Santander Beaches

Listed below are the main beaches in Santander, together with a brief description to help you decide which are the best ones for you to visit.

Outside Santander, the beaches in Cantabria are set in an amazing coastline which is scattered with uniquely shaped rocks that pose a continuing curiosity to anyone who sees it.

El Sardinero is a very popular beach which has a lighthouse opposite on Mauro Island, Concha Beach and Magadelana Peninsula to the right and the famous Real Racing de Santander stadium to its rear. El Sardinero has a wide promenade that runs the length of the beaches in the area. There are good facilities here and a wide selection of places to eat to choose from. There is a large park separating this beach and the Concha.

If you don't like crowds or beaches you can go up to the lighthouse which is about 2km from El Sardinero. There are some spectacular views from here and a restaurant with a large terrace where you can either have a meal or just a snack. You can hike along the cliffs from here or just relax on the grass.

Los Peligros beach has a sailing school where you can hire various crafts including kayaks and windsurfers. Next to the sailing school is a beach and bathing area which has floating platforms for sunbathing. On the right-hand side there is a wharf where you can fish.

Magdalena Beach is next to the peninsula of the same name. Normally there are some boats anchored here and the swimming area is closed off by buoys. In the water there are several platforms that you can swim to and sunbathe on. There is a sailing school here with an open-air drinks stall which divides this beach from the next one.

El Camello is right next to the Península de la Magdalena, and on the left side of the beach there is a huge rock topped with a famous statue. It has a promenade with bars and restaurants that runs to Concha Beach.

Trengandin beach in Noja is surrounded by high cliffs and is a calm beach with clear waters making it an ideal place for scuba divers with beautiful coral reefs and shoals of exotic fish. The shore line stretches for 6km of fine golden sands and at low tide natural rock pools appear which create a wide area of shallow water making it safe for children.

Ris Beach is a little smaller than Trengadin but attracts many tourists because of its accessibility and facilities. During high tide it is great for surfing with high waves and canoeing is also popular here.

If you are planning to explore the area outside of the city centre and play some golf or go to some of the more out of the way beaches then you might consider hiring a car. There are a number of car hire firms based at Santander Airport who will be pleased to have a vehicle awaiting your arrival. This also cuts down on transfer costs for you and your family.

We also provide information on other sporting and leisure amenities in Santander including an Area Guide to Santander which contains information on Santander local attractions, golf courses in Santander, the best places to shop in Santander, Santander market days and where the best Santander beaches are. We have also included a list of recommended Santander restaurants.