Exploring España: Santillana del Mar

Having previously blogged about Santander and San Vicente de la Barquera, today I'm showcasing the final part of my trip – a visit to Santillana del Mar. I was in two minds about whether to go or not. On the one hand, it is billed as being "one of the prettiest towns in Spain", which sounded like something I'd want to see. On the other hand, its proximity to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Altamira meant that it would probably be crawling with tourists. In the end, prettiness won the day...

According to an old saying, Santillana del Mar is "The Town of the Three Lies", since it is neither saintly (santo), nor flat (llana), nor by the sea (mar). However, the saying is incorrect because the name does actually come from a saint, in this case Santa Juliana (Santa Illana), whose remains can be found in the former Benedictine monastery.

The historic town attracts countless visitors each year, most of whom use it as a point of access for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Altamira. Having made the decision to visit Santillana del Mar, I was in two minds as to whether to visit Altamira, namely because the original has been closed since 2002, and all that is on offer is the so-called neocave. Reviews on Trip Advisor would have you believe that the replica is as good as the original. From bitter experience, I can tell you that this is absolutely NOT true. In some ways I wish I had gone to El Castillo instead to get my cave fix, but that would have meant missing out on the beautiful Santillana del Mar...

Of course when I arrived into Santillana del Mar, I had no idea what the neocave would be like. And since I was within striking distance, it made sense to go. So I jumped off the bus and headed purposely towards the sign we'd just passed saying 'Altamira'. From there it was a 2 km (1.2 mile) uphill walk. However, the scenery more than made up for the disappointment of the destination.


The road to Altamira

Why do donkeys always look sad?

Watching the world go by...

Looking down on the village

Centaurea nigra, also known as Common Knapweed

Cantabrian countryside

Back in the town, I went in search of food. Guided only by my rumbling stomach rather than any tourist information, I opted for the first nice-looking place I came across – El Pasaje de los Nobles – where €13.50 (£10.70/US$17) got me THE BEST menú del día I have ever had in Spain.

My favourite restaurant in Spain

I chose ensalada de queso de cabra con vinagreta de miel (goat's cheese salad with a honey vinaigrette), followed by merluza rellena en salsa de puerros (stuffed hake in a leek sauce) and finally mousse de limón. I apologise for the poor quality photos – actually eating the food took priority over photographing it!

The goat's cheese salad

Perfect presentation

A zingy and refreshing lemon mousse

The food was so good, I would revisit the town just to eat there again. And yes I am aware that Santillana del Mar is 408.5 km (254 miles) away from Madrid. It really was THAT good. In fact, had I done nothing else in Santillana del Mar, that meal alone would have made the trip worthwhile. Despite this, I did manage to do a little wandering, or rolling as the case may have been.

One of the main streets



A little further down



Flowers in the window

A quaint stone-fronted bar

Stone lion outside the church

Entrance to La Colegiata de Santa Juliana de Santillana del Mar



Cute 'rooms' sign

More flower bedecked windows

The beautiful Plaza de Ramón Pelayo, also known as Plaza Mayor



A closer look at the flowery house

The 15th century Torre de Don Borja

Let there be love

There were only two buses back to Santander, one leaving at 16:00 and the other at 19:00. Getting the first would mean cutting my visit short, while the second would mean having too much time on my hands. In the end, I opted for the earlier one thinking it better to have one hour too short in the town than two hours too long. After all, I'd had some fantastic food and seen some lovely sights – it would be greedy to ask for more.

Exploring España: San Vicente de la Barquera

Following on from Monday's post on Santander, today I'm giving you a tour of the second part of that trip – a day in a Cantabrian fishing village. My decision to visit San Vicente de la Barquera was based on a single photo. After all, who wouldn't want to visit a picturesque village on the Cantabrian coast set against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains? But I never actually got to see that view...

I got up in plenty of time, but having inadvertently spent too long admiring the sea views on the 2.5 km (1.5 mile) walk into town, I ended up missing the 10:30 bus to San Vicente de la Barquera. No matter, I would buy tickets for the 12:15 Alsa service and then go have a coffee somewhere.

Seeing the long-ish queue, I opted to use the self-service machine. I chose my tickets, inserted a €10 note (£8/US$13) and waited. The machine swallowed the note and refused to spit out either the money or the tickets. I managed to get help from a member of staff – evidently this wasn't the first time the greedy machine had done this – and then, tickets in hand, went to wait for the bus. It turned up ridiculously late and by the time we reached San Vicente, the skies were looking decidedly grey.

