Official UK partner to the Paradors, Pousadas, Pestana Hotels & Resorts,
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formerly Keytel International, your agent in the UK.
17th Century Ancestral Home Hotel (4*)
The Parador de Santillana Gil Blas occupies the palatial mansion of the Barreda-Bracho family, parts of which date back to the 15th century, and which was later refashioned by Count Guell (the patron of Gaudi) in the 1920s as a hotel. One of a number of local buildings of great architectural appeal, the Parador is very traditional in style with stone arches, pan-tiled roof, wooden balconies and beamed ceilings. Located conveniently close to Santander (15 miles away) and on the main square of one of the most attractive and well-preserved old villages in Spain, the Parador de Santillana Gil Blas is a good base for exploring both the northern coast of Cantabria with its superb beaches and coves, and the magnificent mountains of the Picos de Europa. Also nearby are the world-famous Altamira Caves with their prehistoric cave paintings.
The Parador de Santillana Gil Blas has 28 bedrooms, like its sister Parador (opposite across the small square), making it one of the smallest and prettiest Paradors in the network. Guests often tell us that there is little to separate the 2 properties in their appeal (except for the location of the bar and restaurant in this Parador and the difference in price between the two properties of about 10%). Bedrooms generally overlook the square and gardens, with large windows, wooden furnishings and rustic décor throughout. The facilities available at the Parador de Santillana Gil Blas include a garden, a bar and restaurant where you may sample traditional Cantabrian dishes, featuring both fish and meat, as well as varies beans and a wide range of vegetables. The Parador is accessed through the entrance to the old town, which involves passing through security bollards which will be raised immediately when you identify yourselves as guests of the Parador. The Parador de Santillana Gil Blas has, in its previous function, provided accommodation for King Alfonso XIII who went on to instigate the founding of the original network of Paradores and, since its conversion in 1944, has attracted the likes of Charles de Gaulle and more recently the Emperor of Japan.
Keytours tips:
The town’s name is an enigma since it seems to imply that this is a seaside town, and although the town isn’t far from the coast, it is the place where ‘’Santa Iliana came from the sea’’. Described by Jean Paul Sartre as ‘’the loveliest town in Spain’’ and by Unamuno as ‘’a town enveloped in literary prestige’’, Santillana is a delightful stopover either on the Camino de Santiago (the Pilgrim’s way of St James) or along the northern coastline. In the 18th century the French author Lesage wrote his novel ‘Gil Blas de Santillana’ and the town was declared a national monument in 1889. Many of Santillana’s original buildings and monuments have been maintained - generally houses of the nobility which still display their coats of arms today – and the town’s records reach back to the 9th century when the north of the peninsula was resisting the Moorish conquest. The monastery of Santa Juliana, later to be extended and converted into the Romanesque collegiate church in the 12th century, and it was The Church that controlled and oversaw the surrounding lands until the 16th century when the nobility finally governed.
Much of the town’s architecture dates from the period of Spain’s good fortunes in the Americas and in the 19th century in southern Spain, and in the 1920s, the Count of Guell extolled the virtues of Santillana and helped to spread word of its appeal. He was the founder of the hotel in the 17th century building set on the main square, which later became the original Parador de Santillana Gil Blas in 1944. The town benefited from the importation of exotic plants and furnishings from far-flung lands and the influence of the colonies is still evident in the design of many gardens. There are superb beaches at Comillas, Suances and Cobreces, and Comillas is a particularly good day trip with its famous university, Gaudi-designed palace and renowned modernist architecture. This was a popular destination of the nobility, with its clean beaches, attractive harbour and charming taverns nearby, and it has several palaces to visit.
Restaurant opening times:
Breakfast: 8.00 to 11.00
Lunch: 13.30 to 16.00
Dinner: 20.30 to 22.30. It may be possible to arrive up to 22.00 and still enjoy a meal.
Cafe/bar is open from 11.00 until 23.30
The Parador is located in Santillana del Mar's main plaza, in which the city's most characteristic buildings are also located: Torre de Don Borja, Casa del Águila y la Parra, Torre de Merino and the Town Hall. Guests can access the Parador from the Travesía Santander-Comillas by way of a cobblestone street just under 100 metres long. Santillana is located 24 km from Santander.
The Parador has a number of exterior parking spaces for a daily charge.
Part of 'Green Spain', Cantabria has a variety of landscapes to offer from quaint coastal towns, to the peaks of the Picos de Europa and delightful Parador hotels in charming locations.
