# Santoña and Laredo Anchovy factories you can visit, the Puntal ferry between the two towns, and the Buciero and La Salvé lighthouses. 40 minutes from Santander and 45 from Bilbao. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/cantabria/santona-and-laredo · Revisado: 2026-11-12 Santoña and Laredo face each other across the mouth of the Asón estuary. Santoña is the anchovy town: its canneries clean and pack the Cantabrian anchovy by hand, and some let you watch. Behind it is Monte Buciero, a limestone massif with Napoleonic forts and two lighthouses, and beside it the marshes, the most important wetland on the Cantabrian coast. Laredo contributes the medieval Puebla Vieja and La Salvé, a shell of sand more than four kilometres long. Between the two, from March to October, a ferry crosses in ten minutes. ## How to get there from Santander or Bilbao By the A-8. From Santander, towards Bilbao, Gama exit towards Santoña: about 40 minutes and 45 km. From Bilbao, in the opposite direction, about 45 minutes to Laredo. From Burgos, a little over two hours. Between Laredo and Santoña by road you have to go round the bay, about 25 minutes; the Puntal ferry does it in ten, from the tip of El Puntal to the Santoña promenade. ## Where to park In Santoña, next to the promenade and the port, at the foot of the ferry and the Fuerte de San Martín; the canneries are in the Marismas industrial estate, at the entrance to the town, where parking is easy. In Laredo, along the La Salvé promenade and in the El Puntal area for the ferry. Laredo's Puebla Vieja is best done on foot. ## How long do you need? A day is enough for the essentials: an anchovy factory in the morning, lunch at Santoña harbour and, in the afternoon, the ferry to Laredo, a walk around the Puebla Vieja and La Salvé. If you want the Buciero lighthouse trail, 12 km including the descent to the Caballo lighthouse, you need another day or a whole morning and some stamina. With a night, sleep on Berria beach or in Laredo. ## When to go There are two calendars. The Puntal ferry and the boat trip to the lighthouse sail from March to October; in November 2026 they have already stopped and come back in March 2027. The anchovy factories work all year and show the production from Monday to Saturday mornings: on Sundays there is no factory, although the gallery and shops open. Laredo holds the Batalla de Flores on the last Friday of August, a festival of national tourist interest, with lots of people. ## What to do In Santoña, the Galería de Arte de la Anchoa of Conservas Ana María, €9, with live salting and a tasting; on weekdays, the 12:30 session goes into the factory. Next door, the visit to Conservas Emilia is free and needs no booking. At the end of the promenade, the Fuerte de San Martín houses the museum of the canning history, and the lighthouse trail starts there. By sea, the Puntal ferry and the boat trip to the Caballo lighthouse. In Laredo, the Puebla Vieja and La Salvé. ## Where to eat El Restaurante de Pilar, in the Mirador de las Marismas building at Santoña harbour, serves seafaring, produce-led cooking and is open Wednesday to Sunday at midday; book two days ahead. To take anchovies home, the Conservas Emilia shop is open daily, including Sundays. At the tip of El Puntal, next to the ferry, is the Asador El Tiburón: call beforehand, because it does not publish opening hours. ## Where to sleep The Hotel Juan de la Cosa is on the front line of Berria beach, with a heated pool and garage. In Laredo, the Hotel El Ancla is a classic house with a garden a hundred metres from La Salvé, which accepts pets on request. ## Dónde está - Zonas: Cantabrian Coast - Cerca: Cabárceno Nature Park (a 32.3 km), Costa Quebrada and Liencres (a 38.2 km), Santillana del Mar and Altamira (a 52.9 km), Urdaibai (a 63.0 km) ## Qué hacer - **Anchovy Art Gallery** (1 h · All ages · Desde 9 € adult): Santoña's anchovy museum is inside the Ana María cannery: it tells the story of salting in the town, shows how anchovies are cleaned by hand (the "sobado") and ends with a tasting. From Monday to Friday, the 12:30 session goes down to the factory, where you watch the craftswomen cleaning and packing. With the combined ticket, you first take a tour of the town on the tourist train. What the visit includes General admission gives access to the Santoña Anchovy Museum, to any temporary exhibitions on at the time and to the building itself, which the company presents as a work of contemporary architecture. A video explains the anchovy process, from salting to the tin, and then there is a live demonstration of the sobado, the manual work of cleaning the fillets of skin and bones, followed by a tasting. The 