Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Side profile of the bomb prototype.
Petwood Hotel Bouncing Bomb
RAF Harrington
RAF Harrington
The Beaux-arts interior with Pool layout still visible.
Écomusée du fier monde
Village du Livre de Fontenoy-la-Joûte
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Tripe is fried to a crisp.
L’Osteria della Trippa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
One of the PATH’s many entrances.
A Supposedly Boring Mall I Might Actually Visit Again
about 7 hours ago
People paddling in their wooden canoes on one of the lakes near the Allagash Waterway in the north woods in Maine
The Allagash Abductions: This State Park’s Most Famous Visitors ... Are Aliens?
1 day ago
The rocky Revere Beach coast in Revere, Massachusetts, just outside Boston.
Which Places With Bad Raps Are Actually Worth Visiting?
2 days ago
A dugong displays the telltale “smile.”
Saving the Sea Cows of Vanuatu
2 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Spain Santander Magdalena Peninsula

Magdalena Peninsula

This beautiful spit of land was once the summer playground of the king of Spain.

Santander, Spain

Added By
Alan Newman
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Magdalena Peninsula.   Maria Victoria Gomez Fernandez/cc by 2.5
Magdalena Peninsula.   Maria Victoria Gomez Fernandez/cc by 2.5
The palace.   Noreenlam/cc by-sa 3.0 es
The palace seen from the sea.   Tomás Fano/cc by-sa 2.0
Main entrance of the palace.   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
The royal “family room” inside the palace.   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
Inside the palace.   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
View from the peninsula parking lot towards the Sardinero Beach.   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
Sea lion enclosure, one of three.   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
Replica of Vital Alsar’s balsa raft.   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
  Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
Three replica galleons at the museum dedicated to Vital Alsar.   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

This beautiful 70-acre peninsula in Santander is the site of the historic Magdalena Palace, built between 1908 and 1913 to be the summer home of the king of Spain. But the magnificent royal residence is only one of the attractions of this almost-isolated spit of land, which has now become essentially a public park.

The natural beauty of the sea cliffs and beaches, the well-manicured gardens and managed woodland, and the former stables in the style of a medieval English village are all only part of the peninsula's charm. There are also collections of sea lions, seals, and penguins in some of the best housing for such creatures anywhere. Under the right conditions, the enclosures are exposed to spectacular spray from the nearby Atlantic Ocean.

On the peninsula is also the outdoor Man and the Sea Museum, dedicated to the local navigator and adventurer Vital Alsar, who undertook expeditions across the Pacific on balsa rafts in the 1970s. A local hero, Alsar set the record for the longest known raft journey in history. A replica of his second raft, the "Balsa," is displayed outside the museum, along with three replica galleons from his later expedition. 

The palace itself can only be visited by way of a guided tour of the building, at specific times of day. The building is now mainly used for educational and conference purposes and, inevitably, as a magnificent wedding venue. The palace was paid for, by public subscription by the citizens of Santander, as a summer residence for King Alfonso XIII, but when the second Spanish republic was established in 1931 it became part of the International University Menéndez Pelayo. At that time, the medieval village that housed the stables were converted to student residences. The university has since moved to another site, and in 1982 the palace building was declared a national monument.

Related Tags

Palaces Marine Animals Museums History Navigation

Know Before You Go

The above map coordinates and address are for the Magdalena Palace. Entrance to the palace, including the guided tour (in Spanish), is only 3 euro. Free parking is available just off the peninsula. Entry to the peninsula park is free including the marine life enclosures and the small maritime museum. 

Community Contributors

Added By

Dr Alan P Newman

Edited By

Meg

  • Meg

Published

August 12, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Magdalena Peninsula
Av de la Reina Victoria, s/n
Santander
Spain
43.469235, -3.766213
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Caves of Monte Castillo

Puente Viesgo, Spain

miles away

Vaulted Ceiling of Iglesia de la Virgen Grande

Torrelavega, Spain

miles away

Bosque De Secuoyas (Redwood Forest)

Cabezón de la Sal, Spain

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Spain

Spain

Europe

Places 757
Stories 38

Nearby Places

Caves of Monte Castillo

Puente Viesgo, Spain

miles away

Vaulted Ceiling of Iglesia de la Virgen Grande

Torrelavega, Spain

miles away

Bosque De Secuoyas (Redwood Forest)

Cabezón de la Sal, Spain

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Spain

Spain

Europe

Places 757
Stories 38

Related Places

  • One of the rooms in the Museo de la Inquisición.

    Granada, Spain

    Palacio de los Olvidados (Palace of the Forgotten)

    This 16th-century building features a flamenco stage on its ground floor and a torture museum on its upper floors.

  • Audience chamber inside the Inquistor’s Palace

    Birgu, Malta

    Inquisitor’s Palace

    For over two centuries, this palace served as a residence for the Holy Roman Inquisition's leaders, a courthouse, and a prison.

  • Heirloom corn, all dried out to keep for the winter.

    Conway, South Carolina

    L.W. Paul Living History Museum

    Get some farm-to-table history at this living history museum, where you’ll learn what farm life was like a hundred years ago.

  • Chadron, Nebraska

    Museum of the Fur Trade

    This Great Plains museum pays tribute to both the prosperity and tragedy of the North American fur trade.

  • The picture-perfect setting.

    Hillerød, Denmark

    Frederiksborg Castle

    This striking royal residence is the largest Renaissance-style castle in Scandinavia.

  • Ahsan Manzil.

    Dhaka, Bangladesh

    Ahsan Manzil (Pink Palace)

    This colorful palace is an oasis of calm amid the hustle and bustle of the Buriganga riverfront.

  • Halle (Saale), Germany

    Museum of Livestock Science

    A beautiful old horse stable hosts one of the largest collections of domestic animal skeletons and taxidermy.

  • The Helsinki Observatory.

    Helsinki, Finland

    Helsinki Observatory

    Finland's oldest astronomical observatory once played a crucial role in seafaring and timekeeping.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.