This was a fantastic and informative tour of a cave system that was inhabited by humans for many…read moretens of thousands of years. The guide was funny and genial, in English and Spanish, as well as a few other languages. Seeing paintings as old as 40,000 years was truly an incredible experience. Don't miss Puente Viesgo if you happen to be traveling around Santander!

This is a large nature space located about 15 min drive from downtown Santander. The peninsula…read morecovers about 62 acres and it offers a multitude of activities. There is a Tourist Train that takes you around the entire peninsula so you can check out the sights with minimal walking. There is a Marine Park, built outdoors, taking advantage of the cliff rock and the inlet of sea water, where you can see seals, sea lions and penguins. There is a Man and the Sea Museum where you will be able to see three old galleons used in journeys through the Atlantic Ocean Then, there's the jewel of the park: La Magdalena Palace Located at the top of the Magdalena Peninsula, is the former summer residence of Kings Alfonso XIII and Victoria Eugenia. It currently hosts the UIMP summer courses There are also a few beaches that dot the peninsula for those wanting some Sun Bathing. You can access this area with buses 1, 2 or 4 from the center of town.

I loved this Palace. The architecture, the setting by the water and rocks, the views of the…read moreislands, beaches and lighthouses, the forest around it, all made it very beautiful and serene. The Real Palacio de la Magdalena is the most emblematic building in Santander, as important for its present as for its past as the summer residence of Kings Alfonso XIII and Victoria Eugenia. It was built in the early 1900s as a royal residence, but today it has multipurpose uses.....university campus, event space, conference hall and more...but still the royal bedrooms are open to be used by the King of Spain whenever he wishes. Those bedrooms are part of the Royal heritage. The guided tour took about an hour and I got to see many of the palace rooms and they were magnificent. The cost was about 6 euros and you can buy online or at the door. They sometimes have to cancel or reschedule guided visits depending on event happening at the Palace, like conferences, movie shootings, diplomatic visits, etc.

The Spanish royal family apparently still uses this palace and so would I! Stunning grounds, views…read moreof the ocean, a small zoo and the palace itself is incredible. We spent a really nice afternoon walking the grounds and taking in the sights. It has better views than the Buckingham palace and I would choose this over that...if I was given the choice. ;-)

La Grúa de Piedra (The Stone Crane) provided its services to the Port of Santander between 1900 and…read morethe end of the 20th century. It is located on the Maura pier. It is one of the major landmarks in Santander as anyone takes a walking tour of the city. The base is made of stone, circular in shape, and the structure is steel. In the rear it has 34-ton counterweights. The steel structure rests on a base made of ashlars from the old docks, which gives the crane its name. The weight of the Stone Crane, not counting the stone base, is 48 tons. Back in the old days, this crane allowed for many cargo ships to be unloaded quickly so the port of Santander was at its highest volume among many European ports of the time.

This was the bridge that I really wanted to try after seeing it online. Incredible engineering…read morewhich uses pullies to transport vehicles and people across the water. I have used it several times already. It is not only a tourist spot but also saves me ~20 minutes every time to get to this part of town without needing to drive around.

This was one bridge that I had to see while in Bilbao. The transporting part of the bridge was…read moreworking fine, but I was a bit too late to walk on top of the bridge. I'm sure the views would have been spectacular. Designated as a UNESCO heritage site, it is one of the few remaining examples of such marvelous late 19th century engineering. There are displays of similar bridges from across the world, but this is the prettiest one IMHO. The short ride across the river takes you to either Portugalete or Getxo; both are worthy of exploring. I ended up eating and drinking in both places! Getxo has a nice long historical promenade along the water. As for the ferry itself, it has space for cars and bikes in the middle, and passengers on both sides. Watching it move across the water was mesmerizing.

Located in Bilbao's Old Town, Plaza Nueva has five different entrances. Once you reach the center,…read moreyou'll be surrounded by many pintxos bars, or as the locals call them, tabernas. Some of my favorites were: * Sorginsullo * Gure Tori * El Globo At the plaza, you will also find the Ikastola, the school where the Basque language is standardized and taught. We visited during Carnaval, so there was a huge tart, locals dressed in costumes, a stage with live bands, and even a play. Definitely worth the visit, and make sure to come hungry!

Built in 1821 the Plaza Nueva has the character of a hopping urban neighborhood. This is mostly due…read moreto the restaurants and bars that keep the atmosphere lively all day. Until 1890 when the new palace was built the Biscay government was housed here in the main building. The building is now the site of the Basque language Royal Academy. If you are visiting, take your time walking around the square checking the shops, but most importantly stop in at least a couple of pintxos bars, try a couple of pintxos and wash the down with some txakoli (Basque wine).