# A weekend in Santillana del Mar and Comillas, half an hour from Santander Two nights in the stone town of Santillana to see the Altamira Neocave and the collegiate church, and a day in Comillas among Gaudí's El Capricho, Sobrellano and Oyambre. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/cantabria/santillana-del-mar/itineraries/santillana-del-mar-comillas-altamira-weekend · Revisado: 2026-11-12 Dónde: Santillana del Mar and Altamira Santillana del Mar and Comillas are twenty minutes from each other and half an hour from Santander. Together they make the best short weekend in Cantabria: a pedestrian medieval town to sleep in and stroll at night, the Altamira Neocave, free on Sunday, and in Comillas the summer house Gaudí designed, the marquis's palace and the Oyambre sands. ## When to go? All year: El Capricho is open daily except Christmas and Epiphany, and Altamira, Tuesday to Sunday. In spring and autumn the towns are quiet; in July and August, do Santillana early. The Altamira Museum is free on Saturday from 14:00 and on Sunday. WhatHow muchNote Altamira Neocave and Museum€3Free Saturday afternoon and Sunday Gaudí's El Capricho€7 self-guided, €10 guidedUnder-7s free Palacio de Sobrellano€7Guided only; closed on Mondays Collegiate church, town, Oyambre—Confirm the collegiate church's hours ## Where to sleep? Inside the town, so you don't have to take the car again: the Parador Gil Blas, in a Baroque manor house on the main square; the Hotel Altamira, in a 16th-century manor house on the Cantón, with rooms for families; or the Posada La Casa del Organista, an 18th-century manor house with parking, from €54 a night. ## With children The Santillana zoo is a good substitute for Sobrellano with small children, and in summer Comillas beach has lifeguards. El Capricho has a family visit with a workshop for ages 6 to 10. ## El plan ### Friday · 19:30 · Arrival in Santillana Park at the entrance to the town and stroll at night through Plaza de Ramón Pelayo and Calle del Río, with no visitors by now. Sleep at the Hotel Altamira, on the Cantón, or at the Posada La Casa del Organista. ### Saturday · 10:00 · Gaudí's El Capricho In Comillas, twenty minutes away. A 45-minute guided visit, €10. Book. ### Saturday · 11:30 · Palacio de Sobrellano A few steps away, with a guide, €7. ### Saturday · 13:45 · Lunch at El Remedio In Ruiloba, above the cliffs, on the way back. Cooking with seasonal produce. Book. ### Saturday · 17:00 · Oyambre A walk along the sands and dunes before returning to Santillana. ### Sunday · 9:30 · Altamira Neocave, free Arrive at opening: free tickets are given out at the ticket office on a first-come basis. ### Sunday · 12:30 · Collegiate church and lunch in the town The Collegiate Church of Santa Juliana and its cloister, and lunch at Celina Bonita, open on Sunday from 13:30 to 16:00. ## Un consejo más Book the whole of Saturday before you leave: the guided El Capricho, Sobrellano and El Remedio fill up at weekends. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How long does it take from Bilbao? An hour and three quarters on the A-8. ### Can I enter the original Altamira cave? No: you visit the Neocave, an exact replica. ### Where is it better to sleep, in Santillana or Comillas? In Santillana, inside the town: at night it is empty and Comillas is twenty minutes away. ### Can I bring a dog? Around the towns and the El Capricho gardens, yes, on a lead. The Hotel Joseín, in Comillas, admits pets in season. ## Dónde dormir if you're driving - **Parador de Santillana Gil Blas**: The Barreda-Bracho house, on Plaza de Ramón Pelayo The Parador Gil Blas occupies the former Barreda-Bracho house, a 17th-century Baroque mansion built in the manner of the homes of the mountain gentry. It is in the lower part of the Plaza de Ramón Pelayo, Santillana's main square, beside the Torre del Merino and opposite the town hall. A more recent building was added to the old one, and the two form the hotel. The name comes from Gil Blas of Santillana, the rogue in Lesage's novel. Sleeping here means being inside the pedestrian old town: you step out of the door onto the square and walk down to the collegiate church of Santa Juliana in about five minutes, along the streets of El Cantón and El Río. Wooden floors and fireplaces The rooms have wooden floors and decoration in the Cantabrian mountain style, and some, a few, have a fireplace. The house also has terraces and lounges to stay indoors on rainy days. Paradores does not detail on that page how many rooms of each type there are or what price each has: compare it in its booking engine by date. A word of caution when booking: Paradores has another establishment in the town, the Parador de Santillana del Mar. Check that you choose the Gil Blas if it is the mansion you are after. Driving to a car-free old town Santillana is 24 km from Santander. From the road that runs from Santander to Comillas, a cobbled street of about a hundred metres leads to the parador. The parking is outdoors and paid; ask the price when you book. Without a car, there are La Cantábrica buses from Santander and Torrelavega. Eating without going out The parador's restaurant cooks Cantabrian recipes: cocido montañés, rabas, Santoña anchovies and quesada pasiega. It is also open to those not staying. For something more informal, the Sidrería Casa Miguel is on Calle del Río, on the way to the collegiate church. Bookings at Paradores Book on the Paradores website, on 942 028 028 or at santillanagb@parador.es. - **Hotel Altamira**: A manor house on calle del Cantón The Hotel