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 (Santo), 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. The UNESCO World Heritage Site Cave of Altamira is nearby.

Localities

The 3,983 inhabitants (INE, 2006) are distributed as follows:

Utilities

Wi-Fi hotspot

The municipality of Santillana del Mar has launched the creation of free internet access in the village for both residents and tourists, and has promised broadband connection for the entire municipality.

Notable people

Santillana (born 1952), footballer

Gallery

In literature

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