Valencia de Don Juan

Santander is the administrative and cultural capital of Cantabria, a region that most high-end travelers have yet to fully discover. That relative obscurity is part of its appeal. The city commands a sweeping bay, the Bahía de Santander, with a peninsula that separates the outer Atlantic beaches from the calmer inner waters. The urban fabric is largely 19th and early 20th century, rebuilt after a catastrophic fire in 1941 that reshaped the historic center. What remains is a city of civic architecture, wide seafront promenades, and a residential elegance that reflects its history as a summer retreat for the Spanish royal family.