Town · Cantabria, Spain · 43.47°N 3.80°W
Santander, Spain
Santander is a city of 173,635 people in Cantabria, with January highs of 13°C, 1 day a year above 35°C, a hospital 0.6 km from the centre and Seve Ballesteros-Santander Airport (SDR) 4 km away.
Weather now
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0)
Normal for November, 1991-2020
15°high · low 9°C · 16 rain days
Who Santander suits
Generated from the data below by published rulesGood fit for
- Car-light living70 grocery stores within a 15-minute walk and public transport close by
- Beach loversA beach 1.6 km from the centre
- People who dislike heat24°C July highs and 1 day a year above 35°C
Weaker fit for
- Anyone who dislikes rain168 rainy days a year
What makes Santander stand out
- Santander has the most cafés within a 15-minute walk in Cantabria (83).
- Santander has the most grocery stores within a 15-minute walk in Cantabria (70).
- Santander has the most restaurants within a 15-minute walk in Cantabria (227).
A fact appears when a town ranks first for a measure in Spain, in its region, or among towns of similar size there.
Climate comfort
60/ 100
Top 26% in Spain
Based on: Average January high, Days above 35°C a year in the last ten years, Days with rain a year, Tropical nights a year in the last ten years, Frost days a year in the last ten years
Car-free living
91/ 100
Top 3% in Spain
Based on: Grocery stores within a 15-minute walk, Pharmacies within a 15-minute walk, Cafés within a 15-minute walk, Distance to the nearest train station, Distance to the nearest bus station
Access to services
97/ 100
Top 1% in Spain
Based on: Distance to the nearest hospital, Distance to the nearest airport with scheduled flights, Grocery stores within a 15-minute walk, Doctors and clinics within a 15-minute walk, Schools within a 15-minute walk
How precise is each number?Town-levelmeasured or computed for this townModelledestimated from a grid or a modelRegionalonly available for the wider area
Santander compared with Barcelona
Pick another town in Spain to see the differences in plain terms.
- Same January warmthAverage January highSantander 13°CBarcelona 13°C
- 3°C cooler in JulyAverage July highSantander 24°CBarcelona 27°C
- 76 more rainy days a yearDays with rain per yearSantander 168Barcelona 92
- About the same number of very hot daysDays above 35°C per yearSantander 1.3Barcelona 0.5
- 14 min less daylight in DecemberDaylight on 21 DecemberSantander 8 h 57 minBarcelona 9 h 11 min
Housing & costs
Official · INE Spain, EurostatAt these medians, a 70 m² home costs about €580 a month to rent and about €185,000 to buy.
Rents, prices and crime are published for each municipality as a whole, not for single towns.
Climate today
Town-level · ERA5-Land reanalysis 1991-2020Month by month
Town-level · ERA5-Land reanalysis 1991-2020August is the warmest month (24°C average high) and January the coolest (13°C). November is the wettest (137 mm) and July the driest (67 mm).
Best time to visit
- Not ideal for reliable dry weatherall yearBy the published month rules
- Not ideal for warm-weather holidaysJanuaryBy the published month rules
- Sea at 20°C or warmer ModelledJuly to SeptemberOpen sea nearby, monthly average
- Warm and quiet RegionalSeptemberHighs of 20°C or more and low crowds in the region
- JanuaryAir 13°Sea 13°15 rain daysCrowds: Low
- FebruaryAir 13°Sea 13°14 rain daysCrowds: Low
- MarchAir 15°Sea 13°14 rain daysCrowds: Low
- AprilAir 17°Sea 13°16 rain daysCrowds: Low
- MayAir 19°Sea 15°16 rain daysCrowds: Low
- JuneAir 22°Sea 18°13 rain daysCrowds: Medium
- JulyAir 24°Sea 21°13 rain daysCrowds: High
- AugustAir 24°Sea 22°12 rain daysCrowds: Peak
- SeptemberAir 23°Sea 21°12 rain daysCrowds: Low
- OctoberAir 20°Sea 18°14 rain daysCrowds: Low
- NovemberAir 15°Sea 16°16 rain daysCrowds: Low
- DecemberAir 13°Sea 14°14 rain daysCrowds: Low
Crowd levels are for Cantabria as a whole: nights booked through online platforms in 2025, against the region's busiest month (Eurostat).
