Bienvenidos! / Willkommen! / Welcome!

Liebe Familie und Freunde,

wir Ihr hoffentlich inzwischen alle schon wisst, findet unsere Hochzeitsfeier dieses Jahr am 25. Juni in Santander, Spanien statt.

In diesem Blog findet Ihr ein paar hilfreiche Hinweise zu Anreise, Hotels und der Umgebung von Santander.

Santander ist eine schoene Stadt am kantabrischen Meer und falls ihr noch ein paar Tage um das Wochenende herum frei haben solltet - es gibt eine Menge schoene Straende, gutes Essen und sogar ein paar interessante Ausfluege in die Berge im Hinterland.

Wenn ihr ein bisschen weiter reisen moechtet, koenntet ihr auch nach Bilbao, San Sebastian oder in der anderen Richtung nach Asturien oder Galizien reisen.

Wir freuen uns, dass Ihr fuer unsere Hochzeit anreist.

Schickt uns am besten eine Email, wenn Ihr noch offene Fragen haben solltet.

Viele Gruesse aus Florida,

Jara und Robin

Estimada familia y amigos,

Como ya sabéis, tenemos pensado celebrar nuestra boda el próximo 25 de junio en Santander.

En este blog encontrareis algunos consejos prácticos sobre como llegar a Santander, donde alojarse y que más visitar en los alrededores de Santander.  

Os animamos a que os quedéis disfrutando las playas del Cantábrico que son preciosas, y de la gastronomía local si podéis cogeros un par de días libres, e incluso si os apetece aventura al aire libre, que os acerquéis a los Picos de Europa en la Cordillera Cantabrica.

Si tenéis la suerte de poder coger vacaciones por esas fechas para viajar un poco más os recomendamos que hagáis una ruta por la costa norte de España, bien hacia el este visitando Bilbao y San Sebastián o hacia el oeste recorriendo Asturias y Galicia.

Y por supuesto si vais a venir a Santander desde el sur y queréis hacer un descanso en la meseta castellana, ¡no dejéis de visitar Palencia!

¡Ojalá podáis venir todos a la boda!

Un abrazo muy fuerte desde Florida,

Robin y Jara

-----

Dear friends,

As you know we are celebrating our wedding the next June 25^th in Santander, Spain.

In this blog you’ll find some practical tips for your trip to Santander, how to travel there, where to stay and what to visit in its surroundings.

Santander is a really beautiful city in the Cantabrian Coast, known for its wild beaches, pretty villages and gorgeous cuisine. If you are feeling outdoorsy the mountain chain of "Picos de Europa" is just an hour away. We sincerely encourage you plan an extended weekend to explore the area.

And if you are so lucky to get some more vacation around that weekend we recommend you tour the Spanish north cost. You can either head east to visit Bilbao and San Sebastian or west towards Asturias and Galicia.

Of course if you are heading south towards Madrid don’t forget to take a break and pay Palencia a visit! Walk up and down the main street, you’ll definitely enjoy it!

We are looking forward to meeting you at the wedding. We hope you can make it!

A big hug from Florida,

Jara y Robin

Como llegar / Ankunft / Directions

If you are coming by plane the 3 most convenient airports are:

• Santander (SDR), which has direct flights from Frankfurt Hahn (HHN) with RyanAir.
  It is 10min ride away from the city.
• Bilbao (BIO), which has direct flights from Frankfurt (FRA) with Lufthansa and Spanair.
  From Bilbao it is 1hr 15min ride to Santander. You can rent a car at the airport or take a bus at Bilbao's central bus station: http://www.termibus.es/horarios.php?idi=en
• Madrid (MAD), 4hrs 30min ride whether you come by car or by train.
  To check connections at the Spanish railways (RENFE): http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/index.html

Si teneis cualquier pregunta o necesitais ayuda con la reserva no dudeis en llamarnos a nosotros o a Isabel y Elena de "Viajes ESCAPADA TOUR" / If you need any help with booking the tickets or want hints on how to get good deals don´t hesitate to contact Isabel y Elena at "Viajes ESCAPADA TOUR":

Viajes ESCAPADA TOUR

Calle LOS TRIGALES 1 BAJO
34003 , PALENCIA , SPAIN

979 101010
viajesescapada@grupoairmet.com

Hoteles / Hotels / Hotels

En cuanto al alojamiento, nosotros nunca nos hemos quedado en hoteles cuando hemos ido a Santander asi que la lista que os proponemos abajo la hemos seleccionado por la localizacion (cerca de la Playa del Sardinero o del Hotel Real donde es la fiesta) o por la critica en Tripadvisor.

