Mataleñas Golf Course

Mataleñas Golf Course holds a genuine piece of Spanish golf history: opened in 1986 on Santander's Cabo Menor headland, it was the country's first municipal golf course. Manuel Terán designed it to work around the land rather than clear it, so not a single existing tree was cut down, and the result is a course that feels far more established than its urban setting might suggest.

The nine holes, a par 34 mix of one par 5, five par 4s and three par 3s, sit right on the city's edge next to El Sardinero beach, with views across the bay running through almost every hole. It's a technical course rather than a long one, with well-defended greens that demand real accuracy, while still offering beginners a gentle, forgiving introduction to the game.

A driving range, locker rooms and putting green are all on site, alongside easy public transport links from anywhere in Santander. Genuinely open to all, with straightforward pay-per-round booking, Mataleñas is an easy, characterful round to fit into any Santander stay.