Port city (pop., 2001: 180,717), capital of the autonomous community ( comunidad autónoma ) of Cantabria , northern Spain.
A major seaport and summer resort, it is situated on the southern shore of Cape Mayor, a rocky peninsula extending east and sheltering Santander Bay, an inlet of the Bay of Biscay . The city was rebuilt after a disastrous fire in 1941. In addition to tourism, the economy is based on fishing, iron refining, and shipbuilding. The caves of Altamira and Castillo are nearby.