# Comillas Gaudí's El Capricho, the Sobrellano palace and the Seminario above the town, with a beach in the village and Oyambre next door. 45 minutes from Santander. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/cantabria/comillas · Revisado: 2026-11-12 Comillas is a seafaring town whose face was changed by a single man. Antonio López, born here, made his fortune in America, received the title of Marquis of Comillas from Alfonso XII and brought the king to spend the summers of 1881 and 1882. By then he was already turning the Sobrellano district into a garden city of palaces, chapels and summer houses for his family and partners, with Catalan architects and, among them, a young Gaudí. Today it can be visited in a day: El Capricho, the Sobrellano palace and the Seminario Mayor, with the village beach for the afternoon. ## How to get there from Santander Take the A-8 towards Oviedo and turn off towards the coast at Cabezón de la Sal or Santillana; allow about 45 minutes and about 50 km. From Santillana del Mar it is twenty minutes on the coast road, which passes through Cóbreces and Ruiloba. From Oviedo, on the A-8, a little under two hours. This guide assumes you have a car: Oyambre and El Remedio lie outside the town centre. ## Where to park El Capricho has no car park and you cannot drive into the grounds. Comillas has several public car parks: El Capricho itself advises leaving the car a little way off and walking, rather than driving around a small village. The Seminario has its own car park for €2, €1 less if you take the tour. The beach has parking next to the promenade. ## How long do you need? A day is enough for El Capricho, Sobrellano and the Seminario in the morning, lunch and then the beach or a walk around the harbour in the afternoon. El Capricho takes between 45 minutes and an hour and a quarter; the palace and the Seminario, 45 minutes each, always with a guide. If you buy tickets online for the two Cultura de Cantabria buildings, leave an hour and a half between the start of one and the other. With a night, you can add Oyambre and a dinner in Ruiloba. ## When to go El Capricho is open every day of the year except 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 and 6 January. In winter it closes at 17:30 and in July and August at 21:00. The Sobrellano palace and the Seminario have morning hours in winter, and the palace is closed on Mondays. From June to September, the village beach has lifeguards; the Hotel Joseín and the campsite open only in season. April, May, June and September offer the best balance between long days and few people. ## What to do Gaudí's El Capricho is visited independently with an audio guide, €7, or with a guide, €10; under-7s do not pay. Next to it, the Sobrellano palace, the marquis's neo-Gothic palace, only with a guided tour, €7. On the hill opposite, the Seminario Mayor, the former Pontifical University, with its grounds open daily. Below, the Comillas beach and the fishing harbour; to the west, past the Rabia estuary, the Oyambre sands. ## Where to eat For a special meal, El Remedio, in Ruiloba, on the cliffs, is open on Sunday lunchtimes. In the centre, Gurea serves home cooking from all over Spain with gluten-free options. In season, the dining room of the Hotel Joseín overlooks the beach. ## Dónde está - Zonas: Cantabrian Coast - Cerca: San Vicente de la Barquera (a 8.6 km), Santillana del Mar and Altamira (a 14.9 km), Costa Quebrada and Liencres (a 30.4 km), Cabárceno Nature Park (a 37.0 km) ## Qué hacer - **Gaudí's El Capricho** (1 h · All ages; attics by spiral staircase · Desde 7 € adult, self-guided visit): El Capricho is the summer house that Gaudí designed, very young, for Máximo Díaz de Quijano, on the Sobrellano estate, the quarter the Marquis of Comillas turned into a garden city. A brick façade with sunflower ceramics, a tower that looks like a minaret and a house designed to follow the sun through the day. It is privately owned, lives off its visitors and receives no public subsidies. What you see You tour the whole site: gardens, exterior and the inside of the house, up to the attics, reached by a spiral staircase. With the self-guided visit you have an audio guide in five languages; the guided one, 45 minutes long, shows light and sound effects in the house that go unnoticed if you go on your own. How much it costs TicketAdultChildren 7 to 12Junior 13 to 18 Self-guided visit€7€3€5 Guided visit€10€6€8 Under-7s go in free, with their own ticket. There is a concessionary rate for over-65s, students, teachers, large families, the unemployed and people with