Comillas & Around

The three big monuments (El Capricho, Palacio de Sobrellano, Seminario Mayor) sit within a few hundred meters of each other, 2–3 km from Trasvía. Important: Sobrellano and the Seminario do not sell same-day tickets online — book the day before at centros.culturadecantabria.com, or take your chances at the box office.

Free tours · Plaza de la Constitución

Free walking tours

Three tip-based tours cover the town's golden triangle — El Capricho, Sobrellano, the Pontificia — from different angles, all departing from around Plaza de la Constitución. Free to book; tip the guide in cash.

English: no guaranteed English departures exist this week — the Civitatis English listing's booking calendar is empty for these dates and every GuruWalk slot is listed as Spanish. Elia's tour is "occasionally bilingual" per its Civitatis page: if you need English, book hers and message ahead.

Tour (guide)	Thu 13	Fri 14	Sat 15	Sun 16
Modernist, maritime & cinematic (Elia)	11:30 · 17:30 · 19:30	11:30 · 17:30 · 19:30	11:30 · 17:30 · 19:30	11:30 · 17:30 · 19:30
Comillas and its charms (Moncho)	11:30 · 18:00	11:30 · 18:00	11:30 · 18:00	—
Quotation marks like you've never been told (Emilio)	—	17:30	—	—

Elia	1 h 30 · meets at the Fuente de los Tres Caños, Plaza de la Constitución · 4.85★ (600+ reviews) · Spanish, occasionally bilingual · min 4–5 people to run · book on GuruWalk or Civitatis (same physical tour) Times confirmed
Moncho	1 h 30 · meets under the new Town Hall arcades next to the tourist office (Plaza de la Constitución 2) · 4.81★ (421 reviews) · Spanish · max 25 per departure · book on GuruWalk Times confirmed
Emilio	2 h storytelling tour on the Marqués de Comillas and his money · meets in the meadow below Sobrellano Palace, by the children's playground · 5.00★ (38 reviews) · Spanish · book on GuruWalk Fri only

• All times above were confirmed against the live Civitatis/GuruWalk booking calendars on 13 Aug — Sunday is thin (only Elia runs).
• The 11:30 departures end around 13:00, which clashes with the 12:30 English tour at El Capricho — pair a morning walk with the 16:30 Capricho slot instead.
• Booking is free and cancellable — but do cancel if you can't come; tours need a minimum group to run.

Verified 13 Aug 2026 via live booking calendars · civitatis.com · guruwalk.com/comillas

Monument · 3.0 km · 5 min

El Capricho de Gaudí

Gaudí's 1883–85 orientalist summer villa — minaret tower, sunflower tiles, Persian and Mudéjar flourishes. One of only three Gaudí buildings outside Catalonia, and 2026 is officially "Gaudí Year".

Hours (Aug)	Daily 10:00–21:00, last entry 20:30 Confirmed
English tours	Daily 12:30 and 16:30 Confirmed · advance booking recommended (official notice)
Spanish tours	Roughly hourly 11:00–18:00 Unconfirmed — confirm at +34 942 720 365
Price	7 EUR with audioguide (5 reduced, 3 child 7–12, under 7 free) · 10 EUR guided tour (8 reduced, 6 child) Confirmed
Booking	tickets.elcaprichodegaudi.com
From Trasvía	3.0 km · ~5 min drive, or ~30 min on foot

• Allow ~1 h: the visit itself is ~30 min with audioguide (~45 min guided) plus the gardens.
• Quietest windows: right at 10:00, or 18:30–20:00 when the coach crowds are gone and the evening light hits the sunflower tiles.
• The English tour slots are the scarce item in August — book before you arrive.
• Minor caveat: some third-party sites list a 10:30 opening; the official municipal August schedule says 10:00.

Verified 13 Aug 2026 · comillas.es August 2026 monuments PDF · comillas.es monuments page (Agosto 2026) · elcaprichodegaudi.com

Monument · 2.5 km · 5 min

Palacio de Sobrellano

Joan Martorell's neo-Gothic palace (1888) for the first Marqués de Comillas — marble staircase, polychrome stained glass, and Gaudí-designed furniture. Right next to El Capricho.

