2 Best Sights in Galicia and Asturias, Spain

Built on the highest point of the Peninsula de Magdalena and surrounded by 62 acres of manicured gardens and rocky beaches, this early-20th-century palace is the most distinctive building in Santander. It was originally a summer home for King Alfonso XIII and Queen Victoria Eugenia, and it has architectural influences from France and England. Today it is a venue for meetings, weddings, and classes. There are also daily guided visits---call in advance to schedule a tour in English.

Step into this rich 12th-century building to view an unusual example of Romanesque civic architecture, with a cool, clean, vaulted dining hall. The little figures carved on the corbels in this graceful, 100-foot-long space are drinking, eating, and listening to music with great medieval gusto. Each is different, so stroll around for a tableau of mealtime merriment.

The palace is attached to the cathedral. However, the entrance varies---it's best to ask at the cathedral museum where to enter the Pazo de Xelmírez.