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Santander

Santander is the beautiful capital of Cantabria in Spain. The ferry port is located in the heart of the attractive city centre - the main shopping streets are literally 50m away from where the ferry berths. Santander has a long history relating to the sea, and is a vibrant city - perfect for a day of exploring before continuing on to your holiday destination. Santander is home to over 185,000 residents located within its constituencies. Its landscape is extraordinary in its coastal location forming a peninsular surrounded by a bay with a cliff coastline open to the Bay of Biscay. Its large and small sandy beaches provide the ideal place for relaxation or various beach games and water sports. Behind Santander is the Cantabrian mountain range, which provide a dramatic backdrop to the city.

Ferry Guide 

Before Brittany Ferries began sailing to Spain three companies had tried to operate sailings to Santander, Bilbao & San Sebastian - all out of Southampton. These services resulted in 2 nights having to be spent onboard a relatively small ship with sparse facilities. By operating out of Plymouth, Brittany Ferries were able to reduce the crossing time to 23 hours, having obtained permission from the French Government to sail to the East of the Isle d'Ouessant. The route opened on the 17th April 1978 using the then Brittany Ferries flagship Amorique. Since then the route has been operated by the Quiberon, Bretagne, and the Val de Loire. 2004 saw the introduction of Brittany Ferries flagship, the Pont-Aven which initially reduced the sailing time to Plymouth to only 18 hours. Much work was carried out at the port in preparation for her arrival including the refurbishment of the terminal and the construction of a new linkspan at a cost of over 1 million euros. 

In 2007 the new freight ship Cotentin began offering a weekly freight only service between Poole and Santander, and in 2009 the Pont-Aven began operating between Portsmouth and Santander once a week with a sailing time of just 24 hours. This route saw the Plymouth route reduced in frequency to once a week. Since 2006, the Bretagne has replaced the Pont-Aven on the Plymouth - Santander Route during the winter period, returning her to the route she was originally designed for.

Tourist Attractions

Aside from the outlying areas that have sprung up around the city, there are two well-differentiated areas: 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. The city starts at Somorrostro Hill, where the cathedral stands and where the old walled city with its castle once stood. Here you will find some of Santander's most famous buildings, such as the Banco de Espana, Correos, Banco Santander, Plaza Porticada, and the Ayuntamiento. Also found in the city are the famour Jardines de Pereda and Calle Castelar, just a short walk from the ferry terminal. Newly completed is the Paseo Maritimo, Santanders new promenade which runs parallel to the sea, and is something no visitor to Santander should miss. Of course the city centre is the heart of Santanders commercial infranstructure. Many of the streets are pedestrianised and you can buy nearly anything here or simply indulge in some window shopping.

To the east, near the the Plaza de Cañadío, is where the cities nightlife is concentrated; in the summertime El Sardinero also has lots of nightlife. Streets such as General Mola, Hernán Cortés, Daoíz, Velarde, Peña Herbosa, Santa Lucía and Sol, as well as the surrounding ones, are full of bars and cafés where you can stop for a drink or some tapas, as well as numerous options if you want to party until the small hours.

El Sardinero is the summer holiday area where there are endless accommodation options as well as an elite residential area. Magdalena Peninsula is at one end, with its park and Royal Palace (La Madgalena palace was King Alfonso XIII's simmer residence), and Cabo Menor forms the northern border, with Matalenas Park at the top of the cape. Between the two is El Sardinero cove, with four beaches. These are ideal for sunbathing, swimming in the Cantabrian Sea or for simply enjoying the beautiful and unbeatable views of the coast. The famous Casino is also located here, which is not to be missed.

Accommodation

Hotel Real is Santanders' premier hotel. A member of the 'Leading Hotels of the World' it provides a 5 star service in very special surroundings. Most rooms offer stunning views over the water, and are fitted to the highest standards. A new spa complex was constructed in 2002 offering beauty treatments and a swimming pool for residents. This really is a special place to stay.

Hotel Bahia is located opposite the ferry port in the heart of the city. It is also one of Santander's newest hotels but has already earned a very good reputation. This hotel also has an excellent restaurant, all rooms have air conditioning, TV and mini bar. This is a four star hotel.

Hotel Sardinero overlooks the magnificent Sardinero beach and is in close proximity to the Casino and shopping areas. The hotel has recently undergone a refurbishment, and is one of the more traditional hotel's in Santander. This is a three star hotel.

Restaurants

Cantabria has an important sea-faring tradition. The Barrio Pesquero (Fishing Quarter) is proof of this. Here, the 'mountain fishermen' bring the fresh fish caught off the coast to the fishing wharf, providing the city with popular fish, such as sea-bass, sole, hake, jargo, cabracho, gilthead and sardines, day in and day out. There are great restaurants all along the coast for fish and in the Fishing Quarter or Puerto Chico (Small Port), the most famous restaurants being Las Peñucas and Rhin. Another great option is Del Puerto, one of Santanders most highly-rated restaurants.

Seafood plays an important part in Cantabrian cuisine as well: clams from Pedreña, mussels, giant crabs, goose barnacles, and lobsters. These are just some of the succulent options to be enjoyed at restaurants, such as Mulata, Flor de Miranda and Cúpula del Rhin.

Before you actually sit down to lunch or dinner, tapas are a must. When in Rome... A stroll around Plaza del Cañadío is more than recommended for a glass of wine or beer accompanied by your choice of tapas. Recommended tapas bars in this district include Hijas de Florencio, Bodega Cigaleña and Cañía. In the Río de la Pila district, the most famous tapas bar is El Riojano, really a wine bar with great food. If you're in the Perines district, be sure to order the surf and turf platters at Los Jamones; you won't regret it.

Pastries of all kinds are another local speciality, and Cantabria is renowned throughout Spain for its long-standing tradition in this area. The creaminess and quality of local milk give traditional items, such as quesada pasiega and sobaos, their incredibly rich texture. Cantabrian puff-pastry is also quite famous. It comes in many shapes and sizes, the most popular desserts being the corbatas de Unqueta, pantortillas de Reinosa, polkas de Torrelavega and sacristanes de Liérganes. Other typical treats are palucos de Cabezón de la Sal and canónigos de Liébana. Any of the above mentioned desserts, or the rice pudding and leche frita (literally, 'fried milk'), are the final and delicious 'cherry' to top off your meal.

Transport

By Car: When the ferry docks in Santander the police help direct the traffic through the busy streets.

By Train: The station is 5 mins away from the ferry with services to Bilbao and Oviedo.

By Air: The airport is 5km from the city with flights to Madrid & Barcelona, and London Stansted.

By Sea: Brittany Ferries operates a weekly service to Plymouth, a weekly service to Portsmouth and a weekly freight service to Poole.

By Bus: There are regular bus services both within the city and to Madrid & Bilbao.