Hours (Aug)	Tue–Sat 10:00–18:30 · Sun 10:00–17:30 · closed Monday Confirmed
Visit	Interior by guided tour only, ~45 min, max 25 people
English	No — tours in Spanish only Per visitor reports; not stated officially
Price	7 EUR (5 EUR reduced / groups from 11 people) Confirmed
Booking	centros.culturadecantabria.com/reservas · +34 942 59 84 25 · no same-day online sales
From Trasvía	~2.5 km · ~5 min drive Estimate

Availability snapshot (13 Aug): Fri 14 was nearly sold out online (two sessions with 1 seat left); Sat 15 and Sun 16 still had wide availability morning and afternoon (no 18:00 tour on Sunday). Book Friday immediately if you want it.

• Closed The Capilla-Panteón is closed for restoration until further notice (confirmed on the official August 2026 schedule and in the booking engine).
• Tickets are date/time-fixed, no changes or refunds; arrive 20–30 min early — the guide collects tickets 5 min before the start.
• Sat 15 Aug (national holiday) runs normal hours.

Verified 13 Aug 2026 (incl. live booking-engine query) · comillas.es (Agosto 2026) · centros.culturadecantabria.com

Monument · 1.5 km · 4 min · nearest to the house

Seminario Mayor — former Universidad Pontificia

The monumental hilltop seminary (1883, Martorell) whose facade and doorway are by Lluís Domènech i Montaner — one of the great Catalan-Modernisme ensembles outside Catalonia, with sweeping views over Comillas and the coast.

Hours (Aug)	Mon–Sat 10:00–19:00 · Sun 10:00–18:00 · grounds daily 09:30–19:00 Confirmed
Visit	Interior by guided tour only, ~45 min, max 40 people per session
English	No — tours in Spanish only Per visitor reports; not stated officially
Price	7 EUR (5 EUR reduced / groups from 11) Confirmed
Booking	centros.culturadecantabria.com/reservas · same rules as Sobrellano (no same-day online)
Parking	On-site, 2 EUR cash (1 EUR back if you visit; free with blue disability card) Confirmed
From Trasvía	~1.5–2 km · ~4 min drive Estimate

Combining with Sobrellano: the official rule — online bookings must leave at least 90–120 min between the two start times. Pairings that worked in the live engine on 13 Aug: Sat — Sobrellano 10:10 + Seminario 12:45; Sun — Seminario 10:10 + Sobrellano 12:40 (or Sobrellano 10:40 + Seminario 12:30).

• Availability was wide open on all four days (sessions roughly 10:15–17:40; Sunday 10:10–17:00) — the easy one to slot around everything else.
• Even without a tour, the grounds (09:30–19:00) and the view over town are worth the stop.
• Concert nights at the Seminario church (Fri 14, Sat 15 — see events below) may alter late-day visiting, per the town bulletin.

Verified 13 Aug 2026 (incl. live booking-engine query) · comillas.es (Agosto 2026) · centros.culturadecantabria.com

Around town · mostly free

Smaller sights & the Friday market

The in-between stops that make the town: a marble angel over a Gothic ruin, an indiano mansion that opens its doors on your last day, and Domènech i Montaner details scattered through the streets.

San Cristóbal	Parish church, interior open daily 10:00–13:30 & 16:00–19:00 · 2 EUR (under-12 and pilgrims free) Confirmed
Cemetery & Ángel	Josep Llimona's marble Ángel Exterminador (1895) crowning a walled Gothic church ruin redesigned by Domènech i Montaner — free, daylight hours (formal gate times unpublished)
El Espolón	Cultural center, exhibitions daily 10:00–14:00 & 17:00–21:00: "Veneno que cura, veneno que mata" (450-piece history of poisons, ticketed, price Unconfirmed) plus two free painting shows (Eduardo Pisano; González–Castañeda) Hours confirmed
La Portilla	One of the best-preserved indiano mansions, attributed to Oriol Mestres · opens Sun 16 Aug (then daily to 31 Aug) · ~70 min guided visit, max 15 · 12 EUR (9 reduced) · booking essential: laportilla-comillas.com · +34 605 127 849 Dates confirmed
Friday market	Fri 14, ~09:00–14:00 at the Campa de Sobrellano — 30+ stalls of local food, textiles and flowers Confirmed
Always free	Fuente de los Tres Caños (Domènech i Montaner) · Puerta de los Pájaros (replica of a 1904 Gaudí gate) · Monumento al Marqués on its seafront hill · Mirador de Santa Lucía — the sunset viewpoint over the bay

Practical: zona azul paid street parking runs daily incl. holidays 10:00–20:00 (EasyPark app). Tourist office: Mon–Sat 09:00–21:00, Sun 09:00–15:00 · +34 942 722 591. There's also an exhibition at the old Town Hall ("Los colores de Julio de Pablo", Tue–Sun 19:00–21:00, free, until 17 Aug).