disabilities, with proof. There are also flexible tickets, without a set time, at €10 for self-guided and €15 for guided. The ticket can be changed or refunded up to 24 hours beforehand. Opening hours It is open every day except 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 and 6 January. In January, February, November and December, from 10:00 to 17:30; from March to June and in September and October, from 10:00 to 20:00; in July and August, from 10:00 to 21:00. Last entry, half an hour before closing. Guided visits leave on the hour, more often in summer. Getting there and parking The entrance is on Plazuela de Fuente Real, in Comillas. El Capricho has no car park and you cannot drive into the site: park in one of the village's public car parks and walk. In summer, arrive with time to spare. With a dog, with children Dogs may go in the gardens and the exterior, but not into the house, neither in arms nor in a carrier: the usual thing is to take turns. For children aged 6 to 10 there is a family visit with a workshop; otherwise, you are given a children's leaflet to tour the house playing. The cobbles at the entrance and the spiral staircase make a visit in a wheelchair difficult. - **Sobrellano Palace** (45 min · All ages · Desde 7 € adult from age 13; reduced €5): What it is The palace built by the first Marquis of Comillas, Antonio López, on the Sobrellano hill, next to El Capricho. It is the centrepiece of the quarter he turned into a garden city, with palm trees and summer houses for his relatives and partners. The interior can only be seen on a guided visit. The palace and the chapel The complex began with the pantheon chapel, from 1878 to 1881, and was completed with the palace, built between 1882 and 1888 and inaugurated that year. Both are the work of the architect Joan Martorell, in Neo-Gothic style. The palace mixes English civil Gothic with a memory of Venetian palaces and reliefs reminiscent of muqarnas, but inside it is a simple scheme: a central vestibule with a monumental double-flight white marble staircase, lit from above by a skylight of coloured stained glass. It was a space meant to be shown off, full of objects that reflected the marquises. The great hall has eight panels painted by Eduardo Llorens showing what the family had contributed to Spain's recent history. The pantheon chapel, a miniature cathedral of English and Central European Gothic, holds the tombs of the first marquis, his brother Claudio and the second marquis. It has sculptures by Josep Llimona and Agapito Vallmitjana and furniture designed by Gaudí. It was inaugurated in 1881, with King Alfonso XII's visit to Comillas. It is now closed for restoration until further notice. Hours and price In November 2026, Tuesday to Friday and Sundays from 9:30 to 15:00, and on Saturdays from 9:30 to 16:00; on Mondays, closed. The gardens are cleared half an hour before closing. The guided visit lasts about 45 minutes, for 25 people at most: €7 from age 13 and €5 from 4 to 12, and also for large families, over-65s or pensioners, the unemployed, students and people with a 65% disability, with proof. Groups of 11 or more pay €5 and schoolchildren, €2. Free up to age 3 and with the Cultural Passport. How to book On the Cantabria Culture website, centros.culturadecantabria.com. If you have not booked, try at the ticket office, on the ground floor of the palace, which opens 20 minutes before each session. Information and groups: 942 598 425. Hours may change without notice because of cultural activities. How to combine it Gaudí's El Capricho is next door, on the same estate: in November it is open every day from 10:00 to 17:30. Opposite, on the other hill, the Seminario Mayor; if you buy both visits online, leave between 90 and 120 minutes between them. For lunch in the centre, the Gurea restaurant serves home cooking and takes care of coeliacs. - **Seminario Mayor, the Former Pontifical University** (45 min · All ages · Desde 7 € adult from age 13; reduced €5): What it is The great building that dominates Comillas from the hill opposite: it was a seminary and Pontifical University, and today it is visited as the Seminario Mayor. The outer grounds can be explored freely every day from 9:30 to 18:00; the interior only on a guided visit. Its history After building the Sobrellano complex, the Marquises of Comillas wanted to promote a great charitable work. A secondary school was considered and in the end it was given over to a seminary for poor students, run by the Jesuits, which over the years would become the Pontifical University. It was built between 1883 and 1892. The