Santander () is the capital of the

autonomous community eu, autonomia erkidegoa ca, comunitat autònoma gl, comunidade autónoma oc, comunautat autonòma an, comunidat autonoma ast, comunidá autónoma , alt_name = , map = , category = Autonomous administra ...

and historical region of Cantabria situated on the north coast of

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

. It is a port city located east of Gijón and west of

Bilbao ) , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = 275 px , map_caption = Interactive map outlining Bilbao , pushpin_map = Spain Basque Country#Spain#Europe , pushpin_map_caption ...

with a population of 172,000 (2017). It is believed to have been a port since ancient times, due to its favorable location, and is documented as far back as the 11th century. Much of the medieval city was lost in the Great Fire of 1941. Today, its remaining old town, beach and other attractions are popular with tourists and other visitors and its economy is mainly service based. The port is still very active and a regular ferry service operates to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

. Fish and seafood dominate the local cuisine. Santander notably houses the headquarters of multinational bank

Banco Santander Banco Santander, S.A., doing business as Santander Group (, , Spanish: ), is a Spanish multinational financial services company based in Madrid and Santander in Spain. Additionally, Santander maintains a presence in all global financial centr ...

, which was founded there. The city has a mild climate typical of the Spanish northern coastline with frequent rainfall and stable temperatures. Cold snaps and heat waves are very rare.

History

Origins, Roman period and Middle Ages

The origin of the earliest human settlements in the current Santander is not easy to establish because there is little written and archaeological data. However, there would appear to be good practical reasons for ancient settlers to have chosen the north side of the bay, sheltered from it and safer from the storms of the

Bay of Biscay The Bay of Biscay (), known in Spain as the Gulf of Biscay ( es, Golfo de Vizcaya, eu, Bizkaiko Golkoa), and in France and some border regions as the Gulf of Gascony (french: Golfe de Gascogne, oc, Golf de Gasconha, br, Pleg-mor Gwaskogn), ...

, on the north side of the promontory of Somorrostro and along the ancient Becedo estuary. Moreover, the hillside provided good visibility for spotting potential attackers, making this the ideal place for the foundation of a stable settlement, which was to evolve throughout the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

. Although it is mentioned for the first time in 1068, in a draft document made by King Sancho II, in the 9th century Alfonso II the Chaste founded the Abbey of the Holy Bodies in the existing chapel on the hill of Somorrostro, housing as holy relics the heads of Saint Emeterius and

Saint Celedonius :''Another Saint Emeterius is associated with the legend of Saint Severus of Barcelona.'' Saints Emeterius (or Hemeterius, Madir) and Celedonius ( es, San Emeterio y San Celedonio; la, Emeterius et Caeledonius; died 300 AD) are venerated as saint ...

and the graves of other unknown martyrs, giving the abbey its name.

Alfonso VIII of Castile Alfonso VIII (11 November 11555 October 1214), called the Noble (''El Noble'') or the one of Las Navas (''el de las Navas''), was King of Castile from 1158 to his death and King of Toledo. After having suffered a great defeat with his own army a ...

granted the city a '' fuero'' (charter) in 1187. Santcivitatis

During the 12th and 13th centuries the population was contained within the walls of two different pueblas. La Puebla, the older, on the hill overlooking the city facing the bay, included the old castle, the Abbey of the Holy Bodies and the cloister. It had three rows of houses, separated by Rua Carnicerias and Rua Mayor, where the homes of prominent people of the town were, as well as those of the Abbot's canons. Meanwhile, the Puebla Nueva contained the convent of Santa Clara and San Francisco, which gave its name to one of the main streets; other important streets were the Rua de la Sal, The cavalcade Palace, Ribera, Don Gutierre, Puerta de la Sierra, Gallows and the Arcillero Rua. The two pueblas were joined by a bridge over the river that divided Becedo and flowed down to the shipyards, which were ordered by the king to take timber from the Cantabrian forests for shipbuilding. The villa was required to give the monarchy a ship per year. By the end of the 15th century Santander had a population of about 4,000 or 5,000 inhabitants. The city owes its existence to the excellent harbour of the

Bay of Santander The Bay of Santander is both a ''comarca'' of Cantabria and the largest estuary on the North coast of Spain, with an extension of 22.42 km (9 km long and 5 km wide). Due to the influence of Santander and its metropolitan area, ne ...

. Santander was an important port for Castile in the later Middle Ages, and also for trade with the

New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. ...

. It officially became a city in 1755.

''Cabo Machichaco'' explosions

On 3 November 1893 a steamship, , caught fire while she was being unloaded at a pier in the heart of the city. A crowd of 2,000 to 3,000 people watched as crew and firefighters fought the fire. About 40 tonnes of dynamite being carried in her forward holds exploded, killing about 590 people, injuring about 2,000, sinking the ship and destroying at least 65 buildings near the harbour. On 21 March 1894 a

salvage diver Salvage diving is the diving work associated with the recovery of all or part of ships, their cargoes, aircraft, and other vehicles and Structural engineering, structures which have sunk or fallen into water. In the case of ships it may also refer ...

working to salvage cargo from ''Cabo Machichaco''s wreck accidentally detonated about 11 tonnes of dynamite that were submerged in the after hold of the ship. 18 people were killed and 11 injured.

Great Fire of 1941

Santander fell victim to a great fire in 1941. Fanned by a strong south wind, the fire burned for two days. The fire started in Cádiz Street, next to the harbour, the Cathedral and the medieval quarter. The fire destroyed the Old Town Hall, Jesús de Monasterio and Vargas streets and Atarazanas square buildings. It led to a major change in the architecture of Santander, away from the older small stone and wood buildings with balconies to the enormous blocks of flats built during the reconstruction. There was only one casualty of the fire, a firefighter from Madrid killed in the line of duty, but thousands of families were left homeless and the city was plunged into chaos. The fire destroyed the greater part of the

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

town centre and gutted the city's Romanesque

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominations ...

Geography

The city is located on the northern side of the

Climate

The city of Santander has an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

''Cfb''), the annual thermal oscillation of the average monthly temperatures reaching around 10 °C (18 °F). The maximum temperature reached in Santander Airport was on 27 June 2009, and the minimum temperature on 21 January 1957. The warmest maximum daytime average for a month was in August 2003, with . Warm months (mean above ) are however rare. The warmest temperature recorded in downtown is in August 1940. Sunshine hours are very low by comparison with the rest of mainland and southern Spain. Even compared with other areas of northern Spain, such as

Galicia Galicia may refer to: Geographic regions * Galicia (Spain), a region and autonomous community of northwestern Spain ** Gallaecia, a Roman province ** The post-Roman Kingdom of the Suebi, also called the Kingdom of Gallaecia ** The medieval King ...

, which have much more sunshine hours in coastal cities such as

Vigo Vigo ( , , , ) is a city and municipality in the province of Pontevedra, within the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain. Located in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, it sits on the southern shore of an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, the ...

or Pontevedra. With just around 1650 hours of sunshine, Santander's southern areas are about as sunny as

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

and

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

, and quite a bit less sunny than most of England's south coastal regions. The area closer to the coast has higher sunshine time but lower summer afternoon temperatures.

Tourism and sights

The bars and restaurants of the old town are popular with tourists, as well as the El Sardinero beach a couple of kilometres away. The Cathedral of Santander: The lower temple, called "cripta del Cristo" was built around 1200 on other earlier

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...

buildings. It is long and wide, organised into three naves. Its style is a transition from Romanesque to

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

. The Lighthouse of Cabo Mayor presides over the entrance to the Bay of Santander. Parque de la Vaguada de las Llamas is one of the largest parks in northern Spain, covering of the city. Santander is pilot for a Smart city. It is embedded with 12,000 sensors. File:Santander - Catedral 13.jpg, Santander Cathedral File:Santander - beach 4.jpg, Beach of El Sardinero File:Campeonato Mundial de J80 en Santander 2009 01.jpg, Mouro Island File:Palacio de la Magdalena 3.jpg, La Magdalena royal palace File:Playa Del Camello 2.jpg, Playa del Camello File:Cantabria. Santander. Palacete del Embarcadero. Paseo de Pereda. Spain (2745625131).jpg, Palacio del Embarcadero File:Fachada Este Hotel Real.jpg, Hotel Real

Politics and government

The People's Party were the leading party in the municipal elections of 1999, 2003 and 2007.

Economy

As a service centre at the regional level, Santander contains important public institutions and private organisations with a large number of employees, including Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, the

University of Cantabria University of Cantabria (UC) ( es, Universidad de Cantabria), is a public university located in Santander, Torrelavega and Comillas in Cantabria, Spain. It was founded in 1972 and is organized in 15 schools and colleges. It was selected ...

and Grupo Santander. Activities related to culture, leisure and

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

are an important part of the city's economy, and the regional and municipal authorities look to augment the summer tourist trade with additional offerings, including conventions, conferences, cultural festivals and cruises.

, Spain's largest bank and corporation, has had its legal headquarters located in the city since its foundation.

Transport

There are ferry services to and from

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most d ...

and

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to ...

in the

and

Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

, all operated by Brittany Ferries.

Santander railway station Santander railway station, also known as ''Santander ADIF'' to distinguish it from the ''Santander Feve'' station, is the main railway station of the Spanish city of Santander, Cantabria. It opened in 1858 and served over 3 million passengers in ...

serves three million annual passengers. The city is served by the Seve Ballesteros–Santander Airport (SDR), located south of the city centre.

Education

is the largest university in Cantabria. * European University of the Atlantic is a private university founded in 2013. * Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo (UIMP) specializes in teaching Spanish and

culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups ...

to foreign students. * Central Library of Cantabria, founded in 1839

Culture

Santander has a great tradition and cultural activity, with events that play an important role in cultural and social life of the city. UIMP is a major international summer university and organizes large

festivals A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival ...

music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...

and

dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire ...

. The

Festival Internacional de Santander The Festival Internacional de Santander (FIS) is one of Spain's oldest music festivals. Each year, during the month of August it presents two to three operas as well as performances from visiting ballet and theatre companies, solo recitals, and ...

(FIS), Festival Internacional de Música de Órgano (FiMÓC), Encuentro de Música y Academia and the Paloma O'Shea International Piano Competition are main cultural events.

Diet

Santander's

cuisine A cuisine is a style of cooking characterized by distinctive ingredients, techniques and dishes, and usually associated with a specific culture or geographic region. Regional food preparation techniques, customs, and ingredients combine to ...

is characteristic of Cantabria in that it is based mainly on

seafood Seafood is any form of sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of molluscs (e.g. bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters and mussels, and cephalopods such as octopus an ...

. Popular

shellfish Shellfish is a colloquial and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater environ ...

include ''almejas'' ( clams) and ''navajas'' ( razor clams); fish include seabream, red mullet, anchovies,

seabass Sea bass is a common name for a variety of different species of marine fish. Many fish species of various families have been called sea bass. In Ireland and the United Kingdom, the fish sold and consumed as sea bass is exclusively the European ba ...

and sardines; and

squid True squid are molluscs with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight arms, and two tentacles in the superorder Decapodiformes, though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also called squid despite not strictly fittin ...

and

cuttlefish Cuttlefish or cuttles are marine molluscs of the order Sepiida. They belong to the class Cephalopoda which also includes squid, octopuses, and nautiluses. Cuttlefish have a unique internal shell, the cuttlebone, which is used for control of ...

are also commonly eaten. Some typical dishes from the city of Santander are the fried calamari called ''rabas'', double donuts, bean stew called '' cocido montañés'', and

dishes ranging from

and sardine to products such as ''morguera''.

