Places to Visit in Cantabria

SANTILLANA DEL MAR

What to See:

Travellers who understand any Spanish may be surprised to find that picturesque Santillana del Mar is not on the coast. In fact the first thing that any guidebook will tell you is that the town is referred to as the town of the 3 lies Since it is neither Holy (Santi) , Flat (Llana) nor by the sea (del Mar). It is however a very beautiful medieval town of old narrow streets and overhanging houses and unlike many other medieval towns, cars are banned here so it really is like a living museum. The town dates from the 12th century when during the Reconquista under Alfonso VII the remains of a martyred saint from 3rd century Turkey where brought here and stored in the Romanesque Cloegiata de Santa Juliana. There are also impressive mansions dating from the 15th century , some of which are now hotels, such as the Parador de Gil Blas.

Tourist Information: 0034 942818812

How to get there:

  • By Bus: Hourly buses from Torrelavega and 4 buses daily from Santander.
  • By Train: The nearest mainline railway station is Santander which has connections from all across Spain. From here there are several buses daily to Santanilla del Mar. Alernatively the FEVE narrowgage railway runs 2 trains per hour thru Puente San Miguel which is about 4km away.
  • By Road: Santillana del mar is on the C131 near Santander, From Bilbao take the A8 E70, From Valladolid / Madrid take the A67.


Ver Cantabria en un mapa más grande


Suggested Itineraries