12:30 session, Monday to Friday, adds a visit to the working factory, where anchovies and tuna are prepared. It depends on the working day, so on public holidays or days without production there may be no factory; if it is what interests you most, ask beforehand. Prices TicketAdultAges 5 to 12 Gallery€9€7 Tourist train, factory and gallery€12€10 Tourist train only, the Santoñuco€5€3 Children under 5 enter free on all options. The tourist train leaves from the Carnival monument, at Calle Almirante Carrero Blanco, 25, and tours the best-known places in Santoña with a cultural and historical audio guide. The website does not publish group rates or the exact duration of each option; the gallery visit takes around an hour. Booking and getting there Tickets are bought on the website: you choose a date and check the available times, which are not published openly. The website itself encourages booking in advance, especially in summer and on long weekends. For questions, the phone and WhatsApp number is 644 668 848. The gallery is at Calle Baldomero Villegas, 19, in Santoña. The website gives no information on parking or accessibility; if you are coming with a wheelchair or pushchair, call beforehand. What to combine it with If you are interested in anchovies, compare it with the visit to Conservas Emilia, which is free and needs no booking, or with the canning history museum at the Fort of San Martín on its opening days. For shopping, the Conservas Emilia shop also opens on Sunday. And if you have the afternoon free, the boat trip to the Caballo lighthouse leaves from the promenade. - **Visit to the Conservas Emilia factory** (40 min · All ages · Free): A short, free visit to a factory that carries on working while you watch: how Santoña anchovies are cured, cleaned and packed. No booking: you arrive on the hour and go in if there is room. There are no sessions on Sunday; its shop on Avenida de Carrero Blanco does open. What you see inside Conservas Emilia is one of the anchovy canneries that keep Santoña's tradition alive, the town that made salting its industry. On the factory floor you see the real work of the day, not a re-creation: Cantabrian anchovies that have spent months in salt, the washing, the hand cleaning (sobado) and hand filleting, and the packing into tins and jars. What is done depends on the time of year and the workload, so each session may show a different stage of the process. The company makes two lines of Cantabrian anchovy, the Oro series and the Plata series, as well as marinated anchovies (boquerones), octopus cooked in its own juices, northern tuna, ready meals and pâtés. On the way out it is easy to understand why Santoña anchovies sell for a high price: almost all the work is done by hand. Timetable and how it works The cannery publishes these sessions, free and without booking: Monday to Friday: on the hour, from 10:00 to 13:00. Saturday: at 11:00 and 12:00. Sunday: no visits. Capacity is limited and it is first come, first served, so in August and on long weekends it is best to turn up a few minutes early. The website does not give the exact duration; allow a little under an hour including the walk round. If you are in a large group, call 942 66 32 32 beforehand, because there may not be room for everyone in the same session. Getting there The factory is not in the centre but on Avenida de Lons, unit 2, in the Las Marismas de Santoña industrial estate, outside the old town. The easy way is to go by car; the website gives no parking directions. The shop, on the other hand, is right in the centre, at Avenida de Carrero Blanco, 25 (942 67 16 54): if you want to buy, you can do so there afterwards, or order through its website, which ships Monday to Thursday. What to combine it with A morning is enough for the visit and for another side of the anchovy: the Anchovy Art Gallery, at the Ana María cannery, with a hand-cleaning demonstration and tasting, or, in season and on long weekends, the Fort of San Martín, with the town's canning history museum. Afterwards, the boat trip to the Caballo lighthouse leaves from the promenade, and for harbour fish there is El Restaurante de Pilar, above the marshes. - **Puntal ferry, from Laredo to Santoña** (10 min · All ages; bikes and dogs · Desde 2.5 € single; €3.50 return): You cross the mouth of the Asón estuary from the tip of El Puntal, in Laredo, to Santoña's seafront promenade in a few minutes, instead of going round the bay by road. It sails every ten or fifteen minutes; in season, until 14:30 on weekdays and until 18:00 at weekends. Pilgrims on the Camino del Norte have used it since the 16th century. In November 2026 it is no longer running: it