Santander, capital of Cantabria, is a port city in northern Spain. It’s west of Bilbao, on the north side of the Bay of Santander. It’s a pretty setting and popular visitor destination for its waterfront and beaches. There’s some very scenic running in Santander, highlighted by waterfront promenades and clifftop trails.
The best place to run in Santander is to choose a section of our nearly 10 km waterfront trail, which starts in the center of town and goes as far as the Playa de Mataleñas. There are also some scenic clifftop bluff trails for running, around the Parque Mataleñas, Cabo Menor/Mayor, and the Panteón del Inglés. For parks, the best for running is Parque Atlántico, which can be combined with Parque Mataleñas for a longer run. In western Santander, we like running in Parque Morales and the adjacent, hilly Parque Finca de la Remonta. We’ve also recommended some of the better beaches for running in Santander.
Runners should note that Santander’s climate is mild, but much less sunny than most of mainland Spain.