Verified 13 Aug 2026 · comillas.es weekly bulletin · August 2026 monuments PDF · laportilla-comillas.com

All reachable by car in 30–90 min. Note that Saturday 15 August is a national holiday (Assumption) — everything is open, but expect peak crowds and full car parks.

Cave · 19.4 km · 30 min

Cueva El Soplao

One of Spain's most spectacular show caves — an extraordinary density of "eccentric" helictite formations reached through old mining galleries, with coastal views from the 540 m entrance.

Hours (Aug)	Open every day · tourist visits until 21:00 Confirmed · first tour ~10:00 Unconfirmed
Tours	Turística: ~55 min, 1.2 km, wheelchair-accessible — 15 EUR (12.50 child 4–16, 12 reduced) · Espeleológica ("adventure"): ~2.5 h in original galleries, suit/helmet/boots provided — 36 EUR, age 12+, departures 10:00/11:00/15:00/16:00 · Ferrata minera: 45 EUR, age 14+, Thu–Sun 11:00 & 16:30
English	No — tours in Spanish (other languages only for groups by prior arrangement)
Booking	Tourist · Adventure · Ferrata — advance purchase officially recommended; this week's availability Unconfirmed
From Trasvía	19.4 km · ~30 min drive · free parking

• It is 12–14 °C at ~90% humidity inside all year — bring a fleece even in August, plus non-slip shoes.
• Max 47 people per tourist session; the site warns published times are indicative, so re-check when booking.

Verified 13 Aug 2026 · elsoplao.es hours · prices · FAQ

Town + museum · 20.1 km · 25 min

Santillana del Mar + Museo de Altamira

One of Spain's best-preserved medieval towns — cobbles, Romanesque Colegiata, stone manors — with the museum of the "Sistine Chapel of cave art" 2 km up the hill: the Neocueva is an exact replica of Altamira's painted ceiling.

Museum hours	Thu 13 & Fri 14: 09:30–20:00 · Sat 15 (holiday): 09:30–20:00, explicitly open Confirmed · Sun 16: 09:30–18:00 · ticket desk closes 30 min before · closed Mondays
Price	3 EUR (1.50 reduced) · free for everyone Sat from 14:00 and all day Sun — free tickets are desk-only, first-come Confirmed
Booking	Paid advance tickets (timed Neocueva slot included) via the official Santander ticketing platform — must be bought at least one day ahead, never same-day; arrive 15 min early or lose the slot
From Trasvía	20.1 km · ~25 min drive (town and museum are 2 km apart)

The real cave: the old Friday lottery no longer exists — original-cave access is limited to a long-closed waiting list, so the Neocueva replica is the visit (and it's excellent).

• The museum itself recommends booking ahead online in summer; August slots sell out. For the free Sat-afternoon/Sunday entry, queue at the desk early (tickets from 09:30).
• Neocueva entry reportedly runs in groups of ~20 every ~25 min Third-party.
• Santillana town is free to wander but pedestrianized — park at the edge (paid lot at the entrance; free options at the bus station ~500 m and polideportivo ~1.5 km).

Verified 13 Aug 2026 · museodealtamira — hours · prices · tickets · real-cave policy

Mountains · 82.3 km · 1 h 20

Teleférico de Fuente Dé (Picos de Europa)

A 3 min 40 s cable-car leap up ~750 m of vertical rock to El Cable at 1,823 m — instant high-mountain scenery, with walks into the Áliva meadows from the top. The drive there through the La Hermida gorge is a highlight in itself.