returns in March 2027. Where to catch it The ferry has two landing stages, one in each town: In Santoña: on the seafront promenade, in the passage opposite the Juan de la Cosa monument, the same point the boat trips leave from. In Laredo: at the tip of El Puntal, at the end of the beach of the same name and next to the Asador El Tiburón. You get there directly on foot across the sand. From the centre of Laredo, the way to the landing stage is long: either you walk the whole of La Salvé beach along the promenade and the sand, about an hour on foot, or you drive to the El Puntal area. The crossing itself takes about ten minutes. Timetable and prices The operator, Excursiones Marítimas, publishes this seasonal timetable, from March to October, with continuous service: Monday to Friday: 9:00 to 14:30. Saturdays and Sundays: 9:00 to 18:00. It leaves every ten minutes, every fifteen at quieter times, and warns that timetables may change with the season and sea conditions. A single ticket costs €2.50 and a return €3.50, VAT included. Bikes pay a supplement of €1.50 per crossing or €2.50 return. You pay on board, by card or in cash. The website does not publish a reduced fare for children. Dogs may travel. For questions, the ferry's phone numbers are 680 390 573 and 605 972 566. For pilgrims The ferry is an official stage of the Camino del Norte and also of the Camino Lebaniego: using it does not break the route or invalidate the pilgrimage, and it saves going round the bay by road. Out of season, between November and February, there is no ferry and you have to make that detour. What to do on the other side If you cross from Laredo, when you disembark you are on Santoña's seafront promenade: on one side, the Fort of San Martín and the start of the lighthouse trail; in the centre, the Anchovy Art Gallery. If you cross from Santoña, you have the more than four kilometres of La Salvé ahead of you and, at the end, the Old Town of Laredo. Check the time of the last ferry before you wander off, especially on weekdays. - **Boat trip to the Caballo lighthouse** (1 h · All ages · Desde 16 € adult; children, €8): An hour around Santoña and Laredo bay, skirting Monte Buciero as far as the cliffs of the Caballo lighthouse, which from land requires going down 763 steps. You see La Salvé from the sea and the entrance to the marshes. It is the way to see the lighthouse with small children or when access on foot is closed, as it is now: Santoña town council is keeping the lighthouse temporarily closed because of rockfalls. The route The boat leaves from Santoña's seafront promenade, from the Excursiones Marítimas landing stage next to the Juan de la Cosa monument, and crosses the bay towards the open sea hugging the north face of the Buciero. Along the way a guide explains what you can see: the mountain's caves, the old forts and batteries that defended the bay, Laredo's La Salvé beach opposite and the entrance to the Santoña Marshes Natural Park. The highlight is the Caballo lighthouse, wedged into the cliff: the operator points out that it was built in 1862 and that the 763-step staircase was made by prisoners from the old El Presidio penal colony. From the water you can see it whole, with the cliff, something you cannot get from the trail. The trip lasts about an hour; tides, currents and sea conditions may lengthen or shorten it a little. Prices, booking and times Adults: €16. Ages 4 to 12: €8. Under 3s: free, but they must be included in the booking because of capacity. There are no group rates. Book on the operator's website and pay when you board, in cash or by card. It does not publish fixed times: you need to look at the booking calendar; if a day does not let you choose a time, it is full or there is no sailing. This season the sailings to the lighthouse leave only from Santoña, not from Laredo. For questions, 637 584 164 or 633 620 088. Arrive ten minutes early; in summer, allow more time, because parking near the promenade is difficult. With children and if it rains Rain does not cancel the trip: the boat has a covered cabin with more than 60 seats, large windows, toilets and a small bar with drinks and snacks. It is only cancelled under an official coastal alert. Baby pushchairs and pets can come aboard, and older people or those with reduced mobility can travel. Children are given a captain's certificate at the end. What to combine it with If you have the energy to walk, the Monte Buciero lighthouse trail starts at the Fort of San Martín, at the end of the same promenade; check first whether the stretch to the Caballo lighthouse is still closed. The same operator runs the Puntal ferry to Laredo, which returns in March 2027. And in