Santander's Hidden Gems: Playa de Valdearenas and Faro de Cabo Mayor

This spot is one of my favourites ! It's located 20 minutes away from Santander and this is breathtaking, and mostly at sunset. 

The photos were taken on the cliffs above the Playa de Valdearenas, which is a famous spot for surfing and big waves. Another stunning beach near is called La Arnia, I highly recommend it at sunset or during the day if you want to spent good time in the sun. 

For the Playa de Valdearenas, you can park you car in the main parking area, which is free and close to the beach or you can come by bus and walk around 30 minutes to get to the spot. Then, you can walk 10 minutes on the cliffs and find your perfect spot to admire the sunset and have a drink with friends. Do not forget warm clothing because it can get chilly at night ! 

This natural area is clean and well-preserved, you can go for bigger walks, dogs are allowed and you can also ask the horse center close to the beach to have a ride !

There is a good hike joining Santander to Liencres, going through other famous spot of the coast such as Virgen del Mar. You can count on 3 to 4 hours all along the cliffs to reach Liencres.

This lighthouse is one of the iconic places of Santander. It's located a bit outside the city, you can have a nice walk along the beach of El Sardinero and the cliffs to join it, or just go by bus. Next to the lighthouse, you can play golf in the practice areas for cheap (10 euros for everything, 1hour), this was were I first did golf, and I loved it. Then, before arriving to the lighthouse, you can have a nice walk along the Playa de Mataleñas, which is small but gorgeous and nice if you like waving bath, and you can walk through the park of Mataleñas. 

The lighthouse is situated at the end of a big wide field, where you'll find families and animals playing. When you get at the lighthouse, you can admire the beauty of the sea and have a great view over Santander. If you feel a bit thirsty, I highly recommend to go to the El Faro Coffee Bar to have a drink and eat a good tortilla. A good walk starts from the lighthouse and goes along the coast. 

The Faro de Cabo Mayor is also an art center, I never visited it because of the opening hours, but I was told that it is worth it !