Our family is soaking up all that summer has to offer so we headed on our second trip of summer 2026: Santander, Spain. Santander located in northern Spain is part of Cantabria, a beautiful province full of green grass, delicious food and welcoming people. After having driven around Cantabria, it was time to spend a long weekend in Santander, a common beach area that Madrileños often visit in summer. Here is what we did in the area of Monte:

Day 1:

Do not miss booking Rosamunda Beach Apartments! We stayed in the Este unit, which was perfect for a family with two+ kids and/or a pet. We brought along our dog, Nacho, who got to enjoy the backyard that comes with the Este unit. The apartment is perfectly equipped and located near the bus stop to Santander city for those without a car. It’s also walkable to two different beaches (Playa la Maruca and Playa Rosamunda). It was a great fit for our family and we loved the stay!

We recommend nearby Restaurant Las Olas, also walkable, for a big lunch or late dinner. We walked along the pet-friendly Playa Rosamunda with our stomaches full of seafood.

Day 2:

The kindness of the owner of the rental shone through when she offered to host our family free of charge for paddle boarding at the local beach. Our 14- and 11-year old boys were thrilled! They spent over an hour out on the sea learning how to stand up paddle board.

We then drove 20 minutes to the area of Magdalena. We then spent time on Playa de la Sardinia skim boarding, the perfect beach for enjoying the sea and sand.

We absolutely recommend making a reservation at Restaurante Balneario de la Magdalena which we absolutely loved for a daytime big lunch of paella! This food and the views were incredible and we highly recommend it there. We then recommend spending the day walking around the areas of the Palacio de Magdalena. There is so much beauty to see in the area of Magdalena!

We could have fit so much more into our stay in Santander, too, but it was the perfect fast weekend from Madrid. If you haven’t been to Santander, we highly recommend it!