London Stansted to Santander Airport
The city of Santander on the north coast of Spain enjoys a spectacular location overlooking a bay with a backdrop of green hills. This busy port, capital of the Cantabria region, boasts a long and impressive maritime front. Although much of the town centre was destroyed by a fire in February 1941, the subsequent reconstruction plan restricted buildings to no more than five storeys high and allocated space for numerous gardens alongside the promenade making it one of the finest in Spain.
Flights between London Stansted and Santander Airport are operated by Ryanair. The airport is just 5km (3 miles) from the city centre. There is a regular bus service from outside the airport's arrivals hall to the city centre from 6.40am until 11pm. A single ticket costs 1.50 euros (£1 is approximately equal to 1.45 euros). A taxi from the airport to Santander city centre costs around 15 euros.
Places of interest in Santander include:
- Archaeological Museum. Many of the exhibits on display are finds excavated from local prehistoric caves but there are also remains of extinct animals, Bronze Age swords and spear tips, Roman items including coins and pottery. A more recent item is a 10th century Mozarabic belt clasp made from bone.
- Fine Arts Museum. Highlights of the museum include Goya's portrait of Ferdinand VII along with some of his renowned etchings. There are also paintings by Italian and Flemish artists dating from the 16th to the 18th centuries along with more recent work by regional artists.
- Cathedral. Like many buildings in the town centre, the cathedral was almost completely detroyed by the 1941 fire. Since then it has been rebuilt in the original Gothic style but retains the fine 13th century crypt.
- El Sardinero. This elegant suburb of Santander with its three splendid beaches is one of the town's biggest attractions. The resort boasts tree-lined promenades, a casino, gardens, elegant cafes and a municipal golf course.
- Cabo Mayor Park. Also situated in the El Sardinero district is this peaceful but often windswept park which is home to the 30-metre tall Cabo Mayor lighthouse, built in 1839, and the curious ‘Devil’s Bridge’ rock formation in the dramatic cliffs.
- Peninsula de la Magdelena. This peninsula is home to the Palacio de la Magdalena, built in 1912 as the summer residence of Alfonso XIII and now occupied by part of the University of Cantabria. This palace is situated on top of a hill from which you can enjoy superb views over the bay of Santander. The peninsular also boasts a small zoo featuring penguins, polar bears, seals and replicas of the vessels in which Francisco de Orellana explored the River Amazon. There is also a park which is the perfect place for a relaxing stroll.
- Somo and Pedraña. These two districts of Santander are accessible by boat trip from the Paseo de Pereda. Additionally, during the summer months, visitors can take a boat excursions around the bay and along the River Cubas.
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