plan follows the usual model of the Society's colleges: the buildings gather around two arcaded courtyards, with the church wedged between them. The work was directed from 1883 by the architect Joan Martorell, with a highly ornamental Gothic-Mudéjar eclecticism, and from 1889 Lluís Domènech i Montaner added the Modernista decoration: the paraninfo (great hall), the public church, the vestibule, the staircase, the bronze door, the mosaics and the coffered ceilings. The paintings in the paraninfo are by Eduardo Llorens, and those in the church by Juan Llimona and José María Tamburini. The gateway to the grounds, widened afterwards for cars, mixes brick, metallic-lustre ceramics and carved stone in the coat of arms, with the papal tiara and keys. Hours and price In November 2026, Monday to Friday and Sundays from 9:30 to 15:30, and on Saturdays from 9:30 to 16:30. The guided visit lasts about 45 minutes, for 40 people at most: €7 from age 13 and €5 from 4 to 12, and also for large families, over-65s or pensioners, the unemployed, students and people with a 65% disability, with proof. Groups of 11 or more pay €5 and school groups, €2. Under-4s and holders of the Cultural Passport go in free. The site's own car park costs €2 in cash, €1 less if you take the visit. How to combine it If you buy the Seminary and the Sobrellano palace online, leave between 90 and 120 minutes between the start of one visit and the other. Bookings at centros.culturadecantabria.com and on 942 598 425; if you have not booked, ask at the ticket office. Hours may change without notice because of cultural activities. At the foot of the hill is the Hotel Solatorre, ten minutes' walk from the centre. From the Seminary, Gaudí's El Capricho and Sobrellano are on the hill opposite, and Comillas beach below, next to the harbour. The tourist office, on Plaza Joaquín del Piélago, has the month's hours and a downloadable map of the town. - **Comillas Beach and the Harbour** (2 h · All ages · Free): What it is The village's own beach, of good size on a coast that is almost all cliff, from the Portillo inlet to the Rabia estuary. On one side it has the fishing harbour: Comillas has one of the eight fishing ports on Cantabria's coast. The harbour For centuries the seafaring life of Comillas was carried out from the beach: the harbour was not begun until 1603 and was finished in 1716, paid for by the residents themselves. A high polygonal breakwater protects it from north-west, north and north-east storms and forms an inner basin with a mouth of only 9 metres, which is closed with a timber-beam gate when there are strong tides or swell. Comillas was the last port of the old province of Santander to keep up whaling, until well into the 18th century, setting out in boats armed with harpoons; tradition places at the Peña Blanca, below the sailors' cellars, the spot where the cetaceans were cut up. The fish market, in the Montañés style, dates from 1942, and on the way to the pier there is a bronze plaque dedicated to the Comillas poet Jesús Cancio, the poet of the sea. Services Public toilets, showers and foot-washes, parking, bike racks and a public address system. In 2026 there were lifeguards and an assisted bathing service for people with reduced mobility from 6 June to 27 September. In the beach car park there are two spaces with a 22 kW charging point for electric cars. Parking From 1 June to 30 September the blue zone operates on the streets of Comillas, every day, public holidays included, from 10:00 to 20:00. You pay in cash, by card or with the EasyPark app, and the service office is in the beach car park. Outside those dates there is no blue zone. There is another pair of charging points in the public car park on Paseo de Solatorre. Fishing and shellfish gathering As well as fishing, the traditional gathering of caloca, a seaweed that washes up on Cantabrian beaches and is collected by residents of Comillas and nearby municipalities, continues on this coast. Shellfish gathering is regulated so as not to deplete the resource: find out before taking anything from the rocks. Worth knowing The rules about dogs are not published on the beach's listing: ask at the tourist office. Check the Cantabria Ports tide table before going down; the town council links to it from its website. How to combine it On the beach promenade are the Hotel Joseín, with direct access to the sand, and the Comillas campsite. To eat looking at the harbour, the Hotel Joseín restaurant, open from Easter to October. Up in the village are Gaudí's El Capricho and the Sobrellano palace, a short walk away. If