Apartment for rent in the centre of Santander

Booked for 4 nights, wish we could have stayed longer! Great apartment in a lovely location. We only ate out one night as great butcher and supermarket on site. Private secure parking a real bonus as very crowded in local car park. We left the car and walked or took the local bus. Mercedes so helpful from booking to welcoming us to this spacious, bright apartment. The only thing we would have liked is wifi access - as we said we would have been happy to pay for-daily cost of 8 euros for coffees and drinks we didn't need to arrange travel details with our NZ friends! We did eventually discover free access in old market in Santander. We were both amazed with this unspoilt area of Spain with it's beautiful beaches and scenic picos mountains -a great day trip to Pocos and Fuente de cable car. We plan to return and spend longer next time.

We spent a month here from November to December 2013 and found the apartment to be very good, but the location is is beyond compare. It is one of two flats on the top floor of a 8 story block which is part of a good complex that includes no less than 2 medium sized but very good supermarkets, with bakery's inside producing fresh bread and cakes, a butchers, hairdressers, dry cleaners and a couple of bars and restaurants. Add in the secure parking and on-site security staff and you can relax and know all you could need is at hand and safe. Its no more than 100 metres walk to one of the best beaches in Spain, and yet more lovely bars and restaurants. There is a very regular bus service into the city centre (about 1.5 miles away) from bus stops very close by. This corner of Santander is the up-market area, the grandest hotels and casino are just around the corner for example, but it also has the El Sardinero football stadium, a major sports hall venue (the Cirque de Soliel performed there whilst we stayed), the exposition hall, and a large city park similar to Valencias central parkway if you know it, all around this complex, you are in the middle of the best of it. The apartment has 3 double rooms with twin beds, and another single room, a large lounge and dining area with a fantastic view of Sardinero beach, with the shipping lane in to Santander you can watch the ships coming and going, and see all the activity of the area around you, with distant views of the Cantabrian mountains and the nearby Isla Magdalena, which is well worth a couple of visits at least. You have several choices of good and easy walks too, you can go left and explore the great coastal path to the lighthouse and the visitor centre and cafe there, or go right and walk the Paseo to the city centre, or go south and explore the city park and university area and the suburbs. If you have a car then you are well set to explore some fantastic places, although Santander is great too, you've got Bilbao and San Sebastian if big cities are your thing to the east, but going west into Cantabria you must see Santillana del Mar, the most beautiful village, Comillas on the coast where Gaudi has a wonderful creation, Potes for the food and drink and amazing old town, and the Picos de Europa at Fuente De, ride the cable car, its amazing. Back at the apartment, the kitchen has all you need to prepare a family meal, although we did have to buy a paella pan as surprisingly there wasn't one. There's two shower rooms too, so plenty of facilities to ensure no ones caught short. The apartment is a little dated in its decor, but you're not going to be there for that are you, no, get out and enjoy this wonderful area, or relax and watch the world go by, sunbathe on the balcony with a good book, the wonky floor boards in the corridor are of no concern to you. Add to all this the kind and thoughtful attention of the owners (thanks very much Mercedes) and you will be sure to have a very good and memorable stay here.

We had a wonderful week at Alvaro's apartment in Santander. Excellent facilites with 2 supermarkets, a pharmacy and butchers under the apartment block. Two minutes to the beach and the bus stop for town. Very nice owners who look after their visitors perfectly. We will be going back every year!