the centre of Santoña you have the Anchovy Art Gallery for the afternoon. - **Monte Buciero lighthouses trail** (5 h · 12 km · Walkers; the 763 steps of the Caballo lighthouse demand fit legs · Free): Santoña's big trail: 12 km in a circuit along the coast of Monte Buciero, from the Fort of San Martín, at the end of the promenade, between cliffs and one of the best-preserved coastal holm oak woods on the Cantabrian coast. It passes the Mazo fort, the Pescador lighthouse and the descent to the Caballo lighthouse, hundreds of steps down to the sea. Medium-to-hard difficulty. The town council has temporarily closed access to the Caballo lighthouse because of landslides of earth and rock: check santona.es to see whether it is still closed before you go. The route It is the council's Trail 1, "Lighthouses and Cliffs". It starts next to the Fort of San Martín: some steps lead up to a road and, turning left, you pass the Alta and Baja de Galbanes batteries. The asphalt becomes a stony track that gains height above the cliffs among half-abandoned quarries, and after a kilometre you reach the fort of San Carlos. Next comes the Peña del Fraile, with cavities that hold prehistoric remains; local legend says a salvo from the mountain's cannons knocked off the "friar's" head. After the Casa de la Leña, a crossroads leads right towards the Caballo lighthouse and the San Felipe battery. Then come about two kilometres of woodland of holm oaks, strawberry trees and bay laurels, and a descent in sharp bends to the Pescador lighthouse, which was first lit in 1864 with an olive-oil lamp and rebuilt after a cyclone in 1915. The return passes Berria beach, the Dueso prison, a former Napoleonic fort, the Águila and La Cueva batteries, the Mazo fort and the Casablanca viewpoint, with views over Santoña and the marshes, before closing the circuit at the Fort of San Martín. The Caballo lighthouse The descent to the lighthouse is the stretch that makes the trail hard. In its information sheet the council speaks of some 700 steps, 800 if you go down to the sea, and elsewhere of 763; the access is rough and the climb back is long. The lighthouse came into service in 1863 and is now abandoned. At the moment that stretch is closed because of rockfalls, with no reopening date published, and the santona.es home page marks it as closed access. If you want to see it, the boat trip to the Caballo lighthouse shows it from the sea, and the fort has a virtual-reality descent on its opening days. Before you set off The council does not publish the duration or the ascent; allow a good part of the day if you do the full loop with stops. Bring mountain footwear, water and something to eat: there is nowhere to buy anything on the mountain. The council's sheet offers the GPX track and the route on Wikiloc and Google Maps, useful because there are several junctions. With small children it is better to do only the first stretch as far as the fort of San Carlos and come back. For maps and the state of the trail, call in at the Santoña Tourist Office, on Calle Santander. When you finish, the promenade takes you back to the centre. - **Fort of San Martín and the canning history museum** (45 min · All ages · Free): The fort, built on a castle from the time of Philip II, closes off Santoña's seafront promenade and is the last remnant of the Carnot defensive system. Inside are the Museum of Santoña's Canning History and an immersive virtual reality experience room. Outside the season it opens only on long weekends: in 2026, from 5 to 8 December, from 10:00 to 14:00, with free entry until capacity is reached. The canning history museum It is not a museum of glass cases. The town council describes it as a mixed-reality space that blends historic pieces with technology, designed to tell how Santoña went from fishing port to capital of the anchovy. There is an interactive touchscreen, "From Yesterday to Today: A Panoramic Look", which reviews the evolution of the industry; a video game, "From Sea to Table", which follows the fish from the fish market to the tin; and interactive avatars, "Conversing with History", which gather real testimonies from women who worked in the canneries. The historic catalogue of tins and lithographs from the town's factories is also projected. The 360-degree experiences take you to a Roman port, an Italian salting factory, an auction at the fish market and a panoramic flight over the bay. It is a visit that works well with children and teenagers. The virtual reality room In the immersive experience room you put on Meta Quest 3 headsets and choose between two tours: the descent to the Caballo lighthouse, with sessions every 15 minutes, and a historic