Guide to Santillana del Mar, near Santander

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Places in Spain - Santillana del Mar, near Santander, Cantabria

It was whilst staying in a hotel near Santander, awaiting a ferry to the UK when the hotel receptionist suggested we visit Santillana del Mar, some 15 minutes down the road. We are so pleased we went.

Santillana del Mar is a beautiful, historic village with so much to see. The tiny cobbled streets are lined with old stone buildings against the green backdrop of the Cantabrian hills.

Santilana

This unique place is on the main northern route for the Camino de Santiago so there are hundreds of small posadas (hostels) and there are always lots of pilgrims passing through. There are also some fine hotels.

There are numerous museums here including the unique "Museum of Torture".

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If you arrive in Santillana del Mar by car then don't park in the car park on your left as you enter the village. This belongs to the hotel and costs 2 euros. Proceed 100 metres further and turn right. Here you will find a huge car park that is free and with no time limit. The tourist office is near the entrance to the car park and although they don't give out much paperwork, they do have a street plan and a guide to Cantabria.

There are lots of places to eat and drink but shop around. It appears that tourists are charged more than pilgrims and locals.

The local area also has some prehistoric caves worthy of a visit. Pick up a guide from the tourist office.

Nearby is Santande, a cosmopolitan city with the continental ferry port - see our report here

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