This wonderful building is well-known as the headquarters of Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo (Menéndez Pelayo International University). It was built in 1909 and became the summer retreat of Alfonso XIII in 1913, and the Royal Family continued using it until 1930. In 1977, along with the rest of the peninsula, it was taken over by the city to become a public park. The building has since undergone an ambitious refit and is now equipped with all the latest technology for conferences and meetings. There are around 20 conference rooms as well as dining rooms. Facilities include air conditioning, a simultaneous translation system, CCTV, loudspeakers, video units, Internet connections and computers. The building is only open during conferences and in the summer months when it is used by students and teachers.
Escenario Santander is not only a concert hall but a multifaceted facility for music and musicians. This state-of-the-art venue comprises of a 1000-seat concert hall, 250-seat club stage for live gigs and smaller concerts, warehouses, classrooms and rehearsal studios. The huge performance space is also used for disco nights, festivals, movie screenings and art markets.
This is one of the most important cultural repositories in the Santander region. The city council commissioned the building especially to house the literary collection of Marcelino Menéndez Pelayo (1856-1912) after his death. It was declared a national monument in 1982. Inside the impressive building, the erudite writer's study has been preserved, along with his reading room and library. Natural overhead lighting beautifully illuminates the glass-fronted oak bookshelves that hold some 42,000 volumes, including 563 original manuscripts and 23 rare early books. The Menéndez Pelayo family home, built in 1876, can also be visited. The house was still lived in up until 1935 when the Menéndez Pelayo Society purchased it to establish a museum.
Palacio de Deportes de Santander is a grand arena located within the Cantabria University. Besides hosting basketball and handball matches it also hosts other local sports in its premises. Apart from that, Palacio de Deportes de Santander is home to several concerts by well known artists. The arena has a seating capacity of 12000, making it ideal for large scale events.
This is a permanent arts venue that hosts all manner of events throughout the year, including classical music concerts, ballet, and dance performances. The place is also home to Cantabria's School of Dramatic Arts and the Film Theater. An eye-catching, monumental and controversial building that was designed by Javier Sáenz de Oiza and opened in 1991. The ground-breaking design is covered in marble and weathered copper, giving it a characteristic blue-green color. The roof is full of skylights, flooding the interior with natural light. There are two grand halls, the Argenta and the Pereda. Both are equipped with simultaneous translation booths, large film screens, closed-circuit televisions and much more.
This museum, in a modern two-story building, opened to the public in 1981, although its origins date back to 1886. Inside, all aspects of marine life are represented, from tanks of sting rays, sharks and turtles to displays explaining the daily life of Santander's fishermen. Other sections are devoted to ship building, the different types of boats used locally, marine cartography, navigation systems and water sports. The museum also programs temporary exhibitions and runs its own research projects. These vary from investigations in marine biology to the techniques and practice of sub-aquatic archaeology. The sea has always played an important role in Santander's history, and this museum is a fascinating place to visit and find out more.
This art gallery, inaugurated in 1988, is right in the center, on one of the streets which runs off Paseo de Pereda, near the bay. The space is well designed and the gallery's programming policy aims to bring the most important exponents of contemporary Spanish art to the city.The gallery is not restrictive, and is as likely to show painting as sculpture and photography. Emphasis is clearly laid, however, on exhibiting the latest movements and trends in art production, whatever the media. Admission is free.
A new gallery that represents artists working in any media. It offers an open invitation to artists who seek to unify the global consciousness and promote cultural connections through multidisciplinary activities.
The Centro Cultural La Vidriera in Camargo, Cantabria regularly holds contests in various disciplines, such as creative writing. Visitors will also enjoy a variety of cultural events, such as plays, art exhibitions and movie screenings. The center is one of the venues chosen by the Filmoteca de Cantabria to host its many film cycles.
A part of the Caves of Monte Castillo, Cueva de Las Monedas is among the two of the four caves that is open to the public. Just a near to the more famous El Castillo cave, this cavern is the longest of Monte del Castillo at 800 meters (2624.67 feet) though only 160 meters (524.93 feet) are allowed to visitors. Besides stunning karst formations, colorful stalagmites, columns and stalactites, you will find palaeolithic cave art of some 17 animal images.
Palacete del Embarcadero means "Small Palace on the Quay" in English, as this is where you can take the small boats, commonly known in Santander as pedreñeras, to Somo, Puntal Beach and Pedreña. The building itself dates from the early 20th century and is Modernist in style. At one time, it was the custom's house and, while still belonging to the Port Authority, it is now used as a venue for all sorts of cultural events and art exhibits. These can be related to the sea, though not exclusively, and can be on all sorts of media (photography, painting). This quay offers some fantastic views of the entire Bay of Santander that should not be missed. Admission is free.
The Dique de Gamazo (Gamazo Jetty) is a veritable feat of marine engineering right in the center of Santander. Near the Puerto Chico (Small Port) it is surrounded by interesting buildings, including the Palacio de Festivales de Cantabria Cultural Center, the Centro de Alto Rendimiento de Vela (a sailing center) and the Escuela Superior de la Marina Civil (a sailing school). The jetty was constructed on land reclaimed from the sea and took more than 20 years to build. It was finally inaugurated in 1908. Its overall dimensions are stunning: some 180 meters long, 15 meters wide and 8 meters deep. Formerly, when the Puerto Chico was the main port for fishermen, boats were brought here for maintenance work and repairs. Reminiscent of the equally impressive San Martín shipyards, the jetty stands as a monument to industrial endeavor.