voyage with Juan de la Cosa, the cartographer from Santoña, with sessions every 30 minutes. The virtual descent makes sense now that real access to the lighthouse is closed because of rockfalls. With open capacity, on long weekends it is best to go early to avoid waiting for a turn. Opening times and entry As part of the programme "Fort of San Martín: Off the Anchovy Season", the town council opened the fort on the Pilar and All Saints long weekends, and opens it again from 5 to 8 December 2026, from 10:00 to 14:00 without a break. Entry is free until capacity is reached, with no booking. On Saturday 5 December, at 12:00, there is a meeting with net-menders, anchovy-handlers and local residents, "The Hands of the Sea". For groups, arrangements go through the Santoña Tourist Office. The summer timetable has not been published yet; check there before you go. Getting there and what to combine it with The fort is at the end of Santoña's seafront promenade, a few minutes' walk from the centre, and from it starts the Monte Buciero lighthouse trail, the 12 km circular route along the cliffs. On the same promenade, next to the Juan de la Cosa monument, the boat trip to the Caballo lighthouse departs. To complete the anchovy theme, the Anchovy Art Gallery and the visit to the Emilia cannery show how the work is done today. - **La Salvé beach** (3 h · 4.3 km · All ages; calm water · Free): Laredo's beach: a shell-shaped bay 4,250 metres long and 120 wide, from the harbour to El Puntal, with a promenade from end to end and one of Cantabria's largest dune systems behind it. Monte Buciero shelters it, so the water is calm and not very dangerous, good with children. Walking along the sand you reach the Santoña ferry. What the beach is like La Salvé is an urban beach of fine, white and golden sand, set in a wide bay closed off on the far side by Santoña's Monte Buciero. That shelter keeps the currents weak most of the year and even more so in summer; Laredo Tourism presents it as one of the safest beaches in Spain for swimming. In season it is very busy, especially in the central stretch, in front of the buildings; if you want more space, walk towards El Puntal, away from the most built-up area. The promenade runs all the way round the beach, so outside summer it is a flat walk of more than four kilometres, good for walking, running or going with a pushchair. From the end by the fishing and sports harbour to the tip of El Puntal takes about an hour on foot at an easy pace. Facilities The beach has held the Q for Tourism Quality since 2008 and environmental management certified by AENOR since 2007. In season there are lifeguards and rescue services with a coordination centre, 8 watchtowers and 7 first-aid posts, as well as police surveillance and information points on sea conditions. It has 33 access points, two of them adapted for people with disabilities, and has showers, foot washes, fountains, toilets, wooden walkways and bike racks. For children there are play areas and sports areas, and in summer a beach library opens. There are also kiosks selling ice cream and drinks. The tourist office does not give the rule on dogs or on sports such as surfing in its information sheet, so ask at the Laredo Tourist Office, on Alameda Miramar, before going with a pet. Getting there and what to combine it with Vehicles on the sand are for authorised staff only; there is parking near the promenade and public transport to the beach, though in August finding a space in the centre is hard. Behind the front line begins the Old Town, with its medieval streets and the church of Santa María. At the other end, at El Puntal, the ferry to Santoña leaves, a crossing of about ten minutes from March to October, and next to the landing stage is the Asador El Tiburón. If you go in late August, you will coincide with the Battle of Flowers, which parades along Alameda Miramar, a few steps from the promenade. And to see the bay from the water, the boat trip to the Caballo lighthouse passes in front of La Salvé. - **Laredo Old Town and Santa María de la Asunción** (1 h 30 · All ages; slopes · Free): Laredo's historic centre is made up of six streets (rúas) dating from the foundation by Alfonso VIII, at the foot of the church of Santa María de la Asunción: Rúa Mayor, San Marcial, Santa María, San Martín, Rúa de en Medio and Ruayusera. Among them are the Zarauz house, the Villota house with its cloister and the Peregrines house. The church, Gothic from the 13th century, holds the altarpiece of the Virgen de Belén, one of the most valuable ensembles of Flemish sculpture in Spain. The tourist office organises guided tours. A royal port Between the 13th and 17th centuries