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Saga Hosted Hotels
Juan de la Cosa - by Ferry
Santoña, Costa de Cantabria, Spain
1 hour away from airport
If you prefer not to fly, why not travel to Santander by ferry on our 9 and 16-night cruise departures? Departing from Plymouth, you can look forward to a relaxing overnight cruise aboard Brittany Ferries. Then, following your 7 or 14-night stay at the Juan de la Cosa, you can cruise back from Santander to Plymouth overnight. The Santillana-Astuy family will offer you a warm welcome to their family-run hotel on the rugged Cantabrian coast. Food is a huge focus here and you can look forward to tapas lunches and locally sourced fish for dinner, accompanied by hand-picked, regional wine.
Facilities
Restaurant offering buffet-style breakfasts, tapas lunches and á la carte dinners
Indoor heated swimming pool
Wi-Fi
There is a lift to all floors.
Nationwide shared chauffeur service– included on all departures from April 1, 2026
A nationwide return shared chauffeur service from your home to your UK departure point
Your holiday includes
All Inclusive
- All meals
- Tapas/snack lunches and waiter served table d’hote dinners
- Wine list at meal times including Rioja and Ribera del Duero wines
- Free bar open up to 12 hours a day with a wide range of spirits
By ferry
Return ferry from Plymouth to Santander
Maximum 20kg checked luggage, per person
Return transfers direct to you hotel
Plus
- Hosted drinks reception
- Porterage at your hotel
- Free Wi-Fi
Exceptional value every time
Saga Host
Our trained hosts will welcome you and ensure you enjoy your holiday. We also offer 24/7 support if needed.
Travel insurance and additional cancellation cover included §
A price reduction is available if you choose not to take the included insurance and additional cancellation cover.
Please note
Please note: Only 9-night durations are bookable online, please call to book the 16-night duration. Porterage is not included when embarking and disembarking your ferry in Santander. Meals are not included.
Ferry times - Outbound: Depart Plymouth at 15:45. Arrive in Santander at 13:15 the following day.
Location
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Santoña is a traditional fishing town that’s famous for its delicious anchovies – you’ll find them on the menu in almost every tapas bar. A three-kilometre ribbon of white sand runs along the front of the hotel, while inland there are wildlife-rich marshes and lush hills criss-crossed with hiking trails. The hotel borders a beach and a nature reserve – it’s an ideal location for birdwatchers and walkers, as well as those looking for a laid-back beach break with plenty of good food and wine.
Out and about
Historic Santander, the capital city of Cantabria, is around 28 miles away. While the Basque capital of Bilbao, home to the iconic Guggenheim Museum, is around 44 miles away. Both are accessible by bus.
Santander
A jewel on Spain’s verdant ‘Green Coast’, Santander has long been a popular seaside resort thanks to its white-sand beaches. Of special note are the Palacio de la Magdalena, the royal summer palace built in the early 1900s which houses an interesting art collection, the 13th-century Cathedral de la Asuncion, the Centro Botin art museum, and the Paseo de Pereda y Calle Castellar promenade park, which is lined with Baroque-inspired houses.
Bilbao
Founded in 1300, Bilbao developed into a shipbuilding centre during the 19th century. Contrast the Renaissance, Baroque and modernist architecture of the historic centre with newer additions to the cityscape. The most striking of these is the riverside Guggenheim Museum, a wave-like structure clad in titanium plates that reflect the surrounding art district. Other highlights include the funicular which offers panoramic views on its way to the summit of Artxanda and Doña Casilda Iturrizar Park, the city’s largest green space.
Address
Primera Avenida de Playa Berria, 14, Santona Spain 39740
Across the bay from this hotel in the cliffs above Liendo, lives one of the largest colony of Griffon vultures in mainland Europe, which can be visited with specialist guides on one of our Birdwatching or Walking holidays. What better endorsement of Cantabria’s unspoilt environment?
Richard Newsome, Head of Product
Hotel details
Enjoy home cooked dishes typical of the region: buffet-style breakfasts, authentic tapas or snack lunches are available at the bar or on its terrace, and dinners are waiter served in their locally acclaimed à la carte restaurant, where seafood is a speciality (the hotel has its own lobster farm where they source crayfish and lobster fresh from the Cantabrian Sea).
Breakfast is available between 0730-1030
Lunch is available between 1230-1600
Dinner is available between 1930-2100
The included wine list at meal times features Rioja and Ribera del Duero wines.