Looking across the estuary to San Vicente de la Barquera

Despite the overcast day, I was determined to do some sightseeing. I had no map and I didn't know where the tourist information office was, but I figured that the town was probably too small to get lost in. So I just picked a likely looking street and went wandering. Before long I had reached an old stone arch, which I later learned was the gateway to La Puebla Vieja (the old town). To the left was Torre del Preboste, where taxes where levied in medieval times.

One of the original gateways to the town with Torre del Preboste on the left



Entering La Puebla Vieja



A splash of colour on a grey day

Just beyond this gate is Palacio del Corro (the Palace of Corro), a Renaissance palace built by the family of the inquisitor, Antonio del Corro (1471-1556) whose crests can still be seen on the façade. In the 16th century, the palace was used as a hospital for pilgrims en-route to Santiago de Compostela, and today it is home to the Town Hall.


The former pilgrims' hospital

The inquisitor's crest

Outside the palace were two signs. To the left was the church, and to the right, the castle. I opted for the church. On the short walk uphill I was rewarded with stunning views across the valley below.

Looking down on the valley



Echium vulgare, more commonly known as Viper's Bugloss or Blueweed

Sitting on top of the craggy outlook near the well-preserved remains of the medieval walls is La Iglesia de Santa María de los Ángeles, a Santander Gothic-style church with two Romanesque doors. Building work commenced in the 13th century but continued well into the following century. I walked all around the building and then went to explore the fortifications.


The mighty Iglesia de Santa María de los Ángeles

Well-preserved fortifications

Looking out towards the valley

The perfect picture frame

Stunning views across the valley

But it was the views that grabbed me. I spent quite a while just gazing out across the valley below and trying to capture what I was seeing. If I were an artist, I would paint scenes like those. But I'm not so I had to make do with my trusty-if-a-little-elderly Nikon D80. Having taken countless shots, I went to check out the church interior.

One of the Romanesque doors

The church interior

Looking back towards the organ

A simple shrine

I later learned that I had missed the church's key feature – the tomb of Antonio del Corro. This is where having some kind of tourist information comes in handy! Fortunately, thanks to the power of the world wide web, I can see what I missed out on.

The tomb of Corro (photo © unavueltadeldestino.wordpress.com)

The town's other famous site is that of El Puente de la Maza (the Maza Bridge), a bridge that was built in the 15th century during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs, King Fernando II (r. 1479-1516) and Queen Isabel I (r. 1479-1504). Over half a mile long and with 32 arches, the stone bridge stands on the site of a 6th century wooden bridge. It really is quite impressive...

View of the harbour looking towards El Puente de la Maza

Boats at low tide



Boat stuck in the mud

One last look at the mighty bridge

Exploring España: Santander

In 2014, having discovered a new-found love of Spain, I set about discovering more of the country. And as well as taking a few day trips from Madrid, I found myself enjoying weekend trips to Valencia, Andalucía and Galicia. For my final trip of the 2013/14 academic year, I went to Cantabria.

As the capital of the autonomous community of Cantabria, Santander is surprisingly small. It's really only known for its beautiful beaches, there being little else to do there. But, after a busy year, a quiet, seaside town was exactly what I was after. The town itself was fairly unremarkable, but I was mesmerised by the Bay of Santander and the breathtakingly beautiful beaches...


The Modernist style Palacete del Embarcadero, a former customs house dating from the early 20th century

Looking across the Bay of Santander

Boats on the bay

Los Raqueros – bronze statues of typical Santanderinos during the 19th and 20th century

Close up of one of the bronze figures

My wanderings took me past the marina and on to the first of the beaches, La Playa de los Peligros. Walking along the fringes, suitcase in tow, I reached the next one – La Playa de la Magdalena. With soft, white sand and expansive views across the Bay of Santander, it was absolutely stunning.

La Playa de los Peligros



The stunning Playa de la Magdalena



Wooden walkway linking La Playa de la Magdalena to the aptly named Playa de Bikini

I was in beach heaven... Until I saw the next one. Then I was blown away! But the best was yet to come. A stone's throw from my hotel, facing the Bay of Biscay, was one of the loveliest stretches of seaside I'd ever seen – Las Playas de El Sardinero. Being so close to such perfection reinforced my desire to one day live by the sea.

La Playa del Camello, the first of four amazing beaches in Sardinero Cove

A hint of what's to come...

La Primera Playa de El Sardinero



Looking out across the Bay of Biscay

When not taking day trips, I spent my time in Santander walking along the many beaches or simply admiring the ever-changing skies and sea views from a conveniently-located outdoor balcony. I could have stayed there forever, just gazing out to sea. It was the perfect way to end my second academic year in Spain.

A study in white and blue

My viewing platform



Dusk draws in

The beach in the early evening

Sunset