Tours & Activities in Santander

Relive one of Santander's biggest catastrophes and how the city resurfaced after "El Siniestro", the great fire that changed everything forever that February 1941. February 15, 1941, night falls. Throughout the day a gale has risen that has grown to be almost a hurricane. A glow in the horizon of roofs begins to draw the attention of the population and the alarms in the streets sound ... The great fire of Santander has been unleashed, nothing will be the same again. Discover with Experienta the history of this event that changed Santander, in which much of the city was reduced to ashes and how this modified its structure and the way of life of the people of the place, to become as we know it today. Enjoy a different itinerary through the less known side of the center of Santander, through the most representative monuments and icons of the urban center, from a "catastrophic" point of view as well as instructive. Feel as if you were an inhabitant of the time under the explanations of a guide involved and willing to give you a fun visit in which nothing else you have to worry about enjoying the activity without risk of being devoured by the flames. We promise you that you will never see the city of Santander with the same eyes.

Due to seniority, experience and know-how of our team, the "most best" perfect route to have a first contact with the capital of Cantabria , its history, its people, its traditions and with the orange umbrella guides: OFFICIAL, ACCREDITED AND CANTABRIAN 100%. They won't take you "to cuchus" but they will teach you, entertain and excite you like no other. Get ready, not to get to know Santander, but to live it as if you were from here.


Welcome to Santander, the so-called "most beautiful bay in the world".
That of the idyllic landscape, the beaches, the aristocracy of El Sardinero, the illustrious characters, the bank,... but also that of the seafaring life, the docks, sardines, fishermen, neteras and raqueros.

A city of many faces and contrasts that has always been and will be "La Novia Del Mar". Join us in this "love-hate" story, capable of overshadowing Romeo and Juliet, as you walk through and get to know each street and monument of one of the jewels of the Cantabrian Sea.

• Our tour will begin in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento , in the heart of the city, where we will whet your appetite to go to the Mercado de La Esperanza and see a sample of daily life in Santander, as well as local gastronomy. You'll see how much fun you get.

• With our mouths watering and in case someone has sinned from gluttony, we will go to mass. Not literally, but we will visit the Church of the Annunciation, the Cathedral of Santander and its surroundings, to learn about them in detail, how Santander "married" the sea and how this is shown in the streets we walk on. This city teaches much more than it seems!!!

• But every relationship has its moments of crisis. With the Plaza de Alfonso Disastrous Valentine's Day that led to the Great Fire of 1941. They love each other, but sometimes they kill each other!!!

• It's not all drama here. The expansion is the result of the best and most beautiful moments of this peculiar couple. We are going to drop by the Pereda Gardens, the Plaza Porticada, the Plaza de Pombo or the Mercado del Este , some of the scenes of the greatest growth and prosperity in the city. Emblematic places with a handful of illustrious people as narrators of the story.

• We already know a lot about Santander, but who better to know the gossip of the couple than the lifelong neighbors. For this reason we will cross the neighborhood of El Arrabal , home of sailors and rederas, the most traditional streets of the city and where, if you close your eyes and concentrate, you can still feel the screams, the salt, the waves and the hustle and bustle of the boats.

• In the end, with the best and worst moments, a long-standing relationship pays off. A tour of the docks of Santander, along Paseo Pereda , will serve as the best show of the city's relationship with the Cantabrian Sea and to introduce the couple's churumbeles: the Raqueros . Those little characters who, during the 19th and 20th centuries, were among machinas, birles, hurrias and cabbages and who became an eternal icon.

As? Have you noticed it? What are those dirty words? A cuchus , gazuza, hurria, cole,... ? Don't worry, don't worry about reading this. You will understand, when you come with us, that we Cantabrians have a peculiar vocabulary and our words are the most authentic. What better than a local guide, from the usual La Tierruca, to put the subtitles on this film so that you understand every detail of our way of being.

What do you say, do you dare? Doesn't all this make you a little crazy ? We have a lot to guide you on this route and to have as much fun together as sparrows in a quagmire.

By the way! Bring your furry friends to stretch their legs. We are 100% pet friendly!!

Welcome to my land, to my city!

I invite you to a unique tour: Santander with Soul: A Journey of Flavors and Stories.

Do you want to discover Santander but don't know where to start?
Have you heard about its rich gastronomy, the famous "arrancada" or the "blanqueos" (whitewashing), and you don't know what they mean?

I love Santander, its postcard-perfect landscapes and its people, always warm and welcoming. My mission is for you to fall in love with this city as much as I do. Every corner has a story to tell, and I'm here to share it with you.

I don't promise to show you all the churches or give you a tour full of technicalities. But I do guarantee to show you the most emblematic buildings of a city that, on two occasions, was on the verge of disappearing from the map.

I will take you to typical places where locals enjoy their free time, I will recommend places where you can try our delicious squid, the famous Cantabrian anchovies, the cocido montañés or the cocido lebaniego, while we walk through the most iconic streets full of history.

Don't put off until tomorrow what you can eat today!

Would you rather visit Santander at sunset? That's also possible!
When night falls, the city transforms into a brilliant spectacle. The sunsets here give us a palette of colours that you won't find at any other time of day.


Experience the difference of a small group tour! On my tours I like to keep things close, as if we were walking with friends. That's why I always choose small groups: that way we can chat, laugh and enjoy the tour without rushing.

Why choose me to show you Santander?
The real question is… why not?


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Important note

If you are unable to attend the tour, please cancel your booking on the app at least 60 minutes before. Thank you for your understanding!

Learn all about the history, customs and traditions of the Cantabrian capital with this detailed tour of the central area of the city of Santander and its main points of interest.

We will begin our free tour with a visit to the Pereda Gardens , named after the Cantabrian writer José Mª de Pereda, located next to the city's expansions, where we will see the magnificent Banco Santander building and the internationally renowned modern art centre: “ Centro Botín ”.

We will continue with the explanation of the fire in Santander, explaining everything that was destroyed and what was saved and how, to continue with the exterior visit of the Cathedral of Santa María de la Asunción .

On this tour we cannot forget the traditional Mercado de la Esperanza , next to the Town Hall square. We will arrive at the Plaza Porticada , the former headquarters of the Santander International Festival, passing by the Church of “La Compañía” and ending at the Plaza de Pombo , which we will access after first visiting the Mercado del Este, a gastronomic reference point in the city and the spectacular building of the former Banco Mercantil .

Book now and don't miss a single detail of Santander, its history, its architecture and its anecdotes!