you want a bigger, wilder stretch of sand, Oyambre beach is past the Rabia estuary. - **Oyambre Beach and Dunes** (3 h · All ages · Free): What it is West of Comillas, past the Rabia estuary, Oyambre begins, already in the municipality of Valdáliga: a long, open stretch of golden sand, about 1,800 metres long and 40 wide according to the Turespaña listing, with a sand spit and dunes that the Comillas tourist office singles out as a point of geomorphological interest. It is the district's big beach and is almost undeveloped. The natural park The beach is part of the Oyambre Natural Park, declared by the Parliament of Cantabria in Law 4/1988, which brings together coast, cliffs, beaches, dunes, estuaries and marshes between Comillas and San Vicente de la Barquera. The Rabia estuary, sheltered from the sea by the sandbank, has marsh vegetation and groves of alders, hazels and willows. According to the Comillas town council, seventeen species of bird use its waters to feed and rest in winter, among them the mallard, the teal and the great cormorant. Near the village of La Rabia there is a bird observatory. The name of the village and the estuary comes, according to the town council, from the stretches of river with particular force in their current. The sand spit and the dunes are easily seen from within Comillas itself, and the tourist office cites them alongside the fault at Punta del Miradorio, in Ruiloba, as the two points of greatest geomorphological interest in the surroundings. Services Turespaña lists toilets, showers, foot-washes, bins, a cleaning service and a tourist information point, as well as restaurants and ice-cream parlours. Next to the beach there is a golf course. We have not found the lifeguard calendar for Valdáliga published for this beach: ask at the tourist office before bathing with children. Getting there By car, along the coast road, the CA-131, towards San Vicente de la Barquera, crossing the Rabia estuary. From Comillas, the town council also proposes a route along the cycle path to the Rabia estuary, which runs along the village's coastline; it is a good way of getting there without a car in summer. Worth knowing It is a stretch of sand open to the Cantabrian swell: swim only where there are lifeguards and respect the flags. The dunes are fragile: do not walk on them off the paths. It is good for walking all year round. The rules on dogs are not published in the sources we have consulted: ask before taking one onto the sand. How to combine it To spend the day, Comillas beach and the harbour are a few minutes away by car, and in the village are Gaudí's El Capricho and the Sobrellano palace. If you want to eat with a sea view, the El Remedio restaurant, in Ruiloba, is on the other side of Comillas, above the cliffs. ## Dónde comer - **El Remedio Restaurant** (Restaurant, Ruiloba, €€€). Qué pedir: something from the nibbling section to share, the roast scallop or the off-menu fish of the day, and the Ruiloba lemon tart - **Gurea Restaurant** (Restaurant, Comillas, €€). Qué pedir: a board of Iberian meats or cheeses to start and a spoon-dish stew - **Hotel Joseín Restaurant and Café** (Restaurant, Comillas, €€). Qué pedir: fish of the day with a view of the beach; the terrace, for a long coffee ## By car: By car, parking at the entrance Comillas is small and explored on foot, but to get there, for Oyambre and for Santillana you need the car. El Capricho has no car park: leave the car in one of the public ones and walk. Presupuesto orientativo: 70–130 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir if you're driving - **Hotel Joseín** (Hotel): On the sand itself The Joseín is one of the few hotels on the Cantabrian coast on the beachfront: you walk out of the door and you are on the sand of Comillas beach. It opened in 1967 and is run by the founding family's second generation. It is on Paseo Manuel Noriega, 35, between the harbour and the centre, which you walk up to in ten minutes. The rooms All have two beds and almost all look straight at the sea, spread over three floors: First floor: ten rooms, the closest to the sand, for up to three people. Second floor: nine rooms, higher up and with a wider view of the beach, also for three. Third floor: eight superior rooms with a sea-view bay window. There are also some specific rooms with another view, such as 209 and 309, which look onto the cliff and the Portillo cove, and 103, with a partial sea view. They have free wifi and satellite television. The website does not publish sizes or rates: it says the best price is on its direct booking, which includes