Laredo was the capital of the Four Towns of the Sea Coast and Castile's most important port, and you can see it in the layout: three streets running north to south, Mayor, San Marcial (or Carnicerías Viejas) and Santa María, crossed by three more running east to west, San Martín, de en Medio and Ruayusera (or "de abajo"). Isabella the Catholic and her family passed through here, and Charles V landed at Laredo on his way to his retirement at Yuste. The walls date from the 13th century and the town once had twelve gates, which were closed at the toll of a bell from the afternoon until dawn; those of San Lorenzo (or Bilbao), La Blanca and El Merenillo remain, among others. What to see The church of Santa María de la Asunción is the town's mother parish. Laredo Tourism counts it among the best examples of classical Gothic in Spain and describes it as the only Spanish Gothic church with four naves and four apses. Its most valuable piece is the altarpiece of the Virgen de Belén, from the 15th century, polychrome Flemish sculpture. The tourism agenda gives visiting times of 10:00 to 13:00 and 16:00 to 19:00, but they change with the season: confirm before you go. The church of San Martín, documented since 1068, is the oldest in Laredo, Romanesque, with a bell gable with seven openings; it belonged to the Mariners' Brotherhood. The convent of San Francisco, from the 16th century, has been occupied since 1883 by cloistered Trinitarian nuns and has a cloister and a museum of sacred art. Among the houses, the Zarauz house, from the 18th century, with a Baroque coat of arms; the Villota house, from the mid-16th century, with a Herrerian cloister; the Peregrines house, from the 15th century, part of whose façade still stands, and the Alvarado house, where Hernando de Alvarado, one of Pizarro's captains, was born. The walk is rounded off by the Constable's tower, the town's old hospital, the Espíritu Santo chapel and the old Renaissance town hall. How to visit Laredo Tourism suggests a 2 km route with 24 numbered points, downloadable as GPX and KML; on foot, with stops, it takes an hour and a half. The guided tour "Get to Know Laredo" lasts two hours and leaves from Plaza de la Constitución; the next one is on 13 November 2026 at 11:00. Find out about the upcoming ones at the Laredo Tourist Office. The Old Town is right next to the centre and to La Salvé beach, and Alameda Miramar, where the Battle of Flowers parades in late August, is alongside. To sleep close by, the Hotel El Ancla is 500 metres from the centre. - **Laredo Battle of Flowers** (3 h · All ages; big crowds): Since 1908, on the last Friday of every August, enormous floats completely covered in dahlias, daisies and big carnations parade along Alameda Miramar in front of thousands of people. It is Laredo's great festival and has been declared a Festival of National Tourist Interest. The 2027 edition, the 116th, is on Friday 27 August, during the Semana Grande (Big Week). Book accommodation months ahead. How a flower float is made What you see go past is the end of almost a year's work. The float builders and their teams spend about ten months on each float: first they put up the structure of iron, wood and cork, and then they dress it entirely in flowers, leaving no gap showing. The flowers are not bought ready-made: they are cut in the three days before the parade and put in place the evening before, so the last night is one of non-stop work in the workshops. Laredo Tourism speaks of a million and a half flowers. The floats entered in the competition are judged by a jury, which votes for the winner. That work in the final hours culminates in what Laredo calls the Magic Night, the eve of the parade. The tourist office does not say what it consists of each year, so it is worth checking the festival programme when it is published. When and where to see it The parade runs along Alameda Miramar, in the centre of Laredo, a short walk from the Old Town and the promenade of La Salvé beach. Laredo Tourism has not yet published the start time or the number of floats for 2027, or whether there are paid grandstands: the programme comes out in summer. On that Friday in August the centre fills up from early afternoon; arrive early if you want a front-row spot, especially with children, and bring water and a hat, because on the avenue you will be standing. There was no Battle of Flowers in 2020 or 2021 because of the pandemic. If you cannot go in August, the Laredo Tourism website has virtual tours with photos and 360-degree videos of the 2012 to 2019 and 2022 to 2026 editions, a good way to see the floats up close and compare styles. How to organise the day Laredo's Semana Grande