for souvenirs

Best Ice Cream

Best restaurants

Best areas for bars

Street Art Tour of Santander

Santander has a lot of amazing street art worth checking out. To find them all follow this guided tour.

Here are a few of the best:

Santander street art by Okuda San Miguel
World-famous local artist Okuda San Miguel (Calle Río de la Pila)
Santander street art on Rio de la Pila
At the end of the funicular station (Calle Río de la Pila)
Street art on Calle La Universidad, Santander
Calle la Universidad (10 minutes from the UIMP)
Santander street art on Calle Santa Clara
Calle Santa Clara
Santander street art on Calle Valliciergo
Hidden away on a small side street (Calle Valliciergo)

Staying in Santander longer?

If you have some extra time in Santander, check out the following ideas: