Santander is a city in which patent has left the mixture of its different vocations, marine, commercial and tourist tradition. The origin of the city is related to the Portus Victoriae founded by the Romans. Nevertheless, the urban development of the capital would not arrive until century XI, date in which would begin to grow the villa safe from the abbey of San Emeterio. From its name in Latin, Sancti Emeterii, comes present topónimo of Santander. During centuries XVIII and XIX, the city became a mercantile port key for the sea lanes between Castile and the American colonies. From half-full of century XIX, Santander happened to be one of more select the summery tourist destinies of the peninsular North coast.
The Stroll of Pereda, with its typical houses of viewpoints, and their gardens constitute a exuberante boulevard that separates the coastal strip of the santanderino old helmet. The near Cathedral is one of the oldest buildings of the capital, being its primitive construction of century XIII. In his interior it excels the tomb of Marcelino Menéndez Pelayo, builds of the escultor Male Victorio. Under the main temple cripta of the Christ is conserved, sober vaulted enclosure in which diverse findings of the Roman time were discovered. In front of the cathedral the Porticada Seat rises, of style neoherreriano and surrounded by several buildings public.
We in the heat of were crossroads of animated rúas (streets) commercial like the Suburb or the Bucket. One of these streets leads to the seat of the Generalissimo, seat of the City council, adjacent with the popular market of the Hope, of modernist style. The visit has to continue by the Museum of Beautiful Arts and the House-Museum of Menéndez Pelayo, declared building Joint Histo'rico-Arti'stico.

The port and the Sardinero From return to the gardens of Pereda, they appear the Bank of Santander and the Palacete of the Wharf, building this one last one with excellent views to the bay. In her to the fishing port and the Small Port are located, as well as diverse marine dependencies: the market, the wharf, the Naval command, etc. In this place one of the most typical stamps of Santander is drawn.
To the image of mansions and bourgeois buildings that watch the bay it unites the one of other buildings of cultural character. Among them it emphasizes the Palace of Festivales, constructed by Francisco Javier Sáenz de Oiza and present seat of the prestigious Festival the International of Santander. The Museum of Prehistoria and Arqueologi'a, which it gathers diverse prehistoric findings, of between which they emphasize his collection of the Paleolítico, one of most valuable of Europe. Finally, the Marine Museum of the Cantabrian, one of most complete of Spain dedicated to the sea, discovers several aspects related to the Cantabrian: marine Biology, marine history, fishing ethnography, etc. Santander shows from this point beautiful beaches of the Dangers, the one of the Magdalena and the one of Biquinis, of calm waters and prote'ge'es of the wind by the bay. In the most tourist Santander is the Sardinero.
In front of this famous beach it is possible to be enjoyed one of the more beautiful marine strolls of Spain, with sumptuous buildings, like the Great Casino, that evokes the architecture of the Belle Époque. Seat of Italy, with his elegant and animated terraces summery, and Gardens of Piquío, which they are based on a rocky entrant who marks the separation of two beaches of the Sardinero, complete the surroundings.
Between the historical helmet and the Sardinero, the peninsula in which the park of the Magdalena and the real palace are based, inaugurated in 1913 extends as it calls to account summer of king Alfonso XIII. The residence, of English style, counts on beautiful stables and it is surrounded by extensive gardens and hoisted zones. This privileged zone of relaxation becomes during the months of summer the neuralgic center of the famous courses of summer of the University the International Menéndez Pelayo, forum that reunites so much to students as to the most outstanding personalities of the diverse fields of the knowledge.