The Best Budget Hostels and Hotels to Book in Santander, Spain

Enjoy Santander is a bright, modern hostel in the city centre, staffed by multilingual travel enthusiasts. Single beds are housed in futuristic capsules, each of which has its own curtain for privacy. A private room with a double bed and bunk is also available. Meet fellow travellers in a spacious lounge, furnished with palette sofas, or in the kitchen which comes with a coffee maker, fridge and microwave.

If you’re not fussed about a city centre location – and want to spend more time on the water – then book the SURFtoLIVE House. It offers shared accommodation, a lively social scene and surf lessons in the village of Somo, a 30-minute drive from Santander. Stand-up paddle boarding, kite and windsurfing classes are also available at nearby Playa de Somo, but you can stay here just to meet like-minded travellers at the evening barbecues, or to soak up the ambience of one of northern Spain’s premier surfing villages.

This simple hotel offers private, ensuite rooms in the centre of Santander, a 15-minute walk from the Renzo Piano-designed Centro Botin – the city’s flagship contemporary arts centre – and the 12th-century cathedral. Rooms are available with two single beds or one double – each one features shiny parquet floors, minimalist fittings and ample storage space. Urban bus routes pass the stop outside the hotel, connecting you with key destinations such as Playa del Sardinero and the Magdalena Peninsula.

As a bargain communal base from which to explore Santander, Hostel Allegro is unimprovable. Each bunk in the main dormitory has its own light, socket and a locker big enough for a pilgrim-sized rucksack, and the separate male and female bathrooms are kept spotlessly clean. When you’re ready to explore, it’s just five minutes on foot to the shops, bars and restaurants of Calle Burgos, and 10 minutes to the central food market or palm-studded Pereda Gardens.

This characterful boutique occupies a residential-looking building, just down the street from Playa del Sardinero. Each of its seven themed rooms takes inspiration from a different city or country, so expect Louis XIV-style furnishings in Paris and black-and-white cityscape photos in New York – which also has a sea-view balcony. Fresh fruit, cakes, sliced meats, tortilla, cereal and yoghurts are served in the cosy dining room each morning, setting you up for the 25-minute walk into the city centre.

Plea Beach House is perfect for a reasonably priced, active holiday. It’s situated within easy walking distance of Playas Somo and Loredo and offers surfing lessons plus surfboard rental, as well as guided runs, on-and-off road biking routes, horse-riding lessons and a gym and swimming pool. Book a capsule bed in a mixed, female-only or group dorm – available for eight, 10 or 12 people. Alternatively, upgrade to an ensuite room with a private terrace. Santander is a half-hour drive away.

For a city centre stay, it doesn’t get much better than this welcoming hostel. Most of the attractions in Santander are visitable on foot from here – including the Town Hall, which is a five-minute walk – whilst the beaches are a short bus or taxi ride away. Solo travellers can book into a three-bunk mini-dorm, whilst a family of four should choose the ensuite room with a double bed and two bunks. Breakfast is included and there’s a common room with a TV, board games and work space.

Run by backpackers, the Santander Central Hostel often hosts pilgrims walking the Camino del Norte to Santiago de Compostela. Inside, you’ll find simple mixed dorms – each bunk has its own locker, light and USB ports, plus a continental breakfast is included in the nightly fee. Make the most of the eclectically decorated communal area, kitted out with sofas, bean bags, a well-equipped kitchen and a video game area. The airport shuttle, bus and train station are just opposite.