Al igual que con los vuelos, si teneis cualquier pregunta o necesitais ayuda con la reserva no dudeis en llamarnos a nosotros o a Isabel y Elena de "Viajes ESCAPADA TOUR" (contacto abajo).

As we normally do not stay in hotels in Santander we used

Tripadvisor for a quick overview of the hotel landscape.  There are some more hotels in downtown Santander (to the left of the map below) but we would recommend to go for one of the hotels in the vicinity of the "Playa del Sardinero" as most of the activities will be in the area. This way nearly everything should be in walking distance...being aware that walking distance is a function of heel height...:)

The prefix for calling all of these hotels is +34.

Again, don´t hesitate to contact Isabel y Elena at "Viajes ESCAPADA TOUR" if you want some help with the booking or finding good deals:

Viajes ESCAPADA TOUR

Calle LOS TRIGALES 1 BAJO
34003 , PALENCIA , SPAIN

979 101010
viajesescapada@grupoairmet.com

1) Hotel Real

http://www.hotelreal.es/en/
Avenida PÉREZ GALDÓS, S/N
39005 Santander, Spain
942 272 550

Este es el hotel donde celebramos la boda. Tenemos una tarifa especial de 155 EUR/noche la habitación doble con desayuno. No olvideis decir que sois invitados de nuestra boda cuando hagais la reserva.

About 150 to 200 EUR

#2 of 43 hotels in Santander

If you call the reservation of the Hotel Real and mention that you are part of our wedding, they will give you a rate of 155 EUR per room/night incl. breakfast. Convenient as the main dinner on Saturday will be here.

As for the other hotels...we will share the tripadvisor ranking as an indication of price/value. From what we have seen, hotels that are closer to the sea tend to be a bit more expensive for what they offer...

2) Hotel Vincci Puertochico

http://www.hotelvinccipuertochico.com/

Castelar, 25

39004 Santander, Spain

942 225 200

Parece un hotel muy cuco, directamente en el puerto y a 10 min andando del centro de Santander pero un poquito mas lejos del Hotel Real, de la Sala BNS y del Sardinero. Si decidis alojaros aqui, pedid habitación con vistas!

About 100 to 120 EUR

#4 of 43 hotels in Santander

Seems to be a nice hotel, it is not at the beach but closer to the harbor...

Walking to the hotel Real probably takes a while...

3) Gran Hotel Victoria

http://www.granhotelvictoria.com/

C/ María Luisa Pelayo, 38

39005 Santander, Spain

942 291 100

Sencillo, 80 EUR/noche, muy buenas criticas, directamente en la playa del Sardinero y a 5min andando del Hotel Real.

About 80 EUR

#7 of 43 hotels in Santander
Good location, directly at the beach, 5 min walking to the hotel Real.

4) Santemar Hotel

www.santemarhotelsantander.com/
C/ Joaquín Costa, 28

39005 Santander, Spain

942 272 900


Muy buena localizacion, 100-120 EUR/noche,
a 2min de la playa y 5min del Hotel Real.


About 100 to 120 EUR

#8 of 43 hotels in Santander

A modern hotel about 2 min from the beach and max 5 min to the hotel Real. Appears to be a good value...

