Spain: Santillana del Mar

August 2017

Santillana del Mar is a historic town situated in Cantabria, Spain. Its many historic buildings attract thousands of visitors every year. There is an old saying that Santillana del Mar is The Town of Three Lies, since it is neither a Saint (Santa), nor flat (llana), nor is it by the sea (Mar) as implied by its name. However, the name actually derives from Santa Juliana (or Santa Illana) whose remains are kept in the Colegiata, a Romanesque church and former Benedictine monastery.

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In his philosophical novel La Nausée, Jean-Paul Sartre described Santillana as the prettiest village in Spain ("le plus joli village d'Espagne").

(Wikipedia)

Santillana del Mar may well be Spain's earliest "modern" tourist town. After receiving a nod from none other than Jean-Paul Sartre, the town has had a steady flow of tourists even into the present. For me, the main disappointment in the town (since it has been a tourist destination for a LONG time) is that it is one of Spain's few "disney-type" villages. Like Venice, the town long ago gave itself over to tourism. Although some residents might still live there, the only "real" houses start on the edges of the tourist zone. It must be odd for those people who live in a long-standing tourist destination.

I traveled by bus - it is easy and well-organized. The ride from Santander is less than an hour and the roads in northern Spain are blissfully traffic free. We were dropped on the edge of town (all the passengers were tourists, I believe) and we made our way into the little town center. There were places to shop and eat galore as well as small inns. The town even hosts an art museum (amazing for how small the place is). I wandered slowly and took photos - there were people everywhere. I had found Spain's equivalent of Cinque Terra, Italy before that coastline became famous. People all heard about "the prettiest town in Spain" and made a pilgrimage there - which rendered it.... less beautiful.

In final analysis, the town actually IS beautiful (and old, and original). In that way, it is worth visiting to see what a Cantabrian town looked a like a few hundred years ago. Santillana is located in the middle of nowhere, too. Any direction that one leaves town is just rolling fields.

I appreciated it, thought it was lovely, but could not get into it - I can never enjoy a place that is chronically mobbed. That meant even getting a coffee and pastry was an ordeal - forget about a full lunch. I didn't stay too long (it is small and easy to see).

On the plus side - Santillana is well-preserved. I don't regret the visit. On the minus side, I had to share the experience with many (MANY) others.

I would still recommend it - but expectations need to be managed.