The World at Your Fingertips

Santillana del Mar, Spain

Santillana del Mar, Plaza Mayor.

The area around Santillana del Mar has been populated for thousands of years and there are traces of some of the earliest inhabitants at the Altamira Caves about two kilometres from the town.

The original kernel of the medieval village still survives in the centre, although the beauty of the winding streets and yellow sandstone buildings is rather marred by the abundance of shops selling tourist nick-nacks that have proliferated into almost every doorway. The highlight of the town is the Colegiata de Santa Juliana - a lovely medieval church with a walled cloister that can be found in the heart of the town.

For the more adventurous, there are some lovely walks in the small hills around the town that afford stunning views of the Picos de Europa and mountain ranges, as well as the coast of the Bay of Biscay.

Get in

Santillana is 15 ml (24 km) from Santander.

By plane

The next airport is Santander Airport (Santander - Parayas, Aeropuerto Internacional de Santander).

By train

The next FEVE railway station is Puente San Miguel, about 4 km (2.5 mi) from Santillana-del-Mar. The next RENFE railway station is Torrelavega, about 10 km (6.2 mi) from Santillana-del-Mar. Autobuses Garcia operate bus services from Torrevelaga to Santillana del Mar and back.

By bus

There are buses to Santillana del Mar from Santander, with the journey taking about half an hour. There are up to seven buses a day in July and August, although fewer outside of these months.

• La Cantabrica, Nav 5, El Campon, Penacastillo, operates bus services from Santander Bus Station (estación de Autobuses de Santander) [1] to Santillana del Mar from Sep 1 until Jun 30 at 10.30 and 11:30AM, 1.05, 5, 6.15, 7.15 and 8:30PM. Journey time: 40 minutes.

The bus from Santander drops you just outside of the town. When leaving beware that, although there is a bus shelter just outside the town where you will be dropped off on your way in, the bus back actually departs from the steps in front of the town hall, about 50 metres closer to town. The bus station is at Av, Cantabric s/n.

• Autobuses Garcia operate services to and from Altamira and Torrevelaga.

By car

• from Santander: take the highway to Torrelavega - exit “Requejada”, go ahead to Barreda, turn right on road CA-131 to Santillana del Mar, or exit “Puente San Miguel” and take the CA-133 road to Santillana del Mar.

• from Asturias: take the “Autovía del Cantábrico” (Cantabrian Highway) or N-634 to Puente San Miguel, then the CA-133 road to Santillana del Mar.

• from Madrid, Bilbao, Burgos, Palencia or Valladolid: take the highway to Torrelavega, then as above.

• from Comillas: take the CA-131 road.

Distances from Santillana del Mar:

— Suances 6 Km.
— Torrelavega 6 Km.
— Comillas 16 Km.
— Santander 30 Km.
— San Vicente de la Barquera 30 Km.
— Parque de Cabárceno 30 Km.
— Picos de Europa 70 Km

What to See in Santillana del Mar

• The whole town, old and well-preserved, is worth visiting.

• Museo Diocesiano de Regina Coeli, El Cruce. 10AM to 1:30PM, 4 to 6:30PM, in summer to 7:30PM, in winter closed on Mon.

• Museo Jesús Otero, Plaza de Francisco Abad. Winter: 9:30AM to 1:30PM, 4 to 7PM, summer: 10AM to 1PM, 4 to 7:30PM. museum of the Cantabrian scultpor Jesús Otero free.

Museo Jesús Otero.

• Museo y Centro de Investigación de Altamira, e-mail: altamira@museo.mec.es. From Jul until Sep: Tu-Sa 9:30AM to 7:30PM, Sun 9:30AM to 5PM, rest of the year: Tu-Su 9:30AM to 7PM, duration of the visit: one hour.

Museo de Altamira.

• Museo de la Inquisición el Solar, Escultor Jesús Otero. Winter 10:30AM to 8PM, summer 10AM to 10PM. museum displaying torture tools and "instruments for public humiliation".