Notable people

Historical figures

* Francisco Marroquin (1499–1563), first bishop of Guatemala and provisional Governor of Guatemala * Toribio de Peñalva (c.1606-c.1685), Spanish military man, Procurator General of

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

during the Viceroyalty of Peru * Manuel Pardo (1774–?), a Spanish soldier, the Interim Governor of

Spanish Texas Spanish Texas was one of the interior provinces of the colonial Viceroyalty of New Spain from 1690 until 1821. The term "interior provinces" first appeared in 1712, as an expression meaning "far away" provinces. It was only in 1776 that a leg ...

in 1817 *

José de Madrazo y Agudo José Sotero de Madrazo y Agudo (22 April 1781 – 8 May 1859) was a Spanish painter and engraver; one of the primary exponents of the Neoclassical style in Spain. He was the patriarch of a family of artists that included his sons Federico ...

(1781–1859), a Spanish painter and engraver, an exponent of the Neoclassical

19th century

Jenaro Quesada, 1st Marquis of Miravalles Jenaro Quesada y Matheus, 1st Marquis of Miravalles, Grandee of Spain, (in full, es, Don Genaro Quesada y Matheus, primer marqués de Miravalles), (6 February 1818 – 19 January 1889), was a Spanish soldier Early life Quesada was born at S ...

(1818–1889)

Grandee of Spain Grandee (; es, Grande de España, ) is an official aristocratic title conferred on some Spanish nobility. Holders of this dignity enjoyed similar privileges to those of the peerage of France during the , though in neither country did they ...

and Spanish soldier * José Antonio Mijares (1819–1847) a Mexican Army Lieutenant who led the Mexican resistance force against the American garrison of San José del Cabo in the Battle of San José del Cabo *

Rafael Izquierdo y Gutiérrez Rafael Gerónimo Cayetano Izquierdo y Gutiérrez (30 September 1820 – 9 November 1883) was a Spanish Military Officer, politician, and statesman. He served as Governor-General of the Philippines from 4 April 1871 to 8 January 1873. He was fam ...

(1820–1883) a Spanish Military Officer, politician, and statesman; Governor-General of the Philippines from 1871 to 1873 *

Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola Don Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola y Pedrueca or Marcelino de Sautuola was a Spanish jurist and amateur archaeologist who owned the land where the Altamira cave was found. Altamira cave The Altamira cave, now famous for its unique collection of prehi ...

(1831–1888) a Spanish jurist, amateur archaeologist, owned the land of the Cave of Altamira * Marcelino Menéndez y Pelayo (1856–1912) a Spanish scholar, historian and literary critic. *

Francisco Iturrino Francisco Nicolás Iturrino González (9 September 1864 – 20 June 1924) was a Spanish Post-impressionist painter of Basque ancestry. He is sometimes classified as a Fauvist. Biography Iturrino was born in Santander. In 1872, his family ...

(1864–1924) a Spanish Post-impressionist painter of Basque ancestry, sometimes called a Fauvist * Concha Espina (c.1877–1955) a Spanish writer nominated for a

Nobel prize in literature ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , caption = , awarded_for = Outstanding contributions in literature , presenter = Swedish Academy , holder = Annie Ernaux (2022) , location = Stockholm, Sweden , year = 1901 , ...

25 times in nine years * Marcial Solana González-Camino (1880–1958) a Spanish scholar, writer and politician; historian of philosophy * María Gutiérrez Blanchard (1881–1932) a Spanish painter, developed a unique style of

Cubism Cubism is an early-20th-century avant-garde art movement that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture. In Cubist artwork, objects are analyzed, broken up and reassemble ...

Ángel Herrera Oria Ángel Herrera Oria (19 November 1886 – 28 July 1968) was a Spanish journalist and Roman Catholic politician and later a cardinal. He established the Instituto Social León XIII (later renamed Fundación Pablo VI) to promote the social do ...