Altamira is in the very centre of the medieval town, at number 1 calle del Cantón, the shopping street that links Plaza de Ramón Pelayo with calle del Río and the collegiate church. It occupies a 16th-century Cantabrian manor house that belonged to Juan de Valdivielso, Santillana's notary. It is a hotel with a family feel, which presents itself as stately and quiet, and whose staff help organise your stay and excursions. The rooms There are 32, rural in style, with private bathroom and television. The website distinguishes five types: Double and double for single use, rural in style. Triple, with three single beds and a flat-screen television. Quadruple and family, on the third floor: a double bed and a small sitting room with two beds, separated by a door. They are the option for families with children. The website does not publish prices or sizes, or whether there is a lift to the third floor: ask when booking if you are travelling with lots of luggage or with older people. Eating and parking The hotel has a restaurant with set menu and à la carte of regional produce and dishes, in the dining room or on the terrace. Santillana's old town is pedestrianised: the car is left in the car parks at the entrance, and the nearest is 200 metres from the hotel. If you arrive without a car, La Cantábrica has buses from Santander and Torrelavega. Who it is for It suits those who want to sleep inside the town and walk it first thing or in the late afternoon, when it empties of visitors. The family rooms on the third floor make it practical for families. For couples looking for something smaller and tucked away, the Posada La Casa del Organista is on a quieter street; for a Baroque manor house on the square, there is the Parador Gil Blas. What is nearby On foot, the whole walk through the town and the collegiate church. According to the hotel, the Altamira Museum and the Neocave are 4 km away, the Santillana zoo 3 km, Comillas 17 km and the El Soplao cave 44 km. The nearest beaches it mentions are Los Locos, in Suances, 10 km away, and Luaña, in Cóbreces, 13; another option is Santa Justa beach. Bookings on 942 818 025 or on its website. - **Posada La Casa del Organista**, desde 54 € / night: The organist's house This 18th-century mountain manor house was for sixty years the home of the collegiate church's organist. Stonemasons and carpenters restored it to turn it into an inn, and today it presents itself as a small charming hotel. It is inside the town, at number 4 calle Los Hornos, a quiet street a few minutes' walk from Plaza de Ramón Pelayo. The façade is of stone, with a wooden gallery, and the terrace looks over the countryside surrounding Santillana. The rooms and the house Each room is different: the inn insists that no two are alike. All have a full bathroom with hairdryer and toiletries, heating and wifi. The website does not publish how many there are or their types, so if you are travelling as a family or need separate beds, say so when you book. The house has breakfast and room service, a bar-café, a terrace and its own parking; elsewhere in the town the car stays outside the old town, in the public car parks at the entrance. It does not publish breakfast hours or price, check-in and check-out times, or whether it accepts pets: ask beforehand. Price The website advertises rooms from €54 a night. The real price depends on the dates and the room, and can be seen in its booking engine, which the inn presents as the best price. The offers shown on the rates page are from past seasons, so do not count on them; ask whether any is currently valid. Through an external platform it also sells electric bicycle routes that leave from the inn. Who it is for It suits couples and travellers who want to sleep inside Santillana, in a house with history, away from the bustle of the main street. Arriving by car is easy because it has parking; without a car, La Cantábrica has buses from Santander and Torrelavega. If you are looking for family rooms with two spaces, see the Hotel Altamira; for a Baroque manor house on the square, the Parador Gil Blas. What is nearby On foot, the walk through the town and the collegiate church. By car or bike, the Altamira Museum and the Neocave, the Santillana zoo and Santa Justa beach. For eating, in the old town you have the Sidrería Casa Miguel or the Parador restaurant. The inn's blog publishes plans and activities from the Altamira Museum for families each season. Bookings on 942 840 352, at susanainfo@posadacasadelorganista.com or on its website. ## Dónde dormir without a car - **Parador de Santillana Gil Blas**: The Barreda-Bracho house, on Plaza de Ramón Pelayo The Parador Gil Blas occupies the former Barreda-Bracho house, a 17th-century Baroque mansion built in the manner of the homes of the mountain gentry. It is in the lower part of the Plaza de Ramón Pelayo, Santillana's main square, beside the Torre del Merino and opposite the town hall. A more recent building was added to the old one, and the two form the hotel. The name comes from Gil Blas of Santillana, the rogue in Lesage's novel. Sleeping here means being inside the pedestrian old town: you step out of the door onto the square and walk down to the collegiate church of Santa Juliana in about five minutes, along the streets of El Cantón and El Río. Wooden floors and fireplaces The rooms have wooden floors and decoration in the Cantabrian mountain style, and some, a few, have a fireplace. The house also has terraces and lounges to stay indoors on rainy days. Paradores does not detail on that page how many rooms of each