Once the haunt of the upper classes, this town in northern Spain remains a pleasingly Spanish resort with sandy beaches and a gentle pace of life. It is a wonderfully old-fashioned place with a long seafaring history, in the 15th and 16th centuries it was the primary jump-off point in Iberia for the Americas. This is not the place for a high-living, see-and-be-seen city break, but its perfect for a relaxed, peaceful getaway.

GRAN HOTEL VICTORIA
Calle María Luisa Pelayo 38 (00 34 942 291 100; www.granhotelvictoria.com). This is in the heart of the Sardinero district by the seafront, just back from the Playa del Camello. This recently refurbished, classic seaside hotel is well located for beaches and the Magdalena Peninsula. All rooms have terraces. £

HOTEL COLISEUM
Plaza Remedios 1 (00 34 94 318 081; www.hoteles-silken.com). This is a modernist, brightly lit palace in the city centre, with lots of tiles, wood, leather and tablecloths. £

HOTEL REAL
Paseo de Perez Galdos 28 (00 34 942 272 550; www.hotelreal-santander.com). An extravagant wedding cake of white concrete built on the Canalejas isthmus, just before World War I, to house royal hangers-on. It's a time-capsule sort of place, popular with people who like a bit of Edwardian luxuriance with their nightcaps, and has breathtaking views of the Santander estuary and mountains beyond. Right in between the central and Sardinero districts, it's good for people-watching. ££

HOTEL VINCCI PUERTOCHICO
Castelar 25 (00 34 942 225 200; www.vinccihoteles.com). This is a high-end boutique hotel (part of the Vincci chain) by the marina, handy for the city centre. It has a minimalist design and lovely views of the sea.

Despite being popular with patrician madrilenos, Santander doesn't have a Madrid-style, late-night culture though la marcha (the promenade) still goes on, if you know where to look. Although the resort suffers from unpredictable weather, there's still plenty of alfresco life to be had as most bars and restaurants have outdoor canopied areas. The area by the waterfront is fairly dead after banking hours: only a handful of pastelerías and the odd restaurant open after normal shop-trading hours. It is better to head for the El Sardinero beach area or the residential area further back up the hill from the seafront. Start off west of the centre, with aperitifs and tapas in the many bars around the Calle Vargas: it's lively if a bit studenty.

BODEGAS GALLEGO
Calle Hernán Cortés. A civilised wine and tapas bar.

CAFE LA CATEDRAL
Cathedral Square. This offers tapas and pastelería, and has a picturesque view of the cathedral.

CAFETERIA HELADERIA LUGANO
Hernán Cortés 55 (00 34 942 224 280; www.heladeriaslugano.com). Choose a variety of scoops.

CANAS Y TAPAS
Hernán Cortés 47 (00 34 942 220 105). This fun tapas bar has an eccentric, tiled interior.

EL MASTIL
Castelar 5 (00 34 942 214 646). The terrifyingly expensive menu must put a lot of people off this grown-up restaurant, with its pavement tables opposite the marina and rather formal staff. The menú del día offers plenty of choice, though.

ENTRE TAPAS Y VINOS
Avenida Reina Victoria 46 (00 34 242 290 919; www.entretapasyvinos.com). This serves tapas and seafood with a modern twist. The huge picture-book windows afford wonderful views of the peninsula and massive container ships out at sea. Feast on platters of fresh shellfish.

LA CANIA
Joaquín Costa 45 (00 34 942 270 491). In the Sardinero district, try La Cania, a fairly rough-and-ready tapas bar with delicious food and pavement tables good for people-watching.

RHIN
Plaza de Italia 2 (00 34 942 273 034). This has an adventurous and imaginative range of snacks, and a large sheltered seating area with good views of the beach and the square.

CANELA
Plaza Cañadío. This is a popular weekday music venue and a central part of the city's nightlife. A free lollipop comes with every drink. Open Sun-Thurs, 8pm-2.30am; Fri and Sat until 3.30am.

MALESPINA
Travesía de Santa Lucía 4. This has a nice terrace, good music and a young crowd. Open 6pm to 6am.