lasts the whole week (in 2026 it ran from 23 to 29 August), so the parade falls in the middle of the festivities, with the town at its fullest. It is the worst day to drive into the centre: park far away or come on foot. If you are staying in Santoña, the Puntal ferry drops you at El Puntal, at the other end of La Salvé, and from there you walk along the promenade; check the return timetable first, because in summer it ends at 18:00 at weekends and at 14:30 on weekdays, and a festival Friday may differ. In the morning there is time for the beach or for climbing the streets of the Old Town to the church of Santa María. To sleep nearby, look at the Hotel El Ancla or the Hotel Juan de la Cosa, and book early: those nights fill up. ## Dónde comer - **El Restaurante de Pilar** (Restaurant, Santoña, €€€). Qué pedir: Pilar's croquettes and Santoña anchovies to start; then longline fish by weight or the tuna casserole - **Asador El Tiburón** (Restaurant, Laredo, €€). Qué pedir: ask what they have on the grill that day; it is next to the ferry, so it fits in with the return from Santoña - **Conservas Emilia Shop** (Market, Santoña, €€). Qué pedir: a jar or tin of anchovy fillets in olive oil to take home; also northern tuna from the summer season ## By car: By car, between two towns and a bay Santoña and Laredo face each other, separated by the mouth of the estuary: by ferry it is ten minutes; by car, about 25 going round the bay. Leave the car in one of the two towns and, from March to October, cross on the Puntal ferry. Presupuesto orientativo: 65–120 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir if you're driving - **Hotel Juan de la Cosa** (Hotel): Berria in front, the Buciero behind Number 14 on Berria beach is the Juan de la Cosa, on Santoña's open-sea beach: almost two kilometres of wide sand on the far side of Monte Buciero, about two kilometres from the town centre. The hotel is on the front line, with the sand in front. The building dates from the middle of the last century and was completely refurbished; its design won a national architecture competition in 1990. It is named after the cartographer born in Santoña who drew the oldest surviving map showing America. Six room types, and what each one sees The difference between rooms is in the view, so choose carefully: Standard: a double with views of the mountain and the Victoria and Joyel marshes. Standard with sea views: with a private terrace over the sea. Superior: with a terrace facing the mountain and the marshes. Superior with sea views: on the third floor, with a terrace over Berria. Junior suite with sea views: king-size bed, large bathroom and sitting room, with front and side views of the beach. Junior suite with terrace: terrace with views of the Cantabrian Sea and the mountain. The hotel has a heated pool, garage, wifi and a safe. The website does not publish prices or check-in and check-out times: you can see them in its booking engine or on 942 661 238. Apartments, dogs allowed too As well as rooms, it rents two types of apartment. The one-bedroom, on the first floor, sleeps up to four, with a living-dining room and equipped kitchen. The two-bedroom sleeps up to six, with two en-suite bathrooms and a kitchen, and it is the one that accepts dogs. In neither is a sea view guaranteed. Lobster from the tank The restaurant has its own tanks, from which the Cantabrian spiny lobster and lobster come, along with fish from Santoña harbour. The dining rooms look out to sea and seat more than four hundred people, so it is also a venue for weddings and banquets. There is a café, and the restaurant, café and wine menus are on the website. On foot from the door The Monte Buciero lighthouse trail passes through Berria, so you can join it from the hotel; the lighthouse, according to the hotel, is an hour's walk away. Towards the centre of Santoña are the Fort of San Martín and the harbour, where you can eat fish at El Restaurante de Pilar. If you prefer to see the cliffs from the water, the boat to the Caballo lighthouse leaves from Santoña's promenade. - **Hotel El Ancla** (Small hotel): A hundred metres to La Salvé About a hundred metres from La Salvé beach and about five hundred from the centre of Laredo, at Calle González Gallego, 10, stands El Ancla. In other words: you are on the sand in a couple of minutes and can walk to dinner in the centre without taking the car. The hotel occupies a distinctive building, with a garden in front that serves as a lounge in summer: that is where you have breakfast, an aperitif and let the conversation run on. Classic rooms and a breakfast without a clock The rooms are spacious and sunny, with classic