• El Museo de la Tortura or Torture Museum contains an impressive collection of instruments of torture from around Europe, including those used in the Spanish Inquisition. The museum is interesting and rich in history, but be warned that it is not for the faint of heart!

El Museo de la Tortura.

• La Cueva Mitológica, Calle El Cantón. summer 11:30AM to 2PM, winter: short visits in the morning only.

• Collegiata de Santa Juliana. Tu-Sa 10AM to 1:30PM, 4 to 6:30PM. in summer to 7:30PM. abbey dating to the 12th cent, beautiful Romanesque church, in ancient times one of the most powerful monasteries of Spain, attracting many noble families who built their houses in Santillana del Mar.

Catedral de Santilla del Mar.

• Claustro de la Colegiata, Plaza del Abad Francisco Navarro. 9:30AM to 1PM and 4 to 6PM, in winter closed on Sundays. Romanesque cloisters dating to the 12th and 13th cent with scenes from the Bible and fighting scenes.

• Convento de las Clarisas (16th cent monastery), Rúa Jesús Tagle.

• Convento de las Dominicas, Calle Antonio Niceas.

• Casas del Águila y la Parra, Calle Juan Infante. winter: 10AM to 1PM and 4 to 7PM, Sat, Su 10AM to 1PM, Mon closed. adm free.

• Casa de los Sánchez Tagle, Calle de Velasco. Passion Week and from Jul until Sep 10:30AM to 1:30PM and 4.30 to 8:30PM, Mon closed, rest of the year weekends only.

• Palacio de Velarde (palace, 15th cent), Plaza de las Arenas.

Palacio de Velarde.

• Casa de los Quevedo, Calle del Río.

• Palacio de Peredo - Barrera (also called Palacio de los Benamejís, 18th cent, expositions organized by Caja Calabria), Santo Domingo. from Tu-Su 11AM to 2PM and 4 to 8PM.

Palacio de Peredo.

• Casa de los Hombrones (noble house, 17th cent), Calle Cantón. decorated with Baroque coat of arms saying 'Un bon morir es onra de la vida' - A good dying honours life.

• Casa del Marqués de Santillana (Gothic house, 15th cent, home of doña Leonor de la Vega, mother of López de Medonza, later Marqués de Santillana), Calle Cantón.

• Casa de los Bustamante (house from the 18th cent), Calle de la Carrera.

• Casa de los Villa (house, rebuilit in the 18th cent), Calle Santo Domingo.

• Plaza Ramón Pelayo o del Mercado (former market place) (Calle Racial con Calle Juan Infante).

• Casa de los Barreda - Bracho (building from the 18th cent, today Parador de Turismo), Calle Santo Domingo.

• Torre del Merino (Gothic tower, 15th cent, today exhibition center), Plaza Ramón Pelayo. free.

• Torre de Don Borja (Gothic tower, 15th cent), Plaza Ramón Pelayo. 10AM to 1:30PM, 4 to 8PM.

• Casa de la Infanta Paz (house of the infant Paz de Bourbon, princess of Bavaria), Plaza Ramón Pelayo.

• Casa de la Archiduquesa (exile of Princess Margaretha of Hapsburg), Calle Río Cantón.

• Altamira (3 km). A cave with prehistoric paintings, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Altamira. Photo: Museo de Altamira y D. Rodríguez.

• Santillana zoo (2 km).

• Comillas (17 km, with Sobrellano Palace, chapel-mausoleum of the Marquises of Comillas, Pontifical University, Capricho of Gaudí).

• San Vicente de la Barquera (29 km, with Santa María de los Ángeles Church and Castillo del Rey Castle).

• Oyambre National Park (20 km).

Oyambre National Park.

• Queveda (Torre de Don Beltrán de la Cueva, 18th cent, Virgen de las Quintas Hermitage).

• La Barca de Calderón, Carretera de Santillana del Mar a Viveda. house of the Calderón de la Barca family, 15th cent.

• Santa María de Viaceli (Cisterciensian Abbey), Cóbreces, on the road from Santillana del Mar to Comillas.

