Santillana del Mar Voyage Tips and guide

Santillana del Mar is a picturesque town of 4200 people (2018) in Cantabria, Spain, renowned for its medieval architecture. The village is a bit of a tourist trap, and is so swamped with new developments around the outskirts, that on arrival you might be forgiven for wondering what all the fuss is about.

However, the original kernel of the medieval village 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.

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, the mountain ranges, and the coast of the Bay of Biscay.

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 2 km from the town.

Tourist Information (Oficina de Turismo) Calle Jesus Otero 26, ☏ +34 942818812.

43°23′24″N 4°6′36″W

Map of Santillana del Mar

Santillana is 24 km west of Santander, which has the nearest airport.

The next Cercanias 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.

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, tel 42342701, 942720822 fax 942346988 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 11:30, 13:05, 17:00, 18:15, 19:15 and 20:30. Journey time: 40 minutes, price: €2.25 single (December 2009).

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 departs from the steps in front of the town hall, about 50 m closer to town.

The bus station is at Av, Cantabric s/n, ☏ +34 942891954.

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

• 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

• A total solar eclipse on Wednesday 12 Aug 2026, starting at 20.27 and lasting 80 sec. The chances of a clear sky are only 45%, and you need to find a spot with a clear view to the northwest horizon, where the sun will be setting. Coast is best: hilltops may be socked in by cloud, and after the show you’d have to descend an unfamiliar hill trail in darkness.

• Museo Diocesiano Regina Coeli, El Cruce, ☏ +34 942 840317. Tu-Su 10:00-13:30, 16:00-18:30. Religious art. Adult €3. (updated May 2026)
• Museo Jesús Otero, Plaza de Francisco Abad (facing Collegiata de Santa Juliana), ☏ +34 942 840198. Tu-Sa 10:00-13:30, 16:00-20:00. Displaying works by local sculptor Jesús Otero (1908-1994). Free. (updated May 2026)
• 43.3774-4.12191 Altamira, Av Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola, ☏ +34 942 818005. Tu-Sa 09:30-18:00, Su 09:30-15:00. The caves of Altamira, discovered in 1868, have prehistoric paintings as old as 36,000 years - they were added to or amended over another 20,000 years. The condensation from 20th century tourists damaged the paintings so the caves were closed to the public and a replica cave built - this is what you tour, along with the adjacent museum. Adult €3, child free.  (updated May 2026)
• Museo de la Inquisición el Solar, Escultor Jesús Otero, ☏ +34 942840273. winter 10:30 to 20:00, summer 10:00 to 22:00. museum displaying torture tools and "instruments for public humiliation" €3.50. 
• 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!
• ^{[dead link]} La Cueva Mitológica, Calle El Cantón, [email protected]. summer 11:30 to 14:00, winter: short visits in the morning only. €4. 

• 43.392217-4.1060062 Collegiata de Santa Juliana, Plaza Abad Francisco Navarro, ☏ +34 639 830520. Tu-Su 10:00-13:00, 16:00-19:00. Romanesque monastery church dating to the 12th century when the Augustinians took over from the Benedictines, but largely rebuilt in the 16 th. The cloisters have 42 columns and depict Biblical scenes. Adult €3.  (updated May 2026)
• Convento de las Clarisas or Monasterio Regina Coeli is at Av de Le Dorat 4. It’s still active, no public admittance but you can buy hand-made sweets from the nuns.
• Convento de las Dominicas, Calle Antonio Niceas.  

• Casas del Águila y la Parra, Calle Juan Infante, ☏ +34 942818398. winter: 10:00 to 13:00 and 16:00 to 19:00, Sa Su 10:00 to 13:00, M closed. Free. 
• Casa de los Sánchez Tagle, Calle de Velasco, ☏ +34 942818141. Passion Week and from Jul until Sep 10:30 to 13:30 and 16:30 to 20:30PM, M closed, rest of the year weekends only.  
• Palacio de Velarde, Plaza de las Arenas. 15th century palace. 
• Casa de los Quevedo, Calle del Río.  
• Palacio de Peredo - Barrera (Palacio de los Benamejís), Santo Domingo, ☏ +34 942818171. Tu-Su 11:00 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 20:00. 18th-century palace with expositions organized by Caja Calabria. €2.50. 
• Casa de los Hombrones, Calle Cantón. A 17th-century noble house decorated with Baroque coat of arms saying 'Un bon morir es onra de la vida' - "A good death honours life". 
• Casa del Marqués de Santillana, Calle Cantón. Gothic house, 15th century, home of doña Leonor de la Vega, mother of López de Medonza, later Marqués de Santillana. 
• Casa de los Bustamante, Calle de la Carrera. A house from the 18th century. 
• Casa de los Villa, Calle Santo Domingo. House, rebuilt in the 18th century. 
• Plaza Ramón Pelayo o del Mercado (Calle Racial con Calle Juan Infante). A former marketplace. 
• Casa de los Barreda - Bracho, Calle Santo Domingo. A building from the 18th century, today Parador de Turismo. 
• 43.390556-4.1078333 Torre del Merino, Plaza Ramón Pelayo. Gothic tower, 15th century, today exhibition centere. Free.  
• Torre de Don Borja, Plaza Ramón Pelayo. 10:00 to 13:30, 16:00 to 20:00. Gothic tower, 15th century. 
• Casa de la Infanta Paz, Plaza Ramón Pelayo. House of the infant Paz de Bourbon, princess of Bavaria . 
• Casa de la Archiduquesa, Calle Río Cantón. Plade of exile of Princess Margaretha of Hapsburg. 

