Santillana del Mar

Santillana del Mar is a picturesque and very touristy village in Cantabria in northern Spain, lined with medieval buildings. It's also famous for the prehistoric art in the Altamira Caves 2 km west. Together with its outlying villages it had a population of 4200 in 2025. The place is named for its abbey and church of Santa Juliana, but the joke goes that Santillana is a triple lie: it's neither holy (santa), nor on a plain (llana) nor by the sea. (This very old joke was first applied to the Holy Roman Empire.) But the standout fibber and liar is the fictional character born here: Gil Blas by Alain-René Lesage, published 1715 to 1735. Oficina de Turismo is at Calle Jesús Otero 20, open daily 09:00-19:00.

© wikipedia

Santillana del Mar is a stopover point on The Camino del Norte. You can reach Santiago de Compostela in 23 days.