• Complejo del Monte Castillo (rock paintings from the Upper Paleolithic), Cuevas del Castillo. from May 1 until Sep 30 10AM to 2PM and 4PM to 8:30PM, maximum 380 persons per day in groups of 20, duration of the visit 45 min.

Cueva del Castillo. Photo: Gabinete de Prensa del Gobierno de Cantabria.

• Cueva de Covalanas, Ramales de la Victoria. from May 1 until Sep 30 10AM to 1PM and 4PM to 7PM. Mon and Tue closed, maximum 60 persons per day. rock paintings, more than 15000 years old.

• Cueva de Chufin, Riclones (Rionansa). 10AM and 4PM.

• Ecomuseo Saja-Nansa, Puente Pumar (Señorial Valle de las Poblaciones) (more than 1000 square km, up to altitudes of 2000 meters).

• Suances, Ría de San Martín.

• Torrelavega (Palacio Municipal, Nuestra Señora de la Asunción Church, Consolación Church with the Gothic picture of the city patron La Virgen Grande), N-611.

Nuestra Señora de la Asunción Church.

What to Do in Santillana del Mar

• Zoo, Ctra. Puente de San Miguel. 9:30AM to sunset. € 8, children: € 4, guided tour: € 7.

• Local Festivals: Epiphany: Santillana, 5 January. Medieval Festival: June. Folia: Variable, San Vicente de la Barquera, 30 km. Procession for Santa Juliana: 28 June, Santillana del Mar. San Roque: 16 August.

• Swimming. There are beaches at Ubiarco (5 km), Cobreces (10 km), Comillas (17 km), Oyambre (20 km) and Suances (10 km).

Restaurants

Typical pastries include sobao pasiego and quesadas (a light sort of cheesecake)

• Los Blasones, Plaza de la Gandara 8. old fashioned restaurant.

• Casa Cossio, Plaza Abad Francisco s/n5.

• Café Concana, Calle los Hornos.

• La Joraca (Hotel Colegiata), Los Hornos.

• Altamira, Cantón.

• Taberna del Chus, Calle del Río.

• Los Nobles, Calle Carrera.

• El Catillo, Plaza Mayor.

• Casa Ángel, El Cantón.

• Parador Gil Blas, Plaza de Ramón Pelayo.

Bars and Clubs

A trip to northern Spain must include a sampling of sidra, or hard cider, which is typical of Cantabria as well as Asturias and Basque Country. It is traditional to pour the cider into the glass from a height of about three feet. Your bartender will know how if you are hesitant to try the feat yourself.

Hotels and Hostels

• Altamira, Calle Canton 1, 39330 Santillana del Mar, Cantabria (32 rooms).

• Parador de Santillana - Gil Blas, Plaza Ramon Pelayo 11 (On the main sqare, access via the Travesía Santander-Comillas), e-mail: santillanagb@parador.es. ancient mansion of the Barreda-Bracho family, with wooden floors, traditional furniture and 28 rooms.

• Posada Araceli, Calle La Robleda 20, 39330 Santillana del Mar, Cantabria (12 rooms).

Tourist Info

• Tourist Office (Oficina de Turismo) Calle Jesus Otero 26.

• Guardia Civil, Avda. Antonio Sandi, s/n.

• Centro de Salud Altamira (Health Center), Barrio La Teja, s/n, 39530 Puente San Miguel.

• Hospital de Sierrallana (Hospital), Ganzo, s/n, 39300 Torrelavega.

• Farmacia (Pharmacy), Jesús Otero, s/n.

Go next

The bus to Santander departs from the steps in front of the town hall.

• La Cantabrica operates bus services from Santillana del Mar to Santander Bus Station (estación de Autobuses de Santander) from Sep 1 until Jun 30 M-F at 7:15AM, daily at 10:15AM and 3:45PM, M-F at 6PM, Sat and Sun at 7.30 pnm. Journey time: 40 minutes, price: € 2.25 single (December 2009).

• Autobuses Garcia C/H.Alcalde del Rio, 2 Bajo, Torrelavega, operate bus services from Santillana del Mar to Torrelavega. (Wikivoyage)