# Santa Justa beach and its hermitage in the rock What to do en Santillana del Mar and Altamira · Santillana del Mar and Altamira Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/cantabria/santillana-del-mar/things-to-do/santa-justa-beach · Revisado: 2026-11-12 - Duración: 2 h - Temporada: Best from June to September; the rest of the year, for walking - Para quién: All ages Beach · 2 h · Small cove at Ubiarco, 10 minutes from the town · Hermitage wedged into the cliff · End of the By the Sea of Santillana route What it is The beach of the municipality of Santillana del Mar: a small cove at Ubiarco, hemmed in by cliffs, with a hermitage set into the rock wall above the sand. The Cantabrian Government's leaflet of driving routes explains that the beach takes its name from that hermitage, dedicated to Saint Justa and wedged into the cliff rocks. Ubiarco belongs to the municipality of Santillana del Mar, and this cove is its outlet to the sea, a few kilometres from the town. It is the lowest point of the municipality's signposted routes, at zero metres, at the end of the By the Sea of Santillana route. Santa Justa is part of the coast that UNESCO declared in April 2025 the Costa Quebrada World Geopark: a shoreline of sedimentary rocks that the tectonic movements of the last 120 million years lifted from the sea floor and that wind and water have carved into cliffs and coves. How to get there By car from the town, along the Ubiarco road, about ten minutes, between meadows and with the sea getting closer. If you come from Suances, the CA-351 passes through Tagle and reaches Ubiarco. The car park is small: in summer it fills early. On foot, the By the Sea of Santillana route runs down from the municipality to the beach; the municipal routes and trails leaflet rates it as an easy walk, on wide, signposted paths, and asks for care on the stretches that cross roads, walking on the left and on the verge. When For swimming, June to September, when the water is less cold; the rest of the year, for walking and seeing the hermitage with the sea behind it. At high tide the sand almost disappears, so check the tide table and go at low tide if you want to be on the beach. In a heavy swell, the waves can reach the foot of the cliff: then look at the hermitage from above and do not go down onto the rocks. Worth knowing We have not found the beach's facilities, lifeguard cover or rules on dogs published: ask at the Santillana tourist office, at calle Jesús Otero 20, on 942 818 251. As there are no published facilities, bring water and whatever you will need, and take your rubbish with you: it is a small cove and it shows. What to combine From the beach, head up to the town for the walk through Santillana and the Collegiate Church of Santa Juliana. If you are with children, combine the beach with a morning at the zoo, or with the Altamira Museum and its neocave if the day turns grey. In Santillana the afternoon snack is milk with sponge cake, and there are always sobaos and quesada. ## Cómo llegar y contacto - Coordenadas: 43.4176, -4.0867 ## Cerca de aquí - [Collegiate Church of Santa Juliana and its cloister](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/cantabria/santillana-del-mar/things-to-do/santa-juliana-collegiate), a 3.2 km - [Sidrería Casa Miguel](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/cantabria/santillana-del-mar/where-to-eat/sidreria-casa-miguel), a 3.2 km - [Parador de Santillana Gil Blas](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/cantabria/santillana-del-mar/where-to-stay/parador-de-santillana-gil-blas), a 3.3 km - [Restaurant at the Parador de Santillana Gil Blas](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/cantabria/santillana-del-mar/where-to-eat/parador-gil-blas-restaurant), a 3.3 km - [Hotel Altamira](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/cantabria/santillana-del-mar/where-to-stay/hotel-altamira), a 3.4 km - [Hotel Altamira restaurant](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/cantabria/santillana-del-mar/where-to-eat/hotel-altamira-restaurant), a 3.4 km - [A walk through the town of Santillana del Mar](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/cantabria/santillana-del-mar/things-to-do/santillana-old-town-walk), a 3.4 km - [Celina Bonita](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/cantabria/santillana-del-mar/where-to-eat/celina-bonita), a 3.5 km Destino: [Santillana del Mar and Altamira](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/cantabria/santillana-del-mar.md)