decor, television, minibar, hairdryer and free wifi. The atmosphere is quiet. The website does not publish how many there are or the prices: ask on its booking page or on 942 605 500. What sets the house apart is breakfast with no time limit: you can come down whenever you like. The bar is open 24 hours, as is reception, and there is a wake-up call service, a shared safe and a formal lounge with television. No lift: ask for the ground floor The building has no lift. If stairs are difficult or you have a lot of luggage, ask when you book for one of the ground-floor rooms, which the hotel offers on request. Car, motorbike, bike and dog The hotel describes parking in the area as easy, and for motorbikes it has covered, supervised parking inside the building. It stores bicycles for pilgrims on the coastal Camino. Pets are accepted, but you must ask by phone when booking; do not take it for granted on an online booking. For groups or courses, the hotel has a meeting room with capacity for presentations and small conventions. Laredo on foot from the hotel From the door, along the sand or the promenade, you can walk to El Puntal, at the other end of the beach, where the ferry to Santoña leaves. Towards the harbour is the Old Town, with its six medieval streets. On the last Friday in August the Battle of Flowers fills the town: if you go on those dates, book well in advance. The hotel itself points out that surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing are practised in the area. ## As a family: Anchovies, a ferry and a beach without waves With children, Santoña and Laredo have short, inexpensive plans: seeing how an anchovy is cleaned, crossing the bay by boat and a beach with calm water. ### What works best Anchovy Art Gallery, €7 for ages 5 to 12 and free below that, with a tasting Conservas Emilia, free visit on weekdays Puntal ferry and boat trip to the Caballo lighthouse, with a captain's certificate La Salvé, with calm water ### Sleep Hotel Juan de la Cosa, with a heated pool Hotel El Ancla, close to the beach ### Eat A picnic with anchovies from the Emilia shop on Santoña's promenade ### Bear in mind The factories do not show production on Sundays The ferry and the lighthouse boat only sail from March to October ### Qué hacer as a family - Anchovy Art Gallery - Visit to the Conservas Emilia factory - Puntal ferry, from Laredo to Santoña - Boat trip to the Caballo lighthouse - Fort of San Martín and the canning history museum - La Salvé beach - Laredo Battle of Flowers ## With young children: With the little ones For children up to six, short things work best: ten minutes on a ferry, an hour in the museum and the sand at La Salvé, where the water has hardly any waves. ### What works best Puntal ferry, ten minutes and pushchair-friendly Anchovy Art Gallery, free for under-5s Boat trip to the lighthouse, one hour La Salvé, with a flat promenade ### Sleep Hotel Juan de la Cosa, on Berria beach ### Eat A midday table at El Restaurante de Pilar, booking ahead ### Bear in mind The Buciero trail and the 763 steps of the lighthouse are not for them ### Qué hacer with young children - Anchovy Art Gallery - Puntal ferry, from Laredo to Santoña - Boat trip to the Caballo lighthouse - La Salvé beach ## Consejos ### Go on a weekday The factories show the production from Monday to Saturday; on Sundays there are only the gallery and shops. ### Cross by ferry From March to October you save going round the bay and parking twice. ### Check the lighthouse before setting out Walking access to the Caballo lighthouse was closed due to landslides; the boat sees it from the sea. ### Buy at the end Emilia's shop is open until 19:30. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### Can you visit an anchovy factory in Santoña? Yes. Conservas Emilia shows its own for free, without booking, Monday to Saturday mornings; the Galería de Arte de la Anchoa of Conservas Ana María, €9, goes into the factory Monday to Friday at 12:30. ### How do you get from Laredo to Santoña by ferry? On the Puntal ferry, from the tip of El Puntal: €2.50 each way, every ten or fifteen minutes, from March to October. ### How long does it take from Santander? About 40 minutes on the A-8. ### Can you go down to the Caballo lighthouse? It is 763 steps, but the town council has temporarily closed the access because of landslides: check at santona.es. ### What is there to do in Santoña on a Sunday? The Galería de Arte de la Anchoa, the promenade and Emilia's shop; lunch at El Restaurante de Pilar, which opens on Sunday lunchtimes. ### Can you go with a dog? Yes on the ferry and on the lighthouse boat. The Hotel El Ancla accepts pets on request; El Restaurante de Pilar does not.