breakfast. Services and conditions The hotel has a traditional-cooking restaurant, mainly fish and shellfish, with a dining room and terrace above the beach, and a café with a terrace open also to non-guests. The conditions it publishes, VAT included: Pets: dogs and cats, €10 per animal per night. Parking: €15 a day, with limited spaces: book it with the room. Beach towels: €10 per towel, at reception. Who it is for It is the hotel for a beach summer in Comillas without taking the car: with small children, being able to go down to the sand and come back to the room mid-morning is an advantage. Also for couples who want to wake up with the sea in front of them; for them, the third-floor rooms with a bay window. It is open six months of the year, from Easter to October, and for July and August it is wise to book in advance. What is nearby On foot you have the harbour, the centre and, up the hill, Gaudí's El Capricho, the Sobrellano Palace and the Seminario Mayor. By car, in five minutes, Oyambre beach, more open. The tourist office gives information on visits and hours. - **Hotel Solatorre** (Small hotel): A quiet hotel below the Seminary The Solatorre is on Paseo de Solatorre, beneath the former Pontifical University, the Seminario Mayor building, in a setting of trees ten minutes' walk from the centre of Comillas and the beach. It is a family, budget hotel, decorated in the traditional rural style of Cantabria. The Camino del Norte passes in front of the door, and that is why it is a stop for many pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago, to whom the hotel offers accommodation. The rooms All are exterior, with a window, and some have a private balcony. There are doubles and family rooms for four people, all with a private bathroom, with a bath or shower; most have been recently refurbished. The website does not publish how many rooms there are or their sizes. Note the access: the new reception is at the level of the car park and there is a lift from the main entrance to the first floor, but the second and third floors can only be reached by stairs. If you are travelling with someone with reduced mobility or with a lot of luggage, ask for the ground or first floor when you book. Breakfast and café The café has been completely renovated. Breakfast is served according to the season and occupancy, normally from 9:00 to 11:00, and is offered mainly on direct bookings by groups or of several rooms, which can ask for another time in advance. It does not publish its price: ask when you book whether it will be available on your dates. Parking and getting around It has private, free outdoor parking for customers, and a private, free garage for bicycles, useful for pilgrims and cycle tourists. From here you walk to the centre, to Gaudí's El Capricho and to the Sobrellano Palace. By car, Oyambre beach and its natural park are about five minutes away, and the hotel also suggests excursions to San Vicente de la Barquera, Santillana del Mar, Cabárceno and the El Soplao cave. Who it is for It suits families looking for a room for four with parking without paying front-line prices, pilgrims on the Camino del Norte and anyone who wants to sleep in Comillas but away from the noise of the centre in summer. It advertises promotions for stays of more than two nights and offers for groups and families; prices are not on the website. Booking On 942 722 480, at hotelsolatorre@gmail.com or from the form on its website. For eating, in the centre you have Restaurante Gurea and El Remedio. - **Comillas Campsite** (Campsite): Sleeping at the beach Camping de Comillas has operated since 1966 on Calle Manuel Noriega, the one on the Comillas beach promenade, on what used to be a cattle meadow. There are pitches beside the sea and others in the shade of the trees, sheltered from the midday sun and the north-east wind, among vines and garden. From here you walk to the sand, the harbour and the centre, without taking the car for your whole holiday. The pitches It has 310 pitches of 60 m², accessible to large vehicles, spread across six areas: a high one beside the sea viewpoint, another wooded and quiet, a spacious one beside the washrooms, another sheltered behind the wall, the central one next to the house and the shop, and the front-line one with sea views. It has no bungalows or mobile homes: it is a campsite for tents, caravans and motorhomes. Its website offers a pitch map to download. The services it publishes are electricity, hot showers, washing machines and dryers, wifi and security. There is a traditional bar with a terrace and a small supermarket with bread, fruit, water and drinks. According to its conditions, the supermarket opens at the end of June and the bar and night watch operate in July and August. 