5) Palacio del Mar

hotel-palaciodelmar.com

Avenida de Cantabria, 5

39012 Santander, Spain

942 392 400

100 EUR/noche, buenas criticas, a 300m de la playa del Sardinero pero mas lejos del Hotel Real (20min andando).

About 100 EUR

#11 of 43 hotels in Santander
Hotel is at least 300 m from the beach...and a bit of walking to the hotel Real too...not one of my favorites

6) Hotel Chiqui

 www.hotelchiqui.com/

Avda. Manuel Garcia Lago N º, 9

39005 Santander, Spain

942 282 700

90-100 EUR/noche, buenas criticas, directamente en la playa del Sardinero pero mas lejos del Hotel Real (20min andando). El desayuno en la terraza con vistas a la playa es fantástico.

About 90 to 100 EUR

#13 of 43 hotels in Santander
Simple hotel directly at the beach...with a nice breakfast on a terrace facing the sea...try to get a room with a beach view... Probably 20 min walking to the hotel Real...

 

7) Silken Rio Hotel

www.hoteles-silken.com/hotel-rio-santander/en/

Avenida REINA VICTORIA, 151

39005 Santander, España

942 274 300

70-80 EUR/noche, buenas criticas, directamente en la playa del Sardinero y en frente de la Sala BNS (la discoteca playera)a 5 min del Hotel Real.

About 70 to 80 EUR

#16 of 43 hotels in Santander

5 min walking to the hotel Real, directly at the beach, just across the street from the beachbar...probably a good value and convenient for the wedding.

 

8) Hotel Hoyuela

www.gruposardinero.com/

70-80 EUR/noche, buenas criticas, directamente en la playa del Sardinero, muy cerca de la Sala BNS (la discoteca playera)a 5 min del Hotel Real.

About 70 to 80 EUR

Avenida HOTELES, 7

39005 Santander, Spain

942 282 628

#19 of 43 hotels in Santander

5 to 10 min walking to the hotel Real...

9) Hotel Apartamentos Don Carlos

www.hotelapartamentosdoncarlos.com/

C/ DUQUE SANTO MAURO, 20-22

39005 Santander, Spain

942 280 066

80-100 EUR/noche, buenas criticas, directamente en la playa del Sardinero a 5-10 min del Hotel Real.

About 80 to 100 EUR

#20 of 43 hotels in Santander
Simple bed and breakfast style, close to the beach, 10 to 15 min walking to the hotel Real.

10) Hotel Las Brisas

www.hotellasbrisas-santander.com/

Calle La Braña 14,

El Sardinero, 39005 Santander, Spain

942 27 50 11

About 90 to 100 EUR

#36 of 43 hotels in Santander

¿Qué, dónde, cuándo? / Wann, wo, was? / When, what, where?

Sábado 25 de Junio
19:30    Cóctel de bienvenida en el Hotel Real

21:00    Banquete y baile

01:30    Paseo o taxi a la sala BNS (en la playa)

Domingo 26 de Junio
10:00    Desayuno en el
         “Balneario de la Concha” hasta las 13:00
---

Samstag 25. Juni

19.30    Begrüßungscocktail im Hotel Real

21.00    Bankett und Tanz

01.30    Fußmarsch oder Taxi zur Stranddisko

Sonntag 26. Juni

10.00    Frühstück am Strand im
         “Balneario de la Concha“ bis 13.00

---

Saturday June 25th

7:30pm    Welcome Cocktail at Hotel Real
9:00pm    Banquet and dance
1:30am    Short walk to beach disco

Sunday June 26th
10:00am   Breakfast by the beach at
          “Balneario de la Concha“ ultil 1:00pm

Santander

Aqui algunas fotos de Santander / Here some pictures of Santander:



Vista aerea del Palacio de la Magdalena y las playas / Aerial view of the "Magdalena Palace" and the beaches



El Faro / The lighthouse

El Casino en la Playa del Sardinero /  The "Casino" at "El Sardinero" beach

Sí, sí, esto también es Santander, ya sabéis cuanto llueve, ¡no olvidéis traeros el paraguas! / Yes, Santander is known for its changing weather… it can turn from burning sunny into pouring rain and into sunny several times a day. Don’t forget your umbrellas!