(1886–1968) a Spanish journalist, Roman Catholic politician and later a cardinal * Gerardo Diego (1896–1987) a Spanish poet, a member of the

Generation of '27 The Generation of '27 ( es, Generación del 27) was an influential group of poets that arose in Spanish literary circles between 1923 and 1927, essentially out of a shared desire to experience and work with avant-garde forms of art and poetry. ...

20th century

Emilio Botín Emilio Botín-Sanz de Sautuola García de los Ríos, '' iure uxoris'' Marquess of O'Shea (1 October 1934 – 10 September 2014) was a Spanish banker.José Luis Zamanillo (1903–1980), a Traditionalist politician and leader of

Carlist Carlism ( eu, Karlismo; ca, Carlisme; ; ) is a Traditionalist and Legitimist political movement in Spain aimed at establishing an alternative branch of the Bourbon dynasty – one descended from Don Carlos, Count of Molina (1788–1855) – o ...

paramilitary Requeté structures * Francisco de Borbón y Borbón (1912–1995), a Spanish aristocrat, Lieutenant General of the cavalry in the Spanish army *

Matilde Camus Aurora Matilde Gómez Camus (26 September 1919 – 28 April 2012) was a Spanish poet from Cantabria who also wrote non-fiction. Life and career Aurora Matilde Gómez Camus was born in Santander, Cantabria on September 26th 1919, she was t ...

(1919–2012), a Spanish poet who also wrote non-fiction * Elena Quiroga (1921–1995), Spanish writer, explored the themes of childhood and adolescence * Daniel Gil (1930–2004), one of the leading Spanish

graphic designer A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography, or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, ...

s of the 20th century *

Emilio Botín Emilio Botín-Sanz de Sautuola García de los Ríos, '' iure uxoris'' Marquess of O'Shea (1 October 1934 – 10 September 2014) was a Spanish banker.Grupo Santander * Juan Carlos Calderon (1938–2012), a Spanish singer-songwriter and musician * Álvaro Pombo (born 1939), a Spanish poet, novelist and activist * Juan Navarro Baldeweg (born 1939), architect and professor at the

Superior Technical School of Architecture of Madrid The Higher Technical School of Architecture of Madrid ( es, Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid, ETSAM) is the school of architecture of the Technical University of Madrid (UPM), Spain. It trains future architects and grants the ...

* Alfonso Vallejo (born 1943), playwright, poet, painter and neurologist *

Germán Gullón Germán Gullón ( Santander, May 21, 1945), literary critic and writer, is a professor of Spanish literature and member of the Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis at the University of Amsterdam. He has authored, beside his scholarly works an ...

(born 1945), literary critic, writer and professor of Spanish literature at the

University of Amsterdam The University of Amsterdam (abbreviated as UvA, nl, Universiteit van Amsterdam) is a public research university located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The UvA is one of two large, publicly funded research universities in the city, the other being ...

* Domingo Sarrey (born 1948), a visual artist and video artist. * José Antonio Rodríguez Vega (1957–2002), nicknamed ''El Mataviejas'' (The Old Lady Killer), was a Spanish serial killer who raped and killed at least 16 elderly women in and around Santander between August 1987 and April 1988 * Álvaro Longoria (born 1968), a film director, executive producer and actor

Athletes

Marcos Alonso Imaz Marcos Alonso Imaz (16 April 1933 – 6 March 2012), nicknamed Marquitos, was a Spanish footballer who played as a defender. He was best known for his participation in Real Madrid's five European Cup conquests, mainly in the 1950s. Club care ...

(1933–2012), nicknamed Marquitos, was a Spanish footballer, 272 pro appearances *

José Pérez Francés José Pérez Francés (27 December 1936 – 30 September 2021) was a Spanish professional road racing cyclist. He finished four times on the podium of Vuelta a España and won three stages, although he never won the overall classification. He ...