Each month links to its own page with temperatures, rain and daylight.
Is it getting hotter?
Town-level · ERA5-Land reanalysisDays above 35°C per year
Both measured periods come from the same reanalysis as the climate section. The bars run to 10 days.
Healthcare & getting around
Town-level · straight-line distancesWithin 1.2 km of the centre
- Grocery stores70
- Pharmacies39
- Doctors & clinics47
- Train stationYes, 1.0 km
30 min by car
- Hospitals11
- Sea beaches41
- People336,750
60 min by car
- Towns over 10,0008
- Hospitals16
- Sea beaches157
- People466,609
- Nearest train stationSantander1.0 km
- Nearest bus stationEstación de autobuses de Santander0.8 km
- Nearest hospitalHospital de Santa Clotilde0.6 km · 4 min by car
- Nearest airport with scheduled flightsSeve Ballesteros-Santander Airport (SDR)4.5 km · 14 min by car
Distances are straight lines from the town centre. Drive times are by road in free-flowing traffic (OSRM on OpenStreetMap roads); people counts add up the towns reached.
Daily life
Town-level · Overture Maps places, 2026-10-21.0Within 1.2 km of the centre
- 70Grocery stores & supermarketsSpain median: 4
- 39PharmaciesSpain median: 2
- 83CafésSpain median: 2
- 227RestaurantsSpain median: 9
- 30BakeriesSpain median: 1
- 33Gyms & fitness studiosSpain median: 1
- 47SchoolsSpain median: 2
- 47Doctors & clinicsSpain median: 0
Nature & surroundings
Town-level · WorldCover, Copernicus DEM, Natura 2000, OpenStreetMapPeople & community
Modelled · EU Census 2021 gridUnder 1515 to 6465 and over
International residents
| Share of residents | Santander | Median town in Spain |
|---|---|---|
| Born in another EU country | 1.8% | 2.6% |
| Born outside the EU | 12.7% | 6.7% |
| Moved here from abroad in the past year | 0.9% | 0.5% |
14.5% of residents were born abroad, against 9.3% in the median town in Spain (2021 census). From the 1 km census grid cells within 1.5 km of the centre (73,650 residents counted).
Environment & natural hazards
- EarthquakesNone since 1900No earthquakes of magnitude 5 or larger recorded within 100 km since 1900.Town-level · USGS earthquake catalog
- Air quality8.4 µg/m³Average fine particles (PM2.5) at the centre in 2023. The WHO guideline for the yearly average is 5 µg/m³.Modelled · EEA
- Wildfire2 of 10 yearsYears with a fire of 30 ha or more within 10 km of the centre, 2016-2025; 168 ha burnt by those fires.Town-level · EFFIS
Places like Santander
Matched on climate, amenities, nearest and access
- PontevedraGalicia73% match
- A CoruñaGalicia63% match
- Santiago de CompostelaGalicia61% match
- BarakaldoBasque Country61% match
- Donostia / San SebastiánBasque Country60% match
Measures used: Average January high, Average July high, Days above 35°C a year in the last ten years, Days with rain a year, Grocery stores within a 15-minute walk, Cafés within a 15-minute walk, Distance to the nearest train station and Distance to the nearest airport with scheduled flights. A match of 100% would mean the same values on every one.
Common questions about Santander
What is the weather like in Santander through the year?
January averages a high of 13°C and a low of 6°C; July averages 24°C and 16°C. There are about 168 days with rain a year. These are averages for 1991-2020.
How many very hot days does Santander get?
Santander averaged 1.3 days a year above 35°C in 2016-2025, against 0.1 a year in 1991-2000.
Does it freeze in Santander?
Santander averaged fewer than one frost day a year (below 0°C) in 2016-2025.
What is within walking distance of the centre of Santander?
Within 1.2 km of the centre there are 70 grocery stores, 39 pharmacies, 47 doctors and clinics and 83 cafés. In a straight line, the nearest train station is 1.0 km away, the nearest bus station is 0.8 km away, the nearest hospital is 0.6 km away, the nearest beach is 1.6 km away and the nearest coastline is 0.6 km away.
What is the nearest airport to Santander?
Seve Ballesteros-Santander Airport (SDR), 4.5 km from the centre in a straight line.
