Hotel Altamira

Butterflies' garden

by andal13

The zoo has an awesome butterflies' garden; it is a large room, hot and damp, full of tropical plants, and where butterflies are free...
I visited Santillana during the winter, so I could see only one butterfly... the one that you can see at the picture. The others were inside their cocoons, waiting for springtime.

El zoológico tiene un impresionante jardín de mariposas; es una habitación amplia, cálida y húmeda, llena de plantas tropicales, y en la cual las mariposas vuelan libres...
Visité Santillana durante el invierno, por lo que sólo pude ver una mariposa... la que puedes ver en la foto. Las demás estaban dentro de sus capullos, esperando la llegada de la primavera.

Cormillas Beach

by freya_heaven

Cormillas is just west of Santillana. There is a lovely beach here.
Unfortunately when we were there it was the time of the shipwreck & the huge oil slick disaster. So apart from people doing the clean up, no one was allowed on the beached in this area.

In the summer Cormillas is very popular with french tourists

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life!

by garridogal

"Santillana del Mar"

"Well...."

One can't help but think of Monty Python when strolling through a beautifully preserved medieval city while giggling because such a good time is being had.

But don't get me wrong. I think that Santillana del Mar is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. It seems as if every corner turned gave way to more and more beautiful scenes.

"The Time Travelers"

It's true. We really did feel as if we'd been transported back in time. Check out my stance. I think I was channeling some character from the 1200's lunging forward with a sword.

La Villa de las Tres Mentiras

by andal13

"The village of three lies"

Santillana del Mar is known as "The village of three lies": it is not a holy city ("santa"), is not flat ("llana") and has no sea ("mar"). It is a little jewel hidden by the hills near Santander.
It was originally a pilgrimage's place; La Colegiata, a Romanesque monastery, has the tomb of Saint Juliana, a christian martyr of 3rd century, during Diocleciano's persecution. Her relics were brought by some monks to this place at 9th century, and founded a little monastery. During 12th century, the present monastery was built; the village grew up around La Colegiata.

Santillana del Mar es conocida como "la villa de las tres mentiras": no es santa, no es llana y no tiene mar. Es una joyita escondida por las colinas cercanas a Santander. Fue originalmente un lugar de peregrinación; La Colegiata, un monasterio románico, guarda la tumba de Santa Juliana, una mártir cristiana del siglo III, durante las persecuciones de Dioclesiano. Sus reliquias fueron traídas por unos monjes a este lugar en el siglo IX, y fundaron un pequeño monasterio. Durante el siglo XII fue construido el actual monasterio; la villa creció en torno a La Colegiata.