(born 1936), a Spanish former professional road racing cyclist * Francisco Javier Aguilar Garcia (born 1949), a Spanish retired professional footballer 300 pro appearances *

Seve Ballesteros Severiano Ballesteros Sota (; 9 April 1957 – 7 May 2011) was a Spanish professional golfer, a World No. 1 who was one of the sport's leading figures from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s. A member of a gifted golfing family, he won 90 inte ...

(1957–2011), a Spanish professional golfer and World No. 1 * Quique Setién (born 1958), a Spanish retired footballer, 518 pro appearances, former coach of

FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football. Found ...

Marcos Alonso Peña Marcos Alonso Peña (born 1 October 1959) is a Spanish retired football player and manager. Known simply as Marcos in his playing days, he played mainly as a right winger but appeared also as a forward. He amassed La Liga totals of 302 games ...

(born 1959), a Spanish retired footballer, and a current coach, 309 pro appearances *

Iván Helguera Iván Helguera Bujía (; born 28 March 1975) is a Spanish former professional footballer. Playing as either a central defender or defensive midfielder, with both good defensive and offensive skills, he represented five clubs during his professi ...

(born 1975), a Spanish football player, 326 pro appearances *

Pedro Munitis Pedro Munitis Álvarez (born 19 June 1975) is a Spanish retired footballer who played mainly as a forward, currently a manager. He was one of the shortest players in La Liga, and was best known for his fighting spirit. His professional career ...

(born 1975), a Spanish football player, 475 pro appearances * Iván de la Peña (born 1976), a Spanish football player, 331 pro appearances *

Mario Bermejo Mario Bermejo Castanedo (born 7 October 1978) is a Spanish retired professional footballer who played as a striker. A veteran in the Segunda División, he amassed totals of 267 games and 73 goals for eight clubs over nine seasons. In La Liga ...

(born 1978), a Spanish retired professional footballer, 546 pro appearances *

Ruth Beitia Ruth Beitia Vila (; born 1 April 1979) is a retired high jumper who was the 2016 Olympic champion in the women's high jump. She was also a politician in the Partido Popular and a member of the Parliament of Cantabria. Biography Beitia first ...

(born 1979), high jumper, gold medallist at the 2016 Olympic Games *

Gonzalo Colsa Gonzalo Colsa Albendea (born 2 April 1979) is a Spanish retired footballer who usually played as a central midfielder. He amassed La Liga totals of 340 matches and 29 goals over 14 seasons, representing in the competition Racing de Santander ...

(born 1979), a Spanish retired footballer 394 pro appearances

Sports

Racing de Santander Real Racing Club de Santander, S.A.D. (), also known as Racing de Santander () or simply Racing, is a football club based in Santander, Cantabria, Spain, that currently competes in Segunda División, the second tier of the Spanish league sys ...

is the main

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

team in the city, playing their home games at the

Campos de Sport de El Sardinero Campos de Sport de El Sardinero ("El Sardinero Sport Fields"), or simply El Sardinero, is a multi-purpose stadium in Santander, Spain. It is currently used mostly for football matches, serving as the home ground of the former La Liga side Racing ...

. Some elite teams of Santander: File:Santander.Palacio.de.Deportes.jpg, Palacio de Deportes in El Sardinero next to the

File:Santander - panoramio (57).jpg, Sporting marina in Puertochico File:Cabo Menor.jpg, Mataleñas municipal golf fields, in Cape Menor

References

;Citations ;Bibliography *

Bibliography

External links

Official tourism website
*
Webcams de Santander y Cantabria
nbsp;— Live webcams Santander and Cantabria.
Ayuntamiento de Santander
nbsp;— Official website of the Santander City Council (In Spanish).
Webcam en Puertochico
nbsp;— Live webcam of Santander's Puertochico district. {{Authority control Municipalities in Cantabria Port cities and towns on the Spanish Atlantic coast Populated coastal places in Spain