ROCAMBOLE
Calle Hernán Cortés 24. This is a jolly jazz and music venue for locals. Open 4pm to 4am.

BEACHES
There are a dozen Blue-Flag beaches, some with Atlantic waves for surfing, others with limpid pools for toddlers to paddle in. The Playa de los Bikinis (on the lagoon side of the peninsula) is shallow, safe and clean, with a long concrete jetty that extends into deep water (good for diving off); Playa del Carmello (on the Sardinero side of the peninsula) is a scenic beach with a precipitous island and rock pools (good for shelling; as is Playa de la Concha next door). Segunda Playa del Sardinero (north Sardinero) is a clean, white-sand beach.

ESTUARY
It's hard to get a sense of what Santander looks like as all the high spots with good views are taken up by grand houses. A fantastic way to see the estuary is to take the commuter boat which departs regularly from Los Reginas on the seafront, opposite the Banco Santander (which looks a bit like the Arc de Triomphe, only terraced), and stops at Pedrena and Somo. A round trip lasts 45 minutes.

IGLESIA DE SANTA LUCIA
Plaza de Caadío. This is a 19th-century, neo-baroque joy in a square that's good for people-watching. Open during mass: 8am-1pm.

MUSEO DE BELLAS ARTES
Calle Rubio 5 (00 34 942 239 485). This is an attractive neoclassical building in a rundown area west of the town centre. It houses a good collection of European (largely Flemish and Italian) and local art, spanning the Middle Ages to the late 19th century including works by Giordano, Goya, Fortuny and Rosales. It closes daily for lunch from 1.30pm-5.30pm, so don't get caught out.

MUSEO DE PREHISTORIA Y ARQUEOLOGIA DE CANTABRIA
Calle Casimiro Sainz (00 34 942 207 109). Just uphill from the Puerto Chico roundabout, this museum houses Palaeolithic, Iron-Age and Roman finds from the region, plus photos and objects from the Cuevas de Altamira, described as the 'Sistine Chapel of Palaeolithic Art'. Open 9am-1pm; 4pm-7pm.

MUSEO EL HOMBRE Y LA MAR
San Martín de Bajamar (00 34 942 274 962). This has full-size replicas of historic ships, replicas of Columbus's fleet (the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria), stunning paintings of stormy seas and placid lagoons, and the world's smallest World Trade Centre (a white bungalow overlooking a tennis court). There is a Disneyesque train for those who can't walk up the hill. Open daily 10-6pm.

THE CATHEDRAL
Plaza Obispo Eguino. The original 14th-century cathedral was largely destroyed in the Great Fire of 1941. The current structure has undergone lengthy restoration and its sandstone exterior has an eerily Gaudí-esque feel. It has a fine altar pieces, a 15th-century cloister and the tomb of local writer Marcelino Menéndez Pelayo. Open 10am-1pm; 4pm-7.30pm.

THE PENINSULA DE LA MAGDALENA
This is the site of Alfonso XIII's summer palace and pleasure gardens. Today, this late-Gothic-revival/Edwardian monstrosity is a university, and the gardens a public park, large enough to pass a happy afternoon in. The small marine zoo, filled with cheerful-looking penguins and seals, is charming.

CORTEFIEL
Los Escalantes. Cortefiel is like a Spanish Topshop, but with even lower prices.

GOMEZ
Isabel 10. Gomez is a good pastelería selling Spanish and local delicacies.

THE MERCADO DE LA ESPERANZA
This fabulous covered market sells everything from fresh fish to chorizos and sweets.

AIRPORT
Santander has an international airport.

AIRLINES FROM THE UK
Iberia (0870 609 0500; www.iberia.com) and Ryanair (0871 246 0000; www.ryanair.com) fly to Santander.

From the centre to the Magdalena Peninsula or El Sardinero takes about an hour on foot. Buses are plentiful and cheap. The number 10 leaves from the city centre and does a loop through the hilly back streets of the Canalejas, past the Hotel Real and down to Avenida Reina Victoria. It is worth taking just to see the buildings lining the latter part of the route. Cabs are easiest to find by the ranks near the Banco Santander and the Sardinero casino.

The best weather lasts from mid-June to mid-September. May is cool, but pleasant too.