• 43.382-4.08794 La Virgen de las Nieves is a small hermitage church 3 km east of Santillana along CA-131 the road to Santander.
• Castillo de Vispieres is the scrappy ruin of a castle on the hill 500 m south of the hermitage church. There's an easy trail for summit views.
• 43.3783-4.0725 La Beltraneja is a 15th / 16th century tower house in the village of Quevada 4 km east of Santillana.
• Viveda another 1 km east along the road has the medieval Barca de Calderón tower house and the 17th century Palacio de Peredo, but neither are open to the public.
• 43.387-4.2896 Comillas is a small town on the coast 17 km west of Santillana. In the mid-19th century it was a holiday resort for the aristocracy, so it has a collection of fine buildings, notably Sobrellano Palace, the Pontifical University, and Capricho a villa designed by Gaudí.
• 43.385-4.47 San Vicente de la Barquera 29 km west is another coastal town. It has an imposing medieval church and castle, but the main draw is Oyambre National Park to its east, with pristine beaches and dunes.

• 43.386-4.21268 Santa María de Viaceli, Cóbreces, ☏ +34 942 725017. Daily 06:00-21:00. Cistercian Monastery / abbey built in neogothic style 1906/10 and now run by their branch order the Trappists. You can attend mass and buy their famous cheeses.  (updated May 2026)
• Complejo del Monte Castillo, Cuevas del Castillo. From May 1 until Sep 30: 10:00 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 20:30, maximum 380 persons per day in groups of 20, duration of the visit 45 min. Rock paintings from the Upper Paleolithic. 
• Cueva de Covalanas, Ramales de la Victoria, ☏ +34 942645504. from May 1 until Sep 30: W-Su 10:00 to 13:00 and 16:00 to 19:00; M Tu closed, maximum 60 persons per day. Rock paintings, more than 15,000 years old. 
• Cueva de Chufin, Riclones (Rionansa), ☏ +34 942727457. 10:00 and 16:00.  
• Ecomuseo Saja-Nansa, Puente Pumar (Señorial Valle de las Poblaciones) (more than 1000 km², up to altitudes of 2000 m).  
• Suances, Ría de San Martín.  
• Torrelavega (Palacio Municipal, Nuestra Señora de la Asunción Church), N-611. Consolación Church with the Gothic picture of the city patron La Virgen Grande. 

• 43.3811-4.102891 Zoo, Ctra. Puente de San Miguel, ☏ +34 942818125, +34 942840175. 09:30 to sunset. Adult €8, child €4, guided tour €7.  

• 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.

There are beaches at

• Ubiarco (5 km),
• Cobreces (10 km),
• Comillas (17 km),
• Oyambre (20 km) and
• Suances (10 km)

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

• Los Blasones, Plaza de la Gandara 8, ☏ +34 942818070. An old-fashioned restaurant. €25. 
• Casa Cossio, Plaza Abad Francisco s/n, ☏ +34 942818355. €22. 
• Café Concana, Calle los Hornos, ☏ +34 942840161.  
• La Joraca ((Hotel Colegiata)), Los Hornos, ☏ +34 942840137.  
• Altamira, Cantón, ☏ +34 942818025. €12. 
• Taberna del Chus, Calle del Río, ☏ +34 942818122.  
• Los Nobles, Calle Carrera, ☏ +34 942818042.  
• El Catillo, Plaza Mayor, ☏ +34 942818377.  
• Casa Ángel, El Cantón, ☏ +34 942818227. €24. 
• Parador Gil Blas, Plaza de Ramón Pelayo, ☏ +34 842818000. €30. 

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 1 m (3 ft). Your bartender will know how if you are hesitant to try the feat yourself.

• Altamira, Cantón 1, ☏ +34 942 818025. Atmospheric villa in town centre, the former Palacio Valdivieso. B&B double €100. (updated May 2026)
• Posada Ansorena is next door at Cantón 10.
• Casa del Marques is in a 15th century building at Cantón 26.
• Parador de Santillana - Gil Blas, Plaza Ramon Pelayo 11, ☏ +34 942 028028. Charming upscale hotel in the former mansion of the Barreda-Bracho family, with wooden floors and traditional furniture. B&B double €220. (updated May 2026)
• Posada Araceli, Revolgo 20, ☏ +34 676 041524. Comfy place at the edge of town. (updated May 2026)
• Posada Santa Juliana is at Carrera 19.
• Hotel Santillana is on El Cruce.
• Hotel Bestprice is at Revolgo 16.
• El Convento is a pilgrim hostel at Antonio Niceas 2.
• Hotel Cuevas is at Av Antonia Sandi 4.
• Pension Miguel Angel is at Av Antonia Sandi 11.
• Hotel San Marcos is at Av Antonia Sandi 27.
• Hotel Salldemar is at Av Marcelino S Sautuola 6.

As of May 2026, Santillana and its approach roads have 5G from all Spanish carriers.

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 07:15, daily at 10:15 and 15:45, M-F at 18:00, Sa Su at 1930. Journey time: 40 minutes, price: €2.25 single (December 2009).
• Autobuses Garcia C/H.Alcalde del Rio, 2 Bajo, Torrelavega, ☏ +34 942891640, operate bus services from Santillana del Mar to Torrelavega.