What to visit in Santillana del Mar in 1 day, the Villa of the three lies
Do you want to know what is the best thing to see in Santillana del Mar? Well, here we talk about this beautiful place known as the Villa of the 3 Lies. And it is that, neither is it holy, nor is it flat, nor does it have a sea, something that you will verify when you visit this city, with its cobbled streets and its slopes.
One of the characteristics that we must highlight about Santillana del Mar is that the visits must be on foot, so you will not be able to find any type of vehicle, which is quite convenient for tourists.
Also, here you have one of the great wonders of our country, the Altamira Cave. Santillana del Mar is a perfect city to stay if you are traveling through Cantabria. You can find accommodation on the quehoteles.com website.
What to see in Santillana del Mar, the town of the 3 lies
The Historic Center of Santillana del Mar
Our tour of the historic center of this city with the best things to see in Santillana del Mar can begin at the Tourist Office, located next to one of the car parks that the town has.
The best way to tour the Historic District is by doing this Free Tour through Santillana del Mar.
The first place to go is Calle de Santo Domingo, with its cobbled streets and its houses and palaces, as well as Calle Juan Infante, which takes you to the Plaza Mayor.
It is a must to take a walk in which you lose yourself in the alleys enjoying the atmosphere, its shops and discovering the Parador de Turismo de Santillana del Mar.
The Plaza Mayor of Santillana del Mar
In the Plaza Mayor itself is one of the main places to see in Santillana del Mar, such as the Torre de Merino, a Gothic building built between the 13th and 15th centuries and which currently houses a very interesting museum.
In the same square is the Town Hall, in the Tower of Don Borja, which is another of the main attractions of Santillana del Mar. It is of medieval origin, with a square floor plan and stands out for its entrance arch and interior patio. One of the best things to visit in Santillana del Mar.
The Collegiate Church of Santa Juliana, the best thing to visit in Santillana del Mar
Walking through the streets, we finally arrive at the Collegiate Church of Santa Juliana, without a doubt the most representative monument of Santillana del Mar and the one that you absolutely must visit.
We can tell you that no visit to Santillana del Mar would be complete if you do not have the pleasure of visiting the Collegiate Church, a site built in the 12th century and which has 3 naves, 3 semicircular apses and a cylindrical tower.
On its main façade we can see a triangle-shaped pediment that has the image of Juliana of Nicomedia, the young woman who was martyred in the 4th century and in whose honor the building is built.
The Palace of Velarde
Surrounding the Collegiate Church of Santa Juliana we reach the last of the great monuments that we are going to visit in Santillana del Mar, in its old town.
The Palacio de Velarde, which is located in the square of the same name, dates from the 16th century and is in Renaissance style. The Velarde family was one of the most important in the town and today this fantastic building is one of the most outstanding places to see in Santillana del Mar.
From here, we can go back along Calle Cantón to pick up the car and head to the next place, which is a bit far from the center.
The Altamira Museum
Just 2 km from Santillana we can find another of the wonders of Cantabria and it is the Altamira Caves, known throughout the world
The Altamira Cave is more than 300 meters long and inside it we can find many engravings on the walls that were made with natural materials a long time ago.
Currently you can visit a replica located in the Altamira Museum, although very restricted visits to the real cave are also organised.
You can find more information about what to see in Santillana del Mar on the official tourism page.
