Car hire Santander

Introduction

Santander is the capital of the autonomous region of Cantabria in northern Spain. The port city is traditionally a tourist destination, especially for Spaniards themselves. The royal family has a summer residence here, the Magdalena Palace. More and more foreign tourists still discover the charms of the city. The region has long been inhabited. The famous cave drawings of Altamira are an estimated 15,000 years old.

Population

The city has about 385,000 inhabitants.

Location

Santander lies in the north of Spain, between Asturias and the Spanish Basque country. South of the city lie the foothills of the Cantabrian Mountains (Spanish: Cordillera Cantabrica). There are excellent hiking and climbing possibilities in these mountains.

Economy

The port of Santander makes an important contribution to the local economy. Not only for the import and export of goods, but it is also a major fishing port and ships are built there. Tourism is also important, especially domestic tourism, but the advent of budget airlines has meant that more and more foreigners find Santander. 

Furthermore, there is a steel industry, and Santander is home to Europe's biggest bank, Banco Santander (but the headquarters are now in Madrid, almost a whole district that alone is called Santander City). 

Airports

The airport of Santander lies in Camargo, 5 kilometers from the city center. This airport is served mainly by budget airlines and is easily reachable by car. Via highway A8 you can drive to the larger airport of Bilbao in about an hour and a half. From the airport there are connections to many Spanish and European cities.

Public transportation

During the day buses run every 15 minutes. The most lines start at the City Hall and end at the beaches. Bus 15 departs from the train station and runs to the beach El Sardinero.

There are also ferry connections to Pedreña, Somo and the beaches at Puntal. There is even a ferry connection to Plymouth in England! If you want to keep moving a little: at some places in Santander you can rent a bicycle for free (Jardines de Pereda, El Sardinero, La Magdalena).

Traffic and parking

The center of Santander is – especially on weekdays – very busy. However, there are several parking garages and places where you can park your car to explore the rest of the city on foot or by public transportation. If you want to view the surroundings of the city, or the remote beaches or golf courses, a rental car is an essential means of transportation. There are good road connections with the rest of Spain: the coastal road N634 runs from La Coruña via Santander to Bilbao. The N611 runs to Valladolid and the N623 gets you to Burgos.

Hotels

In Santander you can find a hotel in every price category: from simple guest houses to luxurious five star hotels. North of the city lie some campsites, directly on the coast. Also across the harbor, in Ribamontan Al Mar, there are camp sites. If you plan to visit Santander during high season, then book your accommodation well in advance.

External resources

For more information about Santander, we recommend Google and the following sources:

• Wikipedia, Santander
• Official website Santander (Spanish)
• Tourist information Santander (English)