Hello pinmapplers!
I have been lucky enough to spend a few holidays in the north of Spain, specifically in Santander, the capital of the Cantabria region. A city, located in a bay on the coast of the Cantabrian Sea that we could define as elegant and full of charm.
Santander is protected in the bay from the strong north winds, and it is there where you can enjoy a privileged and somewhat peculiar view since being oriented to the east we see the sea but also the other shore, green mountains and other neighboring towns . The horizon at dawn changes, it is very different. We will have to go to the north of the city to enjoy other wide beaches and all the vast open sea.
And we could start with many places, but perhaps with the most emblematic promenade, Paseo Pereda, from which we can already discover many of the icons and places that we must visit. For example, the Botín Center (a fairly recent avant-garde museum since the city can be seen from above) which has become a reference element in the main artery of the city. From there we enjoy these views across the bay, but also on the other side, behind, we have all the buildings of the historic center of the city. Unfortunately many were lost in the terrible fire of 1941 and were rebuilt in a neoclassical or art-deco style that in some streets and facades remind us of a small version of Paris. We'll talk more about houses...
We continue towards a unique sculpture, also on the edge of the sea, "Los Rateros". It is a sculptural group of children that represent the time when wealthy people threw coins at poor children so that they would jump to catch them, they infamously had "fun" like this, watching them jump into the water and in fact there is one of these figures that is almost in the water, you have to lean out to see it. There is the tribute to the difficult life that some always have...
We continue along this promenade and discover the essence of the city, the small boats that still remain, the docks were eliminated with the construction of the promenade and the museum, and few reminiscences remain, such as the large ferries that still arrive there. But there is still Puertochico (small port).
We are almost at the end of this walk, surprised by the striking blue-green building, as the copper has changed color over time. It is the Palace of Festivals, where the cultural life of the city bustles, although some see its design as a cat with its belly up. And on the other side, the Gamazo Dam, which already indicates the end of the walk on this side and the opening of the bay, smells of saltpeter, the waves of the sea hit and move to the rhythm of our steps.
We look at the other side again and we can almost see El Puntal up close, a spit of sand that protrudes from the other side and which can be accessed, in good weather, and better in summer by small ferries that leave from this side, from the promenade.
We could continue walking, but that other walk will be for later and for architecture lovers, we jump off the avenue and arrive at the north, after passing another idyllic point that we will also talk about in depth in another post, we reach more beaches . To Camello beach, where even in December there are people playing shovels energetically.
It is called this way because of the shape that some of its rocks have at low tide, it can only be seen from a distance and not always. But other rocks are observed that remain impassive there. And from there we already contemplate the blue horizon of a colder and wilder sea, which seems to fight against the same sky. The landscape seems to take us to nature and we almost forget that we are in a major city.
It is an important city because the aristocracy of the early 20th century came to spend the summer here, hence its distinguished buildings such as the Casino in front of the first Sardinero beach. Mythical beach and well known by the people.
There is still a lot to see and explore, the downtown area, its streets, its views from the top of the city, an area once enjoyed by royalty, the lighthouse at the other end, tunnels and beautiful houses, squares and the market. And days of lights and Christmas atmosphere.
Oh! and also other towns outside the city, to discover a little more the charm of the green lands of Cantabria.
More about Santander and its surroundings soon!
The text is totally mine by ©Duvinca and the photos are mine too
