Beloved by Spaniards, Santander Is Becoming a Global Art Mecca
The easygoing beachfront city is getting a host of new and reborn museums.
Santander, a port city in northwestern Spain, has long seduced Spaniards with its spectacular horseshoe bay surrounded by rolling green hills and the Cantabrian mountains in the distance. But now the city, the capital of the Cantabria region, is poised to become an international art destination. In September 2026, the new arts, culture, and technology center Faro Santander opened in a historic building redesigned by acclaimed British architect David Chipperfield with a permanent collection including works by such legendary figures as el Greco, Rubens, Velázquez, and Goya.
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Meanwhile, 2027 will bring the first outpost of Madrid’s renowned Reina Sofía museum. The impressive Museum of Prehistory and Archaeology of Cantabria also has a new home designed by the Barcelona-based architecture practice Mendoza Partida. Art lovers are sure to appreciate the city’s walkable city center—where ornate, neoclassical façades sit alongside Baroque churches and grand, porticoed squares—and the wide sandy beaches lined with elegant fin-de-siècle villas.
When to Go
Santander is at its liveliest in the summer. With average highs in the comfortable low 70s in July and August, locals pack the beaches by day and dance to bands and DJs in the streets by night, pausing to admire the firework displays during the open-air festival of Semana Grande in late July. Early spring and fall are cooler and breezier with fewer crowds, while Christmas lights twinkle along the city’s grand boulevards in December.
What to Do
Tour the Art Museums:
Previously the headquarters of Banco Santander, the grand, neoclassical Pereda building has been transformed into a 21st-century museum with a collection of more than 1,000 artworks and sweeping views across the Bay of Santander. Designed by Renzo Piano, the Centro Botin dominates the Santander waterfront like a giant retro alarm clock on stilts; inside is a small but impressive permanent collection with works by Henri Matisse, Francis Bacon, Juan Gris, and Mark Rothko, alongside temporary exhibitions. It too offers panoramic views of the bay, making the terrace alone worth the price of admission.
Travel Back in Time:
At the Museum of Prehistory and Archaeology of Cantabria (MUPAC), a series of superbly designed interactive displays tell the story of Cantabria, from the Paleolithic Period all the way through Roman and medieval times. Highlights include a 30,000-year-old pendant carved out of animal bone in the shape of a woman and giant Iron Age stone discs inscribed with geometric patterns.
Hit the Beach:
It takes just 15 minutes from the city center by bus or a leisurely half hour stroll to reach El Sardinero, a favorite with sunbathers, swimmers, and surfers that is also great for families.
Getting Around
Seve Ballesteros–Santander Airport has from Madrid and Barcelona as well as major European cities like London, Paris, and Rome. Ferries travel to the British ports of Plymouth and Portsmouth, as well as to Cork in Ireland. Santander’s city center is walkable, and its beaches are easily accessible by public buses. Taxis are also inexpensive, with short journeys costing less than $6.
