The Bay of Santander is the largest estuary on the northcoast of Spain. On its shores there are beautiful beaches, ports and architecture, good examples of the history of the city linked to the sea, since the Roman Empire.

Industrial and commercial development shaped Santanderas a strategic port in Spain, a repository of important naval technology and commercial capabilities that define the city today. Its tourism, from the summers of the King and Queen of Spain in the city, was also linked to the bay and coast of Santander.

Today it is also an example for its ecological and landscape value, being the most important wetland in Cantabria for wintering waterfowl, according to the censuscarried out by SEO/Birdlife.

The bay and the Cantabrian Sea are part of the oceanic and seafaring culture of Santander and its people. The fishing tradition, gastronomy or professional or recreational nautical activities are inseparable from the life of the city, which has strategic infrastructures to enjoy them.