When a Parisian, (from arguably one of the world’s most elegant cities) comes to your town and calls it “the prettiest village in Spain”, their judgement must hold some clout, right? When that Parisian is Jean-Paul Sartre, an author whose words won him a Nobel Prize in literature, what he says surely holds some value. Though opinions are subjective, this Sartre guy was really on to something. Santillana del Mar is indeed pretty, not to mention one of the best-preserved medieval towns that exist in Iberia.
I went to Santillana del Mar for just a few hours after my weekend in Santander. For a small town, it does have some buildings of historic interest, but honestly I went on a whim without researching anything (the horror!) and just wanted to wander around with my camera and walk along its cobblestone streets.
As it turns out, sometimes the best plans are the ones we don’t make. Apparently it tends to swarm with tourists in the high season, but I went in December when there were no crowds. You already know I love low-season travel, and Santillana del Mar was the perfect town to get lost in for the afternoon.
How to get to Santillana del Mar:
Catch a bus from Santander to Santillana del Mar. For hours and rates, click the link.