Excursiones desde Santander / Tagesausfluege aus Santander / Day trips from Santander

Estas son las excursiones que os recomendamos. Encontrareis más detalles en los posts que siguen. / Here is our list of trip recommendations. You’ll find details to selected trips the trips in following posts.

Excursiones de 1 día hacia el oeste / one day trips to the west of Santander:

- Santillana del Mar

- Comillas

- San Vicente de la Barquera

Excursiones de 1 día hacia el este / one day trips to the east of Santander:

- Somo
- Quejo (Isla y Noja)
- Laredo

Excursiones de Excursiones de 1 día hacia las montañas / one day trips to the mountains:

- Picos de Europa

Ciudades para visitar en ruta de 2 o 3 dias / Cities to visit in a 2 to 3 day tour:

- East: Bilbao, San Sebastián
- West: Gijón, A Coruña, Santiago de Compostela

- South: Palencia, Madrid

De compras por Santander / Einkaufen in Santander / Shopping in Santander

Si os apetece salir de compras id a la zona del centro del Santander, ¡tiene todas las tiendas en cuatro calles! / For those of you travelling from abroad, you may want to check out the shopping streets in Downtown Santander. You'll get all the Spanish fashion at 1/3 of the prices you are used to!

Golf de Mataleñas

De 9 hoyos y par 68, el campo de Mataleñas situado entre la playa del Sardinero y el faro de Cabo Mayor. Esta rodeado por el mar y las vistas son fantásticas. Los tickets cuestan entre 36 y 50 euros.

Mataleñas is a 9-hole Par 68 golf course located on beautiful clifs surrounded by the sea and with great views of the city of Santander. Tickets costs about 36 to 50 EUR. You can book them here:

Phone: 942 39 27 75

Email: pollo@golfmatalenas.com

Address: Avda. del Faro s/n, 39012 Santander

Web site: http://www.golfmatalenas.com/index.html

Picos de Europa

The Picos de Europa (literally: "Peaks of Europe", often abbreviated to the Picos) is a range of mountains 20 km inland from the northern coast of Spain, located in the Autonomous Communities of Asturias, Cantabria and Castile and León, forming part of the Cantabrian Mountains. The most widely accepted origin for the name is that they were the first sight of Europe for ships arriving from the Americas.



The highest peak is Torre de Cerredo, with an altitude of 2,648 metres (8,688 ft). Many other peaks reach altitudes of over 2,400 m. The area is popular with mountaineers, climbers and mountain walkers. There is a good network of well-established mountain refuges. The best-known climbing site is the Blankos de Yamos.

The Picos de Europa contain many of Spain's deepest caves, including Torca del Cerro (−1589 m), Sima de la Cornisa (−1507 m), Torca los Rebecos (−1255 m) and Pozo del Madejuno (−1252 m). Discovery of new caves and their exploration still continues.

The Picos support a dwindling group of shepherds who move up from the valleys in the summer with their sheep, goats, cows, and an occasional pig. The area is famed for its piquant blue cheeses, such as Queso de Cabrales, traditionally matured in caves.

A good source for planning hiking routes:
http://www.topwalks.net/en/picos_de_europa.htm

Enjoy!



Un poco de historia / A bit of history

In the Roman Empire, the city was known as Portus Victoriae Iuliobrigensium.

Its present name is derived from Saint Emeterio (Santemter, Santenter, Santander), a martyr whose head was brought there in the 3rd century, along with that of Saint Celedonio, according to legend.

1950

In 1187, King Alfonso VIII of Castile made the abbot of San Emeterio lord of the town, and in 1248 Santander participated in the battle for Seville, receiving a coat of arms as reward.

1880

The city owes its existence to the excellent harbour of the Bay of Santander. Santander was an important port for Castile in the later Middle Ages, and also for trade with the New World. It officially became a city in 1755.

1880

In the early 1900s Santander became the favoured summer residence of King Alfonso XIII, who built the Palacio de la Magdalena as the residence of the royal family during the holidays.

1880

The city gained great popularity from this and from the 19th century enthusiasm for sea bathing and it remains popular with the Spanish for beach holidays today.