Shopping the Fashion Boutiques of Santander, Spain

Start the day in the plaza in front of the Santander Central Post Office, a beautiful and orginal building, next to the cathedral, which represents one of the best examples of regional "mountain" style Cantabrian architecture from the early 20th century.

The Paseo Pareda store also offers mens shoes, bags, clothing and other fashion accesories of respected national and international brands. The common denomiminator here is quality and exclusivity. The interior is a spacious, comfortable setting with a baroque flair perfect for trying on those special high <br><br>heel shoes women dream about.

For 40 years the family owned bookshop Libreria Gil has been open in Santander providing an active, independent and enthusiastic source of culture. Filled with books, there is a curiously chaotic, clean and inviting ambiance where the staff is always ready to provide helpful information about any book you are looking for. Upstairs there are more books and a room "In Construction" with shifting exhibitions.

Shopping for the summer season at the Del Rosa al Amarillo fahion boutique. Although I was here to have a Hervé Léger dress adjusted I couldn´t pass up the chance to browse the excellent selection of womens fashion. Everything from the hippie chic of Isabel Marant to the perfect black of Proenza Schouler or Ann Demeulemeester are my favorites as well as Miu Miu, Balenciaga, Marc Jacobs. The window display is also always worth mentioning because its always interesting.

Make a quick check of the summer beach bags and clothing at this little boutique

Although its name evokes noble literary airs, in reality this is a 20 square meter bar with an anodyne decor. Itsdynamic vibe and a morning mix of loyal neighborhood locals and business men who pop in and pop out more than make up for the lack of glamour. Excellent, entertaining service and in 8 minutes the barman had cooked up a delicious tortilla de patata (spanish omellette) which we washed down with sips of Rioja. Delicious!!!

This is the place to buy the recently hip again alpargatas (spanish sandals)brand Castaner as well as other lesser known brands. Cheaper here than in Madrid!

If you want a quality hard to find brand of vermouth, this is one of the best places in Santander to find it as well as wine, liqours and other delicacies.

A cute little boutique with clothing orientated more towards the indie girls. With brands such as Masscob, American VIntage, By Zoe, bikinis by TCN, handbags by Malababa, Pretty Ballerinas, Virginie Castaway, Anna Studio, Ambre Babzoe I love the pastel color tones of the interior design and super friendly service of the owner. Not only does La Folie have a unique selection of brands and styles, the prices are accessible and its open until 14:00 hours!

As well as at the Mercado de Esperanza on the pedestrian street of Miguel Artigas in the morning there are flower stands where I made a quick stop to buy some lilium roses.

With a selection of clothes from Spanish fashion designers such as Miriam Ocáriz, Lydia Delgado and international names such as Sonia Ryckiel, Paul&Joe, Ailanto, Tara Jarmon and a charming owner this is my favorite fashion boutique in Santander! I can spend hours here, relaxing and trying on everything.

Just behind the Mercado de la Esperanza (Santander´s famous outdoor/indoor food market), sip a beer, take in the sun and listen to the background sounds of the fruit and vegetable merchants breaking down their stands as the busy Santander morning comes to a close, now its time for lunch and a siesta!