Well, it seems we have found an alternative to Alicante and Malaga. A genuine Spanish city, not a resort, with great beaches, traditional restaurants and bars. Even better, it’s less than a two hours’ flight from the UK. If you are sitting on the right-hand side of the plane, the topography of Santander opens up before you as you come in to land. It is quite a sight; plenty of bays, beaches, a long spit of sand, and a lagoon come into view. It is evident that there is plenty to explore.
We arrived in Santander in the late morning with time to kill until we got the keys to our apartment at 3:00 p.m. So we left our luggage at the bus station lockers and went for a wander. We scouted out some restaurants and made some bookings. Our travelling companions, Mick and Andrea, had been before and were our guides.
We dined in Mercado del Este. It’s a food market with a variety of outlets to purchase dishes from and a communal seating area. It’s a laid-back approach to dining whereby most people graze on tapas rather than going for the meat and two veg. On this first visit, we bought our snacklets from La Casa del Indiano. There is such a wide range of choices it would be fruitless for me to go through them all, but one called ‘La Gilda’ was a favourite. It consists of green olives, pickled anchovy, salted anchovy and pickled chilli, all speared by a cocktail stick. Salty heaven.
We had an apartment called ‘Vacare Sabor a Mar’ and paid £666 for four people for three nights on booking.com. So, two decent bedrooms, two bathrooms, a reasonably sized kitchen, and a lounge with a view over the marina. It was very good, the only downside being some traffic noise and, on the Saturday, a few noisy revellers down below. But it was pretty much in the town centre, and this put all its amenities on our doorstep.
We only had a three-night stay, and the warm, sunny weather meant that we’d be spending the days by the sea. We picked the large El Sardinero beach, although there were plenty of other options. There were some on the other side of the bay, and a ferry gave access to those. Had we been there for a week, we would have tried others. Beds and shade cost €10 each, pretty reasonable, I’d say! El Sardinero is totally sandy, right into the sea which, unusually for the Atlantic perhaps, was reasonably warm. There was some wind, which made decent waves, and my mate and I played in the surf like children.
On the drink front, one bar, Bodegas Mazon, stood out. There may have been others; I don’t know. But once we’d found this place, there seemed little point in looking elsewhere. It’s a genuine, traditional Spanish boozer. Meats hanging from the ceiling, massive old barrels stacked around, bottles lined up, and free tapas snacks. It’s over a hundred years old, and it has a real historical pedigree. We loved it. Two glasses of fino sherry, two white wines; £7.50. That’s not a typo.
Foodwise, I’ve mentioned Mercado del Este and we went there a second time. We tried more outlets and one, Tentempie, sold gorgeous small pies that would get a Wiganer salivating. Quesoba did a classy meat and cheese board with rich sausages and strong cheeses.
For lunch near the beach, we went to Snack Bar El Sardi. Very reasonable prices, large portions of good food. Perfect for an indolent, indulgent, lazy lunch. It’s very popular with locals and seemed to be the go-to place for people working nearby. Better even than a sandwich at your desk in the office. Who’d have thought it? Restaurant La Penucas is in a residential area just outside the main centre. It’s a biggish, popular place, and whilst the menu is varied, I got the feeling that aquatic beasts are the main focus. The fish platter was vast, with at least four different kinds of fish. Bodega Fuente De is a traditional (again) restaurant offering many tapas, pintxos and raciones. You have to book, or you won’t get in, and there was a big queue before it opened. It was okay, but I wasn’t that impressed. I ordered fried chorizo and thought it was poor. Next, I had lined up huevas con patate, and I had visions of creamy mashed potatoes and runny poached egg yolks oozing over the top. Mmm, I was a bit miffed when a plate of fried egg and chips was placed in front of me. Greasy spoon fare. Oh well. The wine was nice!
Should you go?
Santander put a smile on my face. Such a luscious destination and such a short flight away. Apparently, it’s quite a draw in the summer for Spanish visitors who wish to avoid the heat of Madrid and southern Spain. By September, that cohort had gone, and the city wasn’t too busy. It really helped that the weather was so nice, and lying on the beach in the sunshine, reading a book, and going for a swim was no chore.
The promenade is well set up for both walkers and cyclists, and a bus service goes right along the coastal road here. We walked from our apartment to the beach a few times. It was a lovely stroll, stopping every few minutes to admire the view. On one trip, my wife and I sat down at a pavement bar and had a beer in the sunshine while we watched folk stroll by. A simple, unremarkable thing, but so lovely.
Should I Go 2 