Santander guide
There is a walk in Santander that many locals defend as the most beautiful in the world. It starts at Centro Botin, follows the city seafront, rounds the Magdalena peninsula and ends at El Sardinero beaches. About five kilometres, almost entirely flat next to the bay, it can be done on foot in a leisurely hour and a half.
The idea
From the city centre to El Sardinero there is an almost unbroken seaside route. The plan is simple: leave the hostal, walk down to Paseo de Pereda, start at Centro Botin and let the water lead you to the beach. Along the way, seven landmarks tell the harbour, royal and bourgeois story of Santander.
Opened in June 2017 and designed by Renzo Piano, Centro Botin is a building practically resting on the sea, made of two volumes connected by walkways and seemingly suspended between Paseo Pereda and the bay. A perfect starting point as the city tilts towards the water.
If you have time, it is worth visiting one of its temporary exhibitions. If not, walking the upper deck is enough to take in the scale of the project.
A few metres from Centro Botin, the Stone Crane is probably the best industrial heritage piece on the seafront. Inaugurated in 1900 on Maura quay, built in Liverpool by Sheldon and Gerdtzen and assembled in Santander by engineer Leonardo Corcho, it could lift 30 tonnes. The boom rises 14 metres above the quay; the cable could reach 23 metres, just enough to unload ships at low tide. In service until the 1990s, restored in 2016-2017, it is now one of the city symbols.
The Palacete del Embarcadero, next to the crane, is one of those buildings you walk past until you notice the octagonal roof clad in white and blue ceramic scales. Designed in 1920 by Javier Gonzalez de Riancho (also the architect of Magdalena Palace), built between 1929 and 1931 as the royal landing stage for King Alfonso XIII summers. Today it is an exhibition hall run by the Port Authority. If it is open, step in: the Roman-style mosaic floor and timber roof are unique in the city.
A few minutes on, the walk opens up and Puertochico appears, the small fishing and leisure marina that gives the neighbourhood its name. The pace changes: lower buildings, taller masts, busier seagulls. One of the most photographed corners of Santander when the sun is low. A good place to stop for a coffee on the marina terraces.
The Palacio de Festivales de Cantabria is the major contemporary architectural landmark on the walk: a building by Francisco Javier Saenz de Oiza, opened in 1990. It won a restricted competition against Navarro Baldeweg, Garcia de Paredes and Rafael Moneo, and was built between the old Nautical School and the former shipyards. Its most distinctive feature is the large glazed trapezoid on the main facade, designed so that the audience in the 1,600-seat auditorium can see the bay from their seats. Materials: marble and copper. Home to the International Festival of Santander since 1990.
At a certain point the walk leaves the bay and enters the Magdalena peninsula. On a hill with 270-degree views stands Magdalena Palace, built between 1909 and 1911 by Javier Gonzalez de Riancho and Gonzalo Bringas Vega. It was funded by public subscription and given to the Spanish royal family as a summer residence. Today it is the most visited place in Santander, with a perimeter walk that takes in Mataleñas, the Cabo Mayor lighthouse and the open sea. With time and good shoes, do the full loop before heading down to the beaches.
Beyond the Magdalena lies El Sardinero, with two beaches: Primera and Segunda del Sardinero. A grand finale: fine sand, open sea, 19th-century bath houses, terraces and, on a good afternoon, a light worth waiting for. Reward yourself with something close to the beach. To go back to the hostal you can take urban bus line 4 or, in low tide and unhurried, retrace your steps along the sea.
How to do it
The full walk is about 5 km. Without rushing, with stops at every landmark, it takes 2 to 3 hours. If you also want to enter Centro Botin and Magdalena Palace, plan half a day or a full day. Start early: the morning light over the bay is the best part of the walk.
About 5 km, almost flat
1 h 30 min without stops; 3-5 h with visits
Centro Botin (6 min from the hostal)
Bus line 4 or back on foot
All photos in this guide come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences (mostly CC BY-SA 4.0). Each figure links to the file page on Commons with the full author credit.
| Stop | Distance from start | Cumulative time | Entry cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Centro Botín | Start (6 min from hostal) | 0 min | Free (walkway) / €8–12 (exhibitions) |
| 2. Stone Crane | 200 m | 5 min | Free (exterior) |
| 3. Palacete del Embarcadero | 350 m | 10 min | Free (exterior; check if open) |
| 4. Puertochico marina | 900 m | 20 min | Free |
| 5. Palacio de Festivales | 1.4 km | 30 min | Free (exterior) |
| 6. Magdalena Palace | 2.8 km | 55 min | Free (exterior); guided tour extra |
| 7. El Sardinero (Primera beach) | 5 km | 75–90 min | Free |
The full route from Centro Botín to El Sardinero (Primera beach) is about 5 km. Without rushing and with stops at every landmark, it takes 2–3 hours. If you also visit Centro Botín exhibitions and the Magdalena Palace interior, plan half a day or a full day. The route is almost entirely flat, following the bay.
TUS bus line 4 runs from El Sardinero back to Paseo de Pereda in the city centre, journey time about 15 minutes. It runs frequently in summer. Taxis are available from El Sardinero. On a dry day, you can walk back along the same coastal route.
Early morning gives calm light over the bay and fewer people on the promenade. Late afternoon (from about 17:00) offers the best light on the facades and the sea. Midday in summer can be hot on the exposed seafront sections. The walk is flat and can be done in either direction.
Plan your stay
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