Santander is full of surprises. It is another interesting city along the Cantabrian coast of Spain, and the office of Tourism in Santillana Del Mar recommended it as a fun place to visit with great surfing beaches. We were told by others it is popular among the Spanish, sort of a hidden gem with beaches equivalent to San Sebastian, without the high price tag of that “home to the rich and famous” destination. (We will visit there in a few days).
We didn’t know exactly what to expect, and we didn’t bring our swimwear as it was cool and raining when we set out. Actually we intended to bypass it on our way to Bilbao, but the weather cleared so we altered the route.
We found Santander to an eclectic mix of thing that just didn’t seem to be as they should. Here are some of the highlights of our day in Santander:
Really interesting trees.
Penguins in the Northern Hemisphere. (We see penguins in the wild at home in New Zealand, or in Australia)
Other northern cities we visited include San Sebastian, Santillana del Mar, and Comillas.
We Saw 40,000 Year Old Cave Drawings in Northern Spain
Tony Payne
October 4, 2012 at 4:13 amLooks like fun.
Anne
August 21, 2012 at 9:20 amSARAH AND MELISSA AREN’T IN THE LAST PHOTO, THEY’RE USUALLY “HANGING” AROUND SOMEWHERE !!!!
Rhonda
August 21, 2012 at 6:27 pmLOL – Great guess Anne, and funny too. Thanks for making me laugh today 🙂
stevebethere
August 20, 2012 at 12:11 amI will go with the Penguin 🙂
Rhonda
August 21, 2012 at 6:26 pmGood call Steve.
Carolyn
August 19, 2012 at 9:20 amIs the penguin at a zoo? They don’t live in Spain.
Rhonda
August 21, 2012 at 6:25 pmThey sure don’t, unless in an enclosure like they are in Santander. This was my motivation for writing today’s post.
Debbie
August 19, 2012 at 8:42 amThere are no penguins in Spain!
Rhonda
August 21, 2012 at 6:24 pmThat is what I thought when I saw them there. They were in an enclosure. It was like a “free zoo” of only penguins and sea lions.
Stan
August 19, 2012 at 4:10 amThe play structure the kids are hanging on is over a bench. Doesn’t look too safe to me.
Rhonda
August 21, 2012 at 6:23 pmGood observation Stan.
Eliza
August 19, 2012 at 4:06 amShips on land?
Rhonda
August 21, 2012 at 6:23 pmShips on land would be one thing wrong with these Santander photos, although not my motivation for writing the post.