Erasmus Experience in Santander, Spain by Georgia

Why did you choose to go to Santander, Spain?

As an active person, I wanted to go somewhere where you could do a lot outside. Santander seemed perfect as it is along the coast (one of the best places to surf in Spain), and it also has the mountains close by. Santander is a tiny city but it is very vibrant. Still, it is only a short drive to reach the countryside if you like hiking.

I was also concerned about my Spanish skills. I really wanted to improve my Spanish whilst on my year abroad so I tried to pick a place which perhaps wasn't as touristy as other places in Spain. Santander does has tourists but they are often from around Spain so I really practised my Spanish skills, and didn't use English too often (which was great for me! )

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How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

I didn't receive a scholarship but I worked as a British Council Language Assistant at the local languages school. I received 700 euros per month from 1st Oct - 31st May.

What is the student lifestyle like in Santander?

Whilst I didn't attend the university in Santander, I thought it was very vibrant. There was a lot to do and I went to several Erasmus/Language Assistant meet-ups that were great and I made a lot of friends there.

Would you recommend the city and the University of Santander to other students?

Yes, definitely. I really got a lot out of being in the small city. It has very pretty surroundings and if you enjoy walking, hiking, or just a general outdoors person, it is a great place. The fact that it is a small city means that you get to make really good friendships with locals and local bars/cafes get to know you so you build a really personal relationship.

With that in mind, everyone was so eager to help me with my Spanish so I felt that my language skills developed quickly.

Sometimes when the weather is not good (and it does rain quite a lot in Santander), it might be a little boring but there is shopping, cinemas and other things to do. During the summer it is exceptionally lovely, at the beach, mountains etc, as well as some open air festivals that take place.

What is the food like?

The food is great and very cheap - Tortilla and a good coffee for just 2euros!

Cantabrian dishes are delicious and quite hearty but it is the pinchos that I loved most. Especially at Casa Lita, which is well known for it's great pinchos.

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Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Santander?

No, there are plenty of adverts online and around the town (just check local schools or town halls, etc).

How much does it cost to live in Santander?

My apartment was very cheap - only 200euros! But it seemed that the average rent was about 250-275 euros per month. Still, I would say the cost of living is generally inexpensive.

Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the University?

I found I quickly picked up the language, especially living with Spanish people. I am not sure about language course, but there are number of intercambios around the city. It would be easy to find someone to do language exchange with privately but there are some that go on at local bars too - RVBICON is a bar that I would recommend, it's great and has language exchange every Thursday evening.

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Santander from your city?

You can get a cheap RyanAir flight from Stanstead (London) to the tiny Santander airport although during the winter months the flights are less frequent. You can also of to and from Bilbao too although you have to take the hour and a half bus journey there (although that only costs about 6 euros)

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Santander?

There a many bars around the city, as said I particularly like Rubicon. But, for a night out on Thurs, Fri or Sat, most people head to Rio de la Pilar or Plaza Canadio for the bars, clubs and generally hanging out in the street (especially if it's warm and dry).

And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Santander?

Casa Lita does great pinchos, La Gallofa is a lovely cafe, La Barruca is a nice bar too - it is near the station but you can get good pinchos, a good, cheap burger plus the staff are so lovely it is just a relaxed placed to be.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

The archaelogical museum is a small, but (I think) interesting museum and it is free on sunday afternoons. On that note, there is a lot about archaeology because the region is filled with some of the oldest caves in existence. The Altamira Caves are really famous, and whilst you can't visit the real ones, you can visit a reconstruction in Santillana del Mar and it is good. There are a number of other caves that you can visit e. g. El Pendo Cave.

Other neighbouring towns and villages are a great visit: Potes is stunning, and there is Santillana, San Vincente and Comillas too which I really enjoyed visiting.

In Comillas you can also visit on of the only works of Gaudi in the North of Spain: El Capricho de Gaudi which is beautiful.

Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Santander in the future?

Be prepared for rain, it really does rain a lot but thanks to that, the area is so green and lush making it beautiful in the summer.

If you can, bring a car/make friends with people with cars. I made friends with people with cars and it was so useful (and I appreciate it! ). Whilst getting around Santander is easy, if you want to visit neighbouring towns/villages around Cantabria it can be quite tricky using public transport if impossible in some cases.

Also, if you going to have a night out, people won't really start going to bars or clubs until 11pm. If you go earlier, there won't really be a big crowd.