Santander In June
 

Well I have finally found some time to take a break this summer, in June. I've been wanting to go to Santander for sometime, but am worried about the weather. Web-sites seem to suggest it lies in the 22-34 range for June. However, I always find that wherever I have gone it is in fact far warmer than suggested by such sites (i.e towards the 30 degrees C)...I was wondering if anyone had personal experience with that part of Spain in early June?

Also, restaurant/bar recommendations for Santander would be very much appreciated too!

For accommodation just put 'Santander' into Google and you will get a range of hotels from low to high price.

Northern Spain in early June is quite unlikely to experience temperatures above 25C - my experience of that area goes back to 1966, when I spent six weeks through June and early July in San Sebastian, but I am not not familiar with Santander specifically.

Harzer

I was hoping that it'd be around 25, I was in San Sebastian in July a couple of summers ago, and it was more than warm enough then.

Accommodation is easy, but any leading restaurants/bars that you could recommend...or I suppose that I can always ask the concierge, but personal recommendations carry much more weight I feel!

Any further offers?

I don't stay in places with a concierge, but in B & B's. And here I feel confident about asking for advice about where to go, where to eat, where to shop, what to see and do, although there is indeed a chance that you will be channelled into family-linked businesses. But I am not hard to please, and have found that people are by and large earnest in their desire to give the stranger a memorable experience of their home town.

Harzer

When in Santander, I always try to have lunch at a place on c/Palacios: It's not the (elegant) one up near the main road coming into town; it's about 6-doors from the street that parallels the railroad tracks. It's also a fish market, and a bar. The dining area is a balcony-type affair (upstairs). They always have an excellent menu del día and it's very inexpensive.

I've seen several truckers dining there before heading south with their cargo of fish from the nearby fishing fleet or the Barrio Pesquero.

Sorry, I don't do 'leading restaurants and bars!' There's an Irish Pub in Santander, but I haven't yet had the pleasure of visiting it.

June is fine! Count on cooler weather. Most days in June might be a bit cool for the beach. I would be surprised to see temps higher than 25 C in 'early June.'

Bus Tours from Santander include the Picos de Europa (Don't pay for the meal-inclusive one; you can do much better on your own); Santillana del mar, Comillas (where Gaudi's Caprichos is an Oriental Restaurant). Once, I was in Santander for a week in April and the Bus Tours hadn't started yet; so I just took regular buses to several places, incl. Potes, Capital of Liebana.

2006 should be a Jubilee Year for Santo Toribio: a Monastery just outside Potes. Normally, that Saint's day is 16 April, but that was Easter Sunday this year. I don't know if there's anything special going on for the Jubilee Year.

Also, how easy is it go get from Santander to say San Sebastian or Bilbao? The former is one of my favourite places.

Hi M Kingdom,

I have been twice to Santander in the last 2 summers but in July. Last year I was there first week of July and it was pretty warm ( 80's), but all the North of Spain was going through a heat wave.

With respect to restaurants these are the ones I remember:

Mesón Rampalay
Bodega Cigaleña
Mesón Goya

These are casual restaurants, not fancy ( I believe Cigaleña was a little "fancier" that the other 2). The food/ tapas on these restaurants was excellent. They are all located in Calle Daoiz and Velarde, near Plaza Cañadío in the old section of town ( not in Sardinero). Late at night the bars around Plaza Cañadío are pretty animated.

Actually, I'm going back this summer to Santander and I look forward to sampling these restaurants again!

Where are you staying?

I forgot to answer your question about transportation to Bilbao/ SS.

If you are referring to bus transportation it is very easy . There are many buses a day to Bilbao ( 1.5 hrs) and SS(2.5 hrs).
www.alsa.es

Thank you for those recommendations, and I'm pleased to find out that the bus journey is available - travelling on local transport over long(ish) distances is always quite an interesting experience.

If I do choose to go to Santander, I'll be staying at Hotel Real (there seems to be little choice over the best properties, and it seems very reasonable for the money). Although I am toying with the idea of doing a two centre holiday with either Bilbao or San Sebastian, but I am being indecisive over the whole trip!

Hotel Real is of course lovely. However, this year I'm going during their peak season (end of July/ August) and prices are exhorbitant for any hotel, so I can only imagine the premium that the Real will command.

I'm a big fan of bus travel in Spain. The coach buses are very comfortable, clean and on time. If you want extra comfort book the Supra class (less seats and bigger seats). As a matter of fact I'll be doing that this year ,from Bilbao to Santander.