[ Spain Days 4-5 ] Friday, June 15, Castro Urdiales to Santillana del Mar, Cantabria :: Saturday, June 16, Santillana del Mar

Origin: Pension La Mar, La Mar 27, Castro Urdiales
Destination: Hotel Altamira, Calle Canton 1, Santillana del Mar, Cantabria

  

After taking 3 buses to arrive this afternoon,



our bike trailers rolled effortlessly over the cobblestone streets of this small, well preserved medieval town, Santillana del Mar.





The former Valdivieso Palace was converted in 1960 to Hotel Altamira with thick stone walls, many original furnishings, artifacts and paintings from the 18th century. The narrow street around the corner is marked as one of the pilgrimage routes through this town.




The highlight of Saturday was a visit to the World Heritage site, the Neocave of Altamira, 3 km from town. Human habitation of the original cave, discovered in 1879, dates from 18,500 years ago. It contains ceiling paintings of bison, deer, and horses with details drawn in black and bodies colored ochre.





For the conservation of the cave paintings endangered by human visitation, the cave closed to the public in 1977. The replica cave was built in 2001 and remains a favorite stop for the many tours through this area. Happily, we were in the cave with only a small, quiet group and were able to take time to admire this impressive art. 

We enjoyed the scenic walk back into town. (Bob loves his walking sticks and the flexibility to convert one into a monopod for taking pictures.)







As two among many weekend tourists, we wandered and photographed this beautiful town, caught the enthusiasm here for the World Cup matches. 

Oh, yes, Marney also visited the convenient laundramat!














We attest to our enjoyment of menu options for our late dinners.