type there are or what price each has: compare it in its booking engine by date. A word of caution when booking: Paradores has another establishment in the town, the Parador de Santillana del Mar. Check that you choose the Gil Blas if it is the mansion you are after. Driving to a car-free old town Santillana is 24 km from Santander. From the road that runs from Santander to Comillas, a cobbled street of about a hundred metres leads to the parador. The parking is outdoors and paid; ask the price when you book. Without a car, there are La Cantábrica buses from Santander and Torrelavega. Eating without going out The parador's restaurant cooks Cantabrian recipes: cocido montañés, rabas, Santoña anchovies and quesada pasiega. It is also open to those not staying. For something more informal, the Sidrería Casa Miguel is on Calle del Río, on the way to the collegiate church. Bookings at Paradores Book on the Paradores website, on 942 028 028 or at santillanagb@parador.es. - **Hotel Altamira**: A manor house on calle del Cantón The Hotel Altamira is in the very centre of the medieval town, at number 1 calle del Cantón, the shopping street that links Plaza de Ramón Pelayo with calle del Río and the collegiate church. It occupies a 16th-century Cantabrian manor house that belonged to Juan de Valdivielso, Santillana's notary. It is a hotel with a family feel, which presents itself as stately and quiet, and whose staff help organise your stay and excursions. The rooms There are 32, rural in style, with private bathroom and television. The website distinguishes five types: Double and double for single use, rural in style. Triple, with three single beds and a flat-screen television. Quadruple and family, on the third floor: a double bed and a small sitting room with two beds, separated by a door. They are the option for families with children. The website does not publish prices or sizes, or whether there is a lift to the third floor: ask when booking if you are travelling with lots of luggage or with older people. Eating and parking The hotel has a restaurant with set menu and à la carte of regional produce and dishes, in the dining room or on the terrace. Santillana's old town is pedestrianised: the car is left in the car parks at the entrance, and the nearest is 200 metres from the hotel. If you arrive without a car, La Cantábrica has buses from Santander and Torrelavega. Who it is for It suits those who want to sleep inside the town and walk it first thing or in the late afternoon, when it empties of visitors. The family rooms on the third floor make it practical for families. For couples looking for something smaller and tucked away, the Posada La Casa del Organista is on a quieter street; for a Baroque manor house on the square, there is the Parador Gil Blas. What is nearby On foot, the whole walk through the town and the collegiate church. According to the hotel, the Altamira Museum and the Neocave are 4 km away, the Santillana zoo 3 km, Comillas 17 km and the El Soplao cave 44 km. The nearest beaches it mentions are Los Locos, in Suances, 10 km away, and Luaña, in Cóbreces, 13; another option is Santa Justa beach. Bookings on 942 818 025 or on its website. - **Posada La Casa del Organista**, desde 54 € / night: The organist's house This 18th-century mountain manor house was for sixty years the home of the collegiate church's organist. Stonemasons and carpenters restored it to turn it into an inn, and today it presents itself as a small charming hotel. It is inside the town, at number 4 calle Los Hornos, a quiet street a few minutes' walk from Plaza de Ramón Pelayo. The façade is of stone, with a wooden gallery, and the terrace looks over the countryside surrounding Santillana. The rooms and the house Each room is different: the inn insists that no two are alike. All have a full bathroom with hairdryer and toiletries, heating and wifi. The website does not publish how many there are or their types, so if you are travelling as a family or need separate beds, say so when you book. The house has breakfast and room service, a bar-café, a terrace and its own parking; elsewhere in the town the car stays outside the old town, in the public car parks at the entrance. It does not publish breakfast hours or price, check-in and check-out times, or whether it accepts pets: ask beforehand. Price The website advertises rooms from €54 a night. The real price depends on the dates and the room, and can be seen in its booking engine, which the inn presents as the best price. The offers shown on the rates page are from past seasons, so do not count on them; ask whether any is currently valid. Through an external platform it also sells electric bicycle routes that leave from the inn. Who it is for It suits couples and travellers who want to sleep inside Santillana, in a house with history, away from the bustle of the main street. Arriving by car is easy because it has parking; without a car, La Cantábrica has buses from Santander and Torrelavega. If you are looking for family rooms with two spaces, see the Hotel Altamira; for a Baroque manor house on the square, the Parador Gil Blas. What is nearby On foot, the walk through the town and the collegiate church. By car or bike, the Altamira Museum and the Neocave, the Santillana zoo and Santa Justa beach. For eating, in the old town you have the Sidrería Casa Miguel or the Parador restaurant. The inn's blog publishes plans and activities from the Altamira Museum for families each season. Bookings on 942 840 352, at susanainfo@posadacasadelorganista.com or on its website.