Dinners are pre-ordered the day before and are eaten at set times, ensuring your food is freshly cooked.
Tea and coffee is available between 0900-2300.
Complimentary tea and cake is available at 4pm daily in the bar
The hotel prides itself on its food, and during your stay you will be able to enjoy an included cookery demonstration. As the chef cooks up a storm, you will be able to taste a selection of wine from the area, each carefully selected by the hotel’s owner, Felipe.
The free bar is open up to 12 hours a day, between 1100-2300, with a wide range of quality wines, spirits and liqueurs.
There are 71 rooms, each with:
Sea or inland mountain view
Tea and coffee-making facilities
TV
Fridge
Most rooms have a bath (a room with a walk-in shower is available on request).
Guided orientation walks
Complimentary bus tickets to Santoña
Orientation tour of Santoña
Cookery demonstration with a selection of wines to taste
Talk on Spanish and British culture
Table tennis
Darts
Weekly shuttle bus to regional capital Santander
Live entertainment three times a week
There is a choice of optional excursions available for an extra cost, subject to availability.
Special interest departures for this hotel
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Optional excursions
Lierganes
1 / 5
This morning we’ll visit the medieval village of Liérganes, considered one of northern Spain’s most beautiful settings. It’s a chance to delve into Cantabrian culture as we weave around the cobbled streets and cross the 16th century stone bridge - Puente Mayor – that straddles the Tormes River at Salamanca. We’ll also visit the Renaissance style Church of San Pedro Advíncula and learn about the legend of El Hombre Pez – the Fish Man of Lierganes. It’s a lovely place to spend the morning with several tapas bars tempting you in for fried calamari, tortilla or chocolate con churros before we head back to the hotel.
Castro Urdiales
1 / 5
Today’s excursion takes us to the seaside town of Castro Urdiales for a historical half day overlooking the Bay of Biscay. It’s here we’ll learn more about the medieval legends of the Knights Templars as well as unearthing ecclesiastical etchings within the Church of Santa María de la Asunción. We’ll also experience the uniquely eclectic architecture of the Ocharan Palace and spend time in the gardens and admiring the multi-coloured tiled fresco designed by the 19th century ceramicist, Daniel Zuloaga. And where better to complete today’s excursion other than with an ice cream and a paddle on Playa Ostende.dle ages.
Bilbao and the Guggenheim
1 / 5
You’ll be whisked to Bilbao to explore with an expert guide today. The capital of the Vizkaya province stands on the estuary of the River Nervión and became a centre for shipbuilding and manufacturing during the mid-19th century. Its old town is a labyrinth of narrow pedestrian streets branching out from the Plaza Nueva. It’s one of the culinary capitals of Spain, whether you’re looking for a Michelin-starred restaurant or want to feast on tapas from the numerous bars. The most dramatic addition to Bilbao’s cityscape in recent years is the Guggenheim Museum, a branch of the famous museum in New York which opened in 1997, and which you’ll also visit. Designed by the North American architect Frank Gehry, the building is a contortion of shapes, with limestone blocks contrasting with curtains of glass and curved, bent forms draped in titanium. Its collection of modern art is no less fascinating, with work from the Guggenheim in New York and local acquisitions to admire.
Picos de Europa
1 / 5
We’ll experience a whole day in Europe’s largest national park, the Picos de Europa, where Cantabria’s highest mountain range creates natural habitat for deer, chamois, pine martens and wild boar. It’s the perfect excursion for lovers of the great outdoors with forested trails, narrow ravines and the green valley slopes of the river Deva providing ample opportunities to enjoy the cooler climate. We’ll also visit the mountain village of Potes and admire its natural amphitheatre surrounded by glacial limestone peaks. There will also be plenty of free time to soak up the scenery and stroll around the old stone houses before we head onwards and upwards on the Teleférico de Fuente Dé cable car as it rises to an elevation of 1823 metres (5980 feet). The views from the café at the top are simply breathtaking.
Santillana del Mar
1 / 5
Drive across Cantabria to the beautifully preserved medieval village of Santillana del Mar. Stroll past 15th to 18th-century mansions to the Romanesque collegiate church, built to house the relics of St Juliana. While preserved and protected as a Spanish national monument since 1889 Santillana del Mar is still a living, working village. It's also said to be three times a lie, as it is not holy (santo), nor flat (llano) or by the sea (de mar)!
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