How much daylight does Santander get in winter?
8 h 57 min on 21 December, against 15 h 25 min on 21 June.
Is the sea warm enough to swim in Santander?
The open sea nearby averages 20°C or more from July to September, warmest in August at about 22°C. Beaches can be a degree or two warmer.
How much does a home cost in Santander?
The median rent was €8.25/m² a month (2024, all rentals), about €580 for 70 m². Homes sold for €2,639/m² (2025, average price), about €185,000 for 70 m². These are figures for the municipality of Santander as a whole.
Who is Santander a good fit for?
By the published rules: car-light living (70 grocery stores within a 15-minute walk and public transport close by); beach lovers (A beach 1.6 km from the centre); people who dislike heat (24°C July highs and 1 day a year above 35°C).
Sources & methodology
Every value comes from one of the open datasets below and is computed the same way for every town. Each section names how precise its values are: town-level, modelled or regional. Distances are straight lines from the town centre, and amenities are counted within 1.2 km of it. Read the full methodology.
"Who Santander suits" lines come from fixed rules applied to every town in the same way. A rule only uses values that are modelled or better, and each line shows the numbers that triggered it. How the rules work.
| Dataset | Used for | Version | Licence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (30 m elevation) | Elevation | glo30_s120 | Copernicus DEM licence (free for any use, with attribution) |
| PM2.5, European air quality data (EEA, interpolated 1 km map) | Air quality | pm25_2023 | CC BY 4.0 |
| Burnt areas (European Forest Fire Information System, EFFIS) | Wildfires | 2016-2025 | CC BY 4.0 |
| ERA5 monthly sea surface temperature (Copernicus Climate Data Store) | Sea temperature | monthly_1991-2020 | CC BY 4.0 |
| ERA5-Land reanalysis (Copernicus Climate Data Store) | Climate | points_1991-2025 | CC BY 4.0 |
| Broadband coverage by municipality, Spain (Información de cobertura) | Broadband coverage | 2021-2025 | Spanish public-sector reuse conditions (Ley 37/2007, RD 1495/2011; datos.gob.es aviso legal) |
| ESA WorldCover 2021 (10 m land cover) | Land cover | v200_2021 | CC BY 4.0 |
| Broadband coverage by NUTS 2 region (European Commission, Digital Decade connectivity KPIs) | Broadband coverage | mid-2025 | CC BY 4.0 |
| EU Census 2021 population grid (Eurostat) | Census grid | V3 | Free reuse with acknowledgement (European Commission reuse policy) |
| Electricity and gas prices for households (Eurostat nrg_pc_204, nrg_pc_202) | Electricity and gas prices | 2026-11-02 | CC BY 4.0 |
| Air passenger transport by airport and route (Eurostat avia_par_<country>, avia_paoa) | Flights | 2026-11-02 | CC BY 4.0 |
| Physicians and hospital beds by NUTS 2 region (Eurostat hlth_rs_physreg, hlth_rs_bdsrg2) | Doctors and hospital beds | 2026-11-02 | CC BY 4.0 |
| Nights spent in short-stay accommodation booked through online platforms (Eurostat tour_ce_omn12) | Crowds | 2026-11-01 | CC BY 4.0 |
| Price level indices, COICOP 2018 (Eurostat prc_ppp_ind_1) | Price levels | 2026-11-01 | CC BY 4.0 |
| GeoNames | Place names and populations | 2026-10-31 | CC BY 4.0 |
| INE Spain (urban indicators and municipal register) | Rents, house prices, crime and population | 2026-11-01 | Free reuse with attribution (INE legal notice) |
| Natura 2000 protected sites (EEA, end 2024) | Protected areas | end2024 | CC BY 4.0 |
| OpenStreetMap (Geofabrik extracts) | Stations, hospitals, beaches, coastline | 2026-10-31 | ODbL 1.0 |
| OurAirports | Airports | 2026-10-31 | Public domain |
| Overture Maps places | Amenities | 2026-10-21.0 | CDLA-Permissive-2.0 |
| TEMIS UV index climatology (KNMI / ESA) | UV index | v2.0_clim_2004-2020 | Free use with credit; TEMIS asks to be told how the data is used |
| USGS earthquake catalog (ComCat) | Earthquakes | 2026-10-31 | Public domain |