Santillana del Mar Travel Guide

Tourist Guide
Santillana del Mar
Breathe in more than 22,000 years of history by exploring the beautiful cobbled streets of Santillana del Mar.

Discover one of Cantabria's best kept secrets with a pleasant holiday in Santillana del Mar. In the surrounding area, you'll find the cave of Altamira, declared a World Heritage Site and home of one of the most famous cave paintings in the world.

The cave of Altamira has made this municipality an essential destination, especially for ardent history lovers. Be captivated by this historical landmark, which tells the history of Humanity from 22,000 years ago thanks to the paintings and etchings that decorate the cold rock of the cave.

Known as the “town of the three lies” in Spanish, as it isn't sacred (santa), it isn't flat (llana) and it doesn't have any sea (mar), Santillana del Mar offers a great many other places of interest, such as its old town, which is well worth a visit. Choose one of our cheap trips to Santillana del Mar, and discover its famous buildings: admire Torre del Merino or Torre de Don Borja, two of the town's oldest towers find other hidden treasures in its charming streets, such as Palacio Valdivieso or Palacio de Velarde, and check out the collegiate church of Santa Juliana, an old monastery that houses a famous chartulary and dates back to the 12th century.

Thanks to package holidays to Santillana del Mar, you can enjoy the region's specialities, such as tableta con leche and sobao sponge cakes or quesada puddings What's more, you can go on day-trips outside the municipality, as Santander is only 18 miles away and it is only 40 miles to get to the Picos de Europe mountain range.

Santillana del Mar's climate is rather damp, so don't rule out showers, but you needn't worry about the weather: the temperature is usually pleasant, with an average annual temperature of 14°C.

What are you waiting for? Book your flight + hotel to Santillana del Mar to discover one of the towns with the greatest historical value in Spain.

Posada La Casa del Organista
Posada La Casa del Organista
3.5 out of 5
Calle de los Hornos, 4, Santillana del Mar, Cantabria
The price is £62 per night from 20 Jun to 21 Jun
£62
per night
20 Jun - 21 Jun
Stay at this 3.5-star hotel in Santillana del Mar. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, free parking and breakfast (surcharge). Our guests praise the breakfast and the helpful ...
9.8/10 Exceptional! (144 reviews)
"Beautiful hotel, very clean, and the people on the front desk very helpful."

Reviewed on 25 May 2024

Posada La Casa del Organista
Hotel Casa del Marqués
Hotel Casa del Marqués
5 out of 5
Calle del Cantón, 26, Santillana del Mar, Cantabria
The price is £103 per night from 23 Jun to 24 Jun
£103
per night
23 Jun - 24 Jun
Stay at this 5-star luxury hotel in Santillana del Mar. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, breakfast (surcharge) and 24-hour room service. Popular attractions Museum of the Inquisition ...
9.6/10 Exceptional! (264 reviews)
"Beautiful property and village. Wonderful service!"

Reviewed on 22 May 2024

Hotel Casa del Marqués
Parador De Santillana De Gil Blas
Parador De Santillana De Gil Blas
4 out of 5
Plaza Ramon Pelayo 11, Santillana del Mar, Cantabria
The price is £99 per night from 20 Jun to 21 Jun
£99
per night
20 Jun - 21 Jun
Stay at this 4-star historic hotel in Santillana del Mar. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, breakfast (surcharge) and room service. Popular attractions Torre de Don Borja and ...
9/10 Wonderful! (125 reviews)
"I loved my short stay, and hopefully will have a longer stay here soon!"

Reviewed on 15 Apr 2024

Parador De Santillana De Gil Blas
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
Apartamentos Estela de Altamira
Apartamentos Estela de Altamira
3 out of 5
Avda del Zoo s/n, Santillana del Mar
Stay at this 3-star aparthotel in Santillana del Mar. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, an outdoor pool and a fitness centre. Popular attractions Santillana del Mar Zoo and ...
9.6/10 Exceptional! (19 reviews)
Tranquil and comfortable stay
"The apartment is very nice, bright and modern. It is very clean, spacious and comfortable. Beds are very comfortable which is important when you are traveling. The apartment is walking distance to to restaurants and shops. Ruben, is very nice and helpful. Definitely will recommend staying here."

Reviewed on 12 Oct 2023

Apartamentos Estela de Altamira
House with pool and games room in Santillana del Mar
House with pool and games room in Santillana del Mar
Santillana del Mar, Viveda, Cantabria
Stay at this ski villa in Santillana del Mar. Enjoy private pools, a water park and a garden. Popular attractions Santillana del Mar Zoo and Collegiate Church ...
9.4/10 Exceptional! (46 reviews)
Great hosts and nice pool
"The hosts were fantastic, they responded to queries quickly and were really helpful. They also gave us produce from their garden including delicious green peppers and tomatoes. The house itself needs some updating, but it was very clean and had everything we needed for our stay. The pool was perfect ..."

Reviewed on 15 Aug 2023

House with pool and games room in Santillana del Mar
Alterhome Ubiarco - Perfect bungalow in the middle of nature and close to the sea
Alterhome Ubiarco - Perfect bungalow in the middle of nature and close to the sea
Santillana del Mar
Stay at this holiday home in Santillana del Mar. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, a garden and patios. Popular attractions Calle de Santo Domingo and Regina Coeli Diocesan ...
9.2/10 Wonderful! (5 reviews)
Un viaje por el norte
"Es una casita muy bonita, en un sitio muy tranquilo y lleno de naturaleza. Nos a encantado pasar estos dias alojados alli. Todo estaba muy limpio y correcto"

Reviewed on 31 Aug 2023

Alterhome Ubiarco - Perfect bungalow in the middle of nature and close to the sea
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Popular places to visit

Things to do

Reviews of Santillana del Mar

4.7
Top destination
5 - Excellent
6
" "5 - Excellent 66.66666666666667%
4 - Good
3
" "4 - Good 33.333333333333336%
3 - Okay
0
" "3 - Okay 0%
2 - Disappointing
0
" "2 - Disappointing 0%
1 - Terrible
0
" "1 - Terrible 0%

4/5 - Good

Verified traveller
15 Oct 2019

Quaint, small place. Stay there and use as a base for a couple of nights to see the surrounding area

4/5 - Good

Verified traveller
17 Sep 2019

Nice place to spend an afternoon and overnight on your way to Asturias.

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller
2 Aug 2019

We joined the excellent free tour of the village offered through the hotel - great guide, really enjoyable and interesting.

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller
26 Jun 2019

Beautiful historic town with plenty of restaurants and bars. You can access hotels and hotel car parks in your car but only with great care as the streets are cobbled, some corners tight and the town can be busy with lots of pedestrians.

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller
11 Jun 2019

Lovely traditional town with plenty to do and great places to eat

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller
30 May 2019

Visit the Altamira cave museum

Cities near Santillana del Mar