julie

hello,<BR> does anyone know of a nice hotel near the beach in Santander? We'd prefer a small place with character --we've heard about El Sardinero area, but am afraid it will be really crowded. Any help is most appreciated.

ester

okay, i am not putting you smack dab on the beach, despite what you had asked for, but trust me please! parador de santillana del mar, it is a stone's throw from santander and absolutely delightful. the hotel is medieval, and the village is even older. if you defy me and stay on the beach elsewhere, you must promise me you will visit this village of santillana del mar while in santander. you are also a few kilometers from altamira in santillana.

julie

Thanks, ester. I looked at that parador and it sounds wonderful. However, we won't have a car and are coming in about 10 pm to the airport, so i think it might be hard to get to the parador. What doyou think?

Maribel

julie,<BR>I've stayed at two very comfortable, well-run, classic hotels with quite spiffy rms right on El Sardinero beach in Santander (where you definitely want to be):<BR><BR>Hotel Rhin<BR>(www.gruporhin.com)<BR>Hotel Santemar<BR>email: [email protected]<BR><BR>If these aren't available, there's also the pretty, Belle Epoque style, fairly new Hotel Hoyela, also on beach.<BR>email: [email protected]<BR><BR>Don't know when you're traveling, but if it's June, you may still be able to secure a rm. High season begins July 1st, and both hotels have a very loyal, repeat clientele.<BR><BR>On our last trip, we stayed in Santillana at the Parador, but we had a car. But I made my reservations a full 6 months in advance. The 2 Paradors in Santillana (one used to be the annex) are really, really difficult to book. They fill up extremely quickly.<BR><BR>Good luck,<BR>Maribel<BR>

cooter

If you want Santander, and you want the beach, it really should be el sardinero. If you are going July/August, it will be really crowded and hard to get a room. <BR><BR>Maribel's sugestions are excellent. If you are looking for the extreme upper end, you also may want to look into the Hotel Real, which, while not directly on the beach, is a truly beautiful building and supposedly one of the finest hotels in Spain.<BR><BR>I would also second the recommendation to at least visit Santillana del Mar. Try to do it on a weekday if at all possible. The new museum with the reproduction of the altamira caves just outside Santillana is also very worthwhile.