43°28′N3°48′W / 43.467°N 3.800°W /43.467; -3.800
Bay of Santander | |
|---|---|
Comarca and metropolitan area | |
 Bay of Santander | |
Flag Coat of arms | |
 Municipalities officially part of thecomarca of the Bay of Santander are in red; those not part of the administrativecomarca are in light red, but the natural one - they actually lie in thecomarca ofTrasmiera. | |
| Country |  Spain |
| Autonomous community |  Cantabria |
| Province | Cantabria |
| Capital | Santander |
| Municipalities | |
| Area | |
• Total | 263.0 km2 (101.5 sq mi) |
| Population (2018)[1] | |
• Total | 269,335 |
| • Density | 1,024/km2 (2,652/sq mi) |
| GDP | |
| • Metro | €12.839 billion (2020) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
TheBay of Santander is both acomarca ofCantabria and the largestestuary on the North coast ofSpain, with an extension of 22.42 km2 (9 km long and 5 km wide). Due to the influence ofSantander and its metropolitan area,[3] nearly half of the population of the autonomous community of Cantabria is gathered around it,[4] which makes the anthropic pressure on this area of water quite notable.
The entrance to the bay is lined by theSardinero beaches, where theIsle of Mouro with itslighthouse can be found. The access to its interior is through a narrow channel of water between theMagdalena Peninsula, near to which are theIsle of the Tower andHoradada Island; and the sandbanks of theEl Puntal, a long series of beaches and dunes that protect the tranquil inner waters of the bay.
The morphology of the bay has suffered important changes in the last centuries. It is estimated[citation needed] that more than 50% of the original extension has been filled up, drying up a large amount ofmarsh area for grasslands, to expand thePort of Santander, and to create new industrial and residential areas. At the moment, work is going on to recover the seaside ecosystem in some areas of high ecological value.
The municipalities within the administrative comarca are as follows, listed below with their areas and populations:
| Name | Area (km2) | Population (2001)[5] | Population (2011)[6] | Population (2018)[7] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camargo | 36.6 | 24,498 | 31,498 | 30,263 |
| El Astillero | 6.8 | 14,353 | 17,854 | 18,108 |
| Miengo | 24.5 | 3,629 | 4,664 | 4,713 |
| Penagos | 31.7 | 1,703 | 1,926 | 2,108 |
| Piélagos | 83.3 | 13,035 | 23,036 | 25,223 |
| Santa Cruz de Bezana | 17.3 | 9,149 | 12,094 | 12,964 |
| Santander | 34.8 | 180,717 | 178,085 | 172,044 |
| Villaescusa | 28.0 | 3,323 | 3,735 | 3,912 |
Several rivers empty into the Bay of Santander. The most important is the Ria de Solía, in the South. The Ria de San Salvador empties in the center of the Bay via the Ria de Astillero while in the East flow the Rias of Carmen and Raos; to the West is the Ria de Cubas, which is the mouth of the Miera River.
The Santander Bay is formed by adiapir generated during thealpinotype orogeny of theTertiary period. Its materials are composed ofclays andsalts (speciallyKeuper'sgypsums) that ascended taking advantage of thefaults. This movement generated an increase of the fracturing and an important dragging of rocks from the outer layers. The weakness zone generated by the Keuper's clays made easier its erosion compared with othersandstone orlimestone areas, which involved the advance of the sea and the formation of the bay.
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