A new urban development outside the medieval area took place in Laredo since the late 19th century, which seemed to start with the sojourn of Alfonso XIII in one of the houses of the Alamedas in 1882. There are different stages in this modern evolution of the village. Firstly, from the late 19th century to 1936, there was a slow and moderate increase in construction with the occupation of the extensions. In one of these areas, the Canto, residential and service buildings were built on an orthogonal plan. Several buildings were constructed there, from canning industries to buildings of great architectural value, both residential such as the House of the Cuatro Témporas (Four Seasons) and the palace of Carasa of Casa Gereda, and public buildings such as the Slaughterhouse and the Abastos Market, designed by the architect from Castro Eladio Laredo, and the Schools of Doctor Velasco (present headquarters of the summer courses of the University of Cantabria). The second extension, the Terreros, includes the part of the beach closest to the village, with one-family houses for tourism which started in 1930. From then until 1960, Laredo was discovered by international tourism and the village was named the "capital of the Emerald Coast". This is how Laredo wakes up from the period of silence it had undergone after the loss of its condition of capital city in the 19th century.

Since the sixties, the last urban expansion has taken place along the beaches of La Salvé and el Regatón, characterized by a simple alignment of buildings, which met the residential necessities of tourism.

At present, Laredo perfectly combines tourist appeal and a rich historic and artistic heritage, which makes it one of the privileged spots on the Coast of Cantabria where a busy cultural summer activity takes place.