# A coast-and-cave Sunday: the Liencres coves, the dunes and the Altamira Neocave

La Arnía cove and the pinewood of the Liencres dunes in the morning, lunch in the village of Santillana and the Altamira Neocave, free on Sundays. A quarter of an hour from Santander.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/cantabria/liencres-and-costa-quebrada/itineraries/coves-dunes-and-altamira-neocave · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## El día
- 09:30 · Salida: 15 min by car (via the A-67, exit 7, and the CA-203)
- 09:45 · La Arnía Beach and the Costa Quebrada Cliffs (at low tide; shoes with good grip)
  - 6 min by car, 4 km
- 11:15 · Walk Through the Dunas de Liencres Natural Park (park at Valdearenas; do not leave the paths)
  - 15 min by car, 17 km
- 13:30 · Celina Bonita, en Santillana del Mar and Altamira (Cantabrian cooking · Sunday 13:30 to 16:00; booking) · Celina Bonita, €€€
  - 5 min by car, 2 km
- 16:00 · Altamira Museum and the Neocave, en Santillana del Mar and Altamira (free on Sunday; tickets at the box office, first come first served)
- 18:00 · Vuelta (in Santander around 18:30)

A short, cheap Sunday a quarter of an hour from Santander: the broken coast of Liencres at low tide, the pinewood above the dunes as far as the Pas estuary, lunch in the stone village of Santillana and, for dessert, the replica of the cave of the bison, which on Sundays costs nothing.

## The day, hour by hour

9:45 · La Arnía. The cove that sums up the Costa Quebrada: marls with fossils, the abrasion platform and the islets. Go at low tide and wear shoes with grip.

11:15 · The dunes. From the Valdearenas car park, along the paths of the Natural Park pinewood to the beach and El Puntal, facing Mogro.

13:30 · Lunch in Santillana. Celina Bonita, in the village, opens on Sunday from 13:30 to 16:00. Book.

16:00 · Altamira Neocave. The museum is free on Sundays; tickets are given out at the ticket office in order of arrival.

## Cómo llegar

### By car
Liencres is fifteen minutes from Santander on the A-67; from there to Santillana, about twenty. From Bilbao, an hour and twenty-five minutes to Liencres on the A-8.

## Consejos

### Check the tide
At high tide, La Arnía almost disappears: change the order and do the dunes first.

### Arrive early at Altamira
The free Sunday tickets run out.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How much does this Sunday cost?
Whatever you eat: La Arnía, the dunes and the Neocave on Sunday are free.

### Can you go with a dog?
The council does not publish the natural park's rule: ask at the Liencres tourist office.

### What if it rains?
Start with the Neocave and leave the coast for when it clears.