landmark
Palacio de la Magdalena
An eclectic royal summer palace on a sea-girt peninsula in Santander, ringed by beaches and a small free-roaming zoo of seals and penguins.
3 km · about 5 min drive
EuropeSpainCantabria
Santander
Cantabria, Spain · Europe
About Santander
Santander is worth a stop: 15 minutes from El Astillero, 52km from El Soplao Cave.
Santander is in Cantabria, Spain, with about 170,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is El Astillero, about 7 km away.
Where to Stay in Santander
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Santander?
Within an hour or so of Santander: Palacio de la Magdalena (3 km), Santillana del Mar (26 km), Cave of Altamira (27 km), Comillas & El Capricho de Gaudi (40 km).
Are there any good drives near Santander?
The nearest famous roads are Desfiladero de la Hermida, Garganta del Cares Road (Poncebos) and Puerto de San Glorio.
Where is Santander?
Santander is in Cantabria, Spain, about 7 km from El Astillero.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 173,635
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Spain
- Region
- Cantabria
- Timezone
- Europe/Madrid
- Coordinates
- 43.4659, -3.8049
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Spain
Guardia Civil (traffic police): 062. Two warning triangles required in vehicles.
Full driving guide for SpainTags
Worth the detour from Santander
6 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Santillana del Mar
A flawlessly preserved medieval town of cobbled lanes and golden-stone manor houses, dubbed 'the town of three lies' by Sartre.
26 km · about 30 min drive
ancient ruins
Cave of Altamira
The 'Sistine Chapel of Paleolithic Art,' containing stunning 36,000-year-old polychrome bison paintings on cave ceilings.
27 km · about 30 min drive
landmark
Comillas & El Capricho de Gaudi
A charming Cantabrian coastal town featuring one of Gaudi's earliest and most whimsical buildings, the sunflower-adorned El Capricho.
40 km · about 45 min drive
beach
Playa de Oyambre
A wild golden arc of dune-backed sand within a protected natural park, framed by green meadows and the distant Picos de Europa.
44 km · about 50 min drive
natural wonder
El Soplao Cave
An old mining cave turned underground wonderland of rare eccentric stalactites that defy gravity, reached by a little mine train.
52 km · about 60 min drive
Driving roads near Santander
4 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 100km.
- 66 kmVizcaya Bridge (Puente Colgante)The world's oldest transporter bridge, a UNESCO iron giant that ferries cars and people across the Nervion estuary in a hanging gondola.
- 73 kmDesfiladero de la HermidaSpain's longest gorge carves a dramatic 21km road between towering limestone walls along the Deva river into the Picos.
Driving in Spain
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€1.55/litre
- Motorway tolls
- ~€4.00/100km
When to drive here
April to October
Nearby Destinations
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