A major commercial port in the 18th century, the capital of Cantabria has become even more dynamic today. This city of nearly 180,000 inhabitants has an exceptional site: a 5 km long bay, protected by the Magdalena peninsula, and beautiful beaches classified among the cleanest in Spain. These assets did not escape the keen eye of the monarch Alfonso XIII, who at the end of the nineteenth century established the baños de ola (wave baths), the baths of the Court. From then on, Santander became a very popular seaside resort. Even today, it still shows off its Belle Epoque finery: a luxurious casino, a Hotel Real on a par with the Carlton in Cannes, a Palacio de la Magdalena, gardens and promenades by the sea. Its historic heart, which stretches along the bay, was literally consumed in a huge fire in 1941. It was partly rebuilt according to the canons of neoclassicism. This is what gives it its special appearance compared to other Spanish cities. As for the other part of the city, it has given way to vertical construction and wild urbanism, even on the heights and on the outskirts. In summer, Santander becomes a tourist mecca. With its International Music and Dance Festival and its summer courses at the Menéndez y Pelayo International University, it becomes the cosmopolitan meeting place for culture and leisure

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