Palacio de la Magdalena

The Palacio de la Magdalena stands on the Magdalena Peninsula, the green headland at the eastern edge of Santander’s bay, and it is the grandest building in the city, and one of the finest royal summer palaces in Spain. It was built between 1909 and 1912 as a summer residence for King Alfonso XIII and Queen Victoria Eugenia, after the city council raised the funds, with public subscription, to offer the peninsula to the crown. Santander had become a fashionable seaside resort, and the court’s annual stay raised the city’s profile. The architects Javier González de Riancho and Gonzalo Bringas designed the palace, and its style blends English and French influences, with steep slate roofs, towers, dormer windows and a general look that suggests a picturesque country house rather than a Spanish royal palace.

The royal family used the palace for summers until the monarchy fell in 1931, and the building then passed into public hands. Since the 1930s it has been home to the Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo, which holds summer courses and conferences there, so the palace remains an active centre of learning and culture. In the months when courses are not running, it is open for guided visits, and visitors can see the principal rooms, which have been preserved with their furniture, decoration and original details. The interiors show the taste of the early twentieth century, with wood panelling, large fireplaces, chandeliers and sitting rooms arranged for the royal household.

The setting is as much a part of the experience as the building. The peninsula is a public park with gardens, lawns and woods, and paths run around the coast with views of the sea, the beaches and the Bay of Santander. Small beaches lie at the foot of the cliffs, among them the Playa de la Magdalena and the Playa de los Peligros, and there are viewpoints from which the lighthouse of the Isla de Mouro can be seen. A small zoo with sea lions, seals and penguins, set in coastal enclosures, is popular with children and is free to visit.

The peninsula is easy to reach from the centre, either on foot along the seafront from the Paseo de Pereda and the Playa de la Concha, by bicycle, or by bus. It is a favourite place for locals to walk, run or sit, and on fine days the paths are busy. From the palace gardens you see over the water to the mountains of Cantabria.

A visit to the palace takes about an hour, and the walk around the peninsula adds another hour or two. Check the official site for current tours and opening times. The palace is at the end of the Avenida de la Magdalena, and a visit pairs well with the Centro Botín and the old town.