The Palacio de la Magdalena sits at the tip of its own wooded peninsula jutting into the entrance to the Bay of Santander, surrounded by water on three sides and connected to the city by a long, scenic road through pine woods. Built between 1909 and 1912 in a mixture of English country house and French Renaissance styles, it served as the summer residence of the Spanish royal family for nearly two decades and remains one of the most handsomely situated buildings in northern Spain.
Today the palace belongs to the city and houses the Menéndez Pelayo International University during the summer. You can walk freely around the grounds and gardens, which give spectacular views across the bay toward the Cantabrian mountains, and the interior is open for guided tours on certain days. The peninsula itself — with its walking paths, small zoo with penguins and sea lions, and beaches on either side — makes for an excellent half-day out from the city centre. The views back toward Santander from the rocky tip of the headland are among the best in the city.