2026 prices The website publishes its rates for the 2026 season, from 25 May to 4 October, VAT included: ItemMay–June and September–OctoberJuly–August Pitch€18€19 Front-line pitch€20€23 Half pitch (motorbike, bike or pilgrim)€12€13 Adult€12€13 Child aged 10 to 13€9€9 Child aged 4 to 9€6€6 Electricity€6.50€7 Under-4s and dogs do not pay. Front-line pitches require a minimum booking of five days. Rules Arrival is from 10:00 to 21:30 if there is a free pitch, and the day runs from 12:00 to 12:00. Six people fit on a pitch and four on a half pitch. One pet per pitch is admitted, up to 25 kg, with a vaccination card, on a lead and not of breeds considered dangerous. Minors without their parents or guardians are not admitted, and anyone arriving without a vehicle must bring a tent and ID. From 13 to 19 July 2026 it reserves part of the campsite for families, with no groups. Booking By telephone, on 942 720 074 or 659 293 834, or at info@campingcomillas.com. From the campsite you walk up to Gaudí's El Capricho and the Sobrellano Palace, and by car you reach Oyambre beach in minutes. ### Servicios - **Comillas Tourist Office**: Information, monument hours and guided visits · Plaza Joaquín del Piélago ## As a family: A Gaudí house, two palaces and a beach Comillas is good with children because everything is close: El Capricho, Sobrellano and the beach can be done on foot in a day. ### What works best El Capricho: free up to age 6 and a family visit with a workshop for ages 6 to 10 The Sobrellano palace, €5 for ages 4 to 12 Comillas beach, with lifeguards in summer Oyambre, for running along the sand ### Where to sleep Hotel Solatorre, with rooms for four Comillas campsite, in summer ### Where to eat Gurea, in the centre, with gluten-free options ### Worth knowing The attics at El Capricho are reached by a spiral staircase: no pushchairs Sobrellano closes on Mondays ### Qué hacer as a family - Gaudí's El Capricho - Sobrellano Palace - Seminario Mayor, the Former Pontifical University - Comillas Beach and the Harbour - Oyambre Beach and Dunes ## With teenagers: The Gaudí you don't see in Barcelona For teenagers, the guided visit to El Capricho has light and sound effects that surprise, and the rest of the day can be at the beach. ### What works best Guided visit to El Capricho, €8 for ages 13 to 18 The Seminario Mayor, with its open grounds Oyambre, a stretch of sand open to the Cantabrian Sea ### Where to sleep Hotel Joseín, right on the beach ### Where to eat Portions and Iberian cured meats at Gurea ### Worth knowing With swell, swim only in the supervised area ### Qué hacer with teenagers - Gaudí's El Capricho - Sobrellano Palace - Seminario Mayor, the Former Pontifical University - Oyambre Beach and Dunes ## With young children: Sunflowers, sand and a stroll With small children, Comillas is a day of a storybook house in the morning and the beach in the afternoon. ### What works best El Capricho: free up to age 6 and a children's leaflet to tour it playing Comillas beach, with toilets, showers and lifeguards in summer Oyambre, wide and open ### Where to sleep Hotel Joseín or the campsite, at the beach ### Where to eat The Joseín café, with a terrace ### Worth knowing A baby carrier is better than a pushchair at El Capricho ### Qué hacer with young children - Gaudí's El Capricho - Comillas Beach and the Harbour - Oyambre Beach and Dunes ## Consejos ### Book the guided tour of El Capricho Capacity is limited, especially in summer and on bank-holiday weekends. ### Combine Sobrellano and the Seminario With online tickets, leave 90–120 minutes between one visit and the other. ### Park and leave the car Everything in the village is done on foot. ### Check the month's opening hours The tourist office publishes the monuments' hours every month. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How much does Gaudí's El Capricho cost? €7 for the independent visit and €10 for the guided one, for adults. Under-7s, free. ### Is there parking at El Capricho? No. Use the public car parks in Comillas. ### Can you go with a dog? In the gardens of El Capricho, yes, but not inside the house. The Hotel Joseín accepts pets for €10 a night. ### How long does it take from Santander? About 45 minutes by car. ### Which day is the Sobrellano palace closed? Mondays. ### Is it worth it with children? Yes. El Capricho has a family tour with a workshop for children aged 6 to 10, and the beach is a step away.