The Best Budget Hostels in Santander

Hostel Santander is set in one of Santander’s best locations, right next to the coast and just minutes from Santander Cathedral. Providing just 20 beds, it’s a friendly and intimate place, where you can really get to know your fellow hostel mates. Rooms are basic, yet adequate, featuring metal bunk beds, balconies and individual lockers to keep your valuables. What makes this hostel though are the bright and colourful public areas, such as a comfy living room and kitchen, decorated with small touches such as flowers, old-fashioned lamps and vibrant cushions. Nightly rates include breakfast, tea and coffee all day long, bedsheets and Wi-Fi.

Santander Central Hostel is, as the name suggests, about as central as you can get in the city, right next to the main train station and the ferry terminal, and a few minute’s walk from Santander Cathedral and the new Centro Botín arts centre. Single bunk beds are offered in basic co-ed dorms with individual lockers provided. There’s not much space in the rooms, but the cosy living room, shared kitchen and games room more than make up for this. Public spaces feel more like hanging out in someone’s home than in a hostel, with their comfy sofas, books, DVDs and potted plants.

Hostel B&B&B can be found located between Santander’s train station and the ferry port, and is just a few minute’s walk to major city sights. B&B&B stands for Bueno (Good), Bonito (Beautiful) and Barato (Cheap), and the hostel certainly lives up to its name. The hostel has just five rooms with bunks, sleeping between four and eight people. They are basic with individual lockers, yet some also have lovely glass-fronted balconies. A big canteen-like eating area with seaside vistas and a snug TV room make up the picture. Breakfast, bedsheets and Wi-Fi are free, and towels can be rented for a small price.

Hostal Vintage is not really a hostel at all, it’s actually more like a budget hotel with individual twin and double rooms. It’s situated in the newer part of the city, near the Hospital Santa Clotilde, yet is just a ten-minute walk from the seafront walkway of the Paseo de Pereda. Rooms are basic, yet smart and colourful, and come with smart TVs, free Wi-Fi and en-suite bathrooms. Despite the name, the décor is not very vintage; however, rooms do feature small vintage details such as pictures of 1950s Hollywood movie stars, old newspaper print on the wardrobes or posters from the famous Le Chat Noir nightclub in Paris. Each room has its own individual style, and no two are the same.

Spanish pensiónes are similar to budget guesthouses and can be around the same price or even cheaper than a traditional hostel if you’re travelling as a couple. Pensión A-Madrid can be found between the port and the Old Town, right next to the water and a 15-minute walk from the nearest beach. They offer double, twin and even triple rooms, so it’s a good choice for friends and families, too. The pensión is basic, with somewhat outdated décor and shared bathrooms, but if you want your own room, free Wi-Fi, a TV, and somewhere cheap to lay your head, then it’s a great option.

Despite the name, Hostal La Torre is not really a hostel at all, it’s a great-value budget hotel situated near Santander’s beaches and a short walk from the main city and its sights. It’s basic, but great value for money. Room are small, but cosy, homely and nicely decorated. All rooms also have their own en-suite bathrooms, which is a bonus when it comes to budget accommodation.