Altamira and Santillana del Mar Trip from Santander

Discover an important Palaeolithic site with this 4.5 hour tour to Altamira and Santillana del Mar from Santander . Travel in a comfortable minivan from your centrally located hotel in Santander and together with a local guide and in groups of 8 people head to Santillana, one of the most beautiful villages in Cantabria. Take a walking tour through the historic centre of this Spanish village, admire its medieval houses, towers and palaces and then visit the Altamira Museum to see the replica of the Altamira cave.

After a comfortable pick-up from your hotel, you will board an air-conditioned vehicle and drive several kilometres through several villages until you reach Santillana. Enjoy a walking tour of this medieval village and its historic centre and you'll feel as if you've travelled back to the Middle Ages. Walk through its cobbled streets with your guide and head for the Plaza Mayor, where you'll have the chance to visit the Collegiate Church of Santa Juliana. Take advantage of your free entrance to this Romanesque monument of the region and see its medieval tombs and reliefs from the 11th and 12th centuries.

After contemplating this jewel, you will also visit the museum of the local sculptor Jesús Otero . Spend a few minutes enjoying his precious collection of more than 50 sculptures inspired by nature, and then head to the Altamira Museum, home to the famous Altamira cave, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Because visits to the original cave are limited to the general public, you'll take a guided tour of the neo-cave, an identical reproduction of the famous Palaeolithic cave, and see some of its cave paintings dating back more than 30,000 years. See the cave's Palaeolithic art up close, learn about the great pictorial value of its paintings and hear the story of its discovery, which took place in 1868.

After the comfortable visit and before returning to Santander, you will have some free time to do whatever you want. From last minute shopping, to having a drink or strolling through the streets to admire the medieval architecture.