Hours (Aug)	Daily 08:00–19:00 · last ascent 18:45 · last descent 18:50 Confirmed
Price	Return 30 EUR adult / 15 EUR child 4–12 (one-way 17 / 8, station-only) Confirmed — ignore the widespread outdated 17–20 EUR figures online
Booking	entradas.telefericofuentede.com — dated tickets with 30-min entry slots, online sales close 24 h ahead; same-day only at the base ticket office
From Trasvía	82.3 km · ~1 h 20 (A-8 to Unquera, N-621 through the gorge, Potes, CA-185)

August queue reality: walk-up waits of 2–3 h are routinely reported, and online slots sell out days ahead — book now for the earliest slot you can get (it opens at 08:00; mornings also beat the afternoon cloud). The descent has no timed slot — it's a first-come queue, so start heading down well before the 18:50 last cabin.

• From the top: stroll the El Cable viewpoint, or walk down through the Puertos de Áliva to Espinama and back to the car park (~13–14 km, mostly downhill track).
• It's typically 10 °C cooler up top — bring a layer. Wind closes the cable car with no notice: call +34 942 736 610 or check the site that morning.
• Stop-offs: Santa María de Lebeña (9th-c. Mozarabic church, 1 km off the N-621) on the way in; Potes (Torre del Infantado, orujo shops) for lunch on the way back.
• Possible N-621 roadworks with traffic cuts this summer Unconfirmed — check infocar.dgt.es and pad your slot time.

Verified 13 Aug 2026 · telefericodefuentede.com FAQ · tarifas · official tickets

Wildlife · 57.1 km · 50 min

Parque de la Naturaleza de Cabárceno

A drive-through wildlife park in a vast former open-cast iron mine: ~20 km of roads winding between semi-free-roaming elephants (one of Europe's leading herds), a basin of 60+ brown bears, gorillas, rhinos and giraffes among red-rock karst.

Hours (Aug)	09:00–18:00 (ticket-window close; you may stay until sunset) · in-park cable car 09:30–18:30, last ascent 18:00 Confirmed
Price	High season: 45 EUR adult (13+) / 25 EUR child 4–12 / under 4 free Re-verify at checkout (official price page blocks robots; figures from the official sales portal as of 3 Aug)
Cable car	The 8-station telecabina is included in the general ticket
Booking	entradas.parquedecabarceno.com — dated day tickets, online up to 1 day ahead; same-day tickets at the gate
From Trasvía	57.1 km · ~50 min (A-8 east past Torrelavega, exit for Obregón)

• It's a full day — realistically 4–6+ hours. Arrive for the 09:00 opening in August; midday brings single-file traffic at the popular enclosures.
• Birds-of-prey flight demos in Jul–Aug: 12:00, 15:45 and 17:30; reptile house 09:30–19:45.
• Picnic areas and cafeterias inside; entry by ticket QR at the Obregón gate.

Verified 13 Aug 2026 · official ticket shop · hours · 2026 timetable

Bonus · ~12 km · 15 min

San Vicente de la Barquera

The working fishing port just past Oyambre — medieval Puente de la Maza, the Castillo del Rey on its ridge, and harbor-front seafood restaurants, with the Picos de Europa as a backdrop on clear days.

From Trasvía	~12 km · ~15 min drive Estimate
Price	Free to wander; combine with Oyambre/Gerra beaches on the way

General suggestion — check restaurant/castle hours locally.

Trasvía sits on the coast road between Comillas and Oyambre — both beaches are minutes away. This week has spring tides (coefficients 82–101), the best possible conditions for the low-tide coastal walk.

Beach · 2 km · 5 min

Playa de Comillas

The town beach: ~900 m of fine golden sand with a promenade to the harbor, gentle beginner-friendly waves.

From Trasvía	~2 km · ~5 min by car (or walk down through town)
Lifeguards	Cruz Roja daily 11:30–19:30 (until late Sep) Confirmed
Facilities	Blue Flag · toilets, showers, sunshade/lounger rental · fully adapted access (amphibious chair available) · no dogs
Price	Free (paid parking lot adjacent)

• El Capricho de Gaudí is only ~700 m away — easy to combine.
• The parking lot fills very fast in August; arrive before ~09:30 or walk from town.
• Sheltered, gentle surf — experienced surfers head to Oyambre instead.

Verified 13 Aug 2026 · playas.es · aytocomillas.es (lifeguard service)

Beach · 3–4 km · 7 min

Playa de Oyambre (& Playa de Gerra)

Nearly 2 km of wild sand backed by live dunes and the La Rabia estuary marshes, inside the Parque Natural de Oyambre — a designated World Surfing Reserve, with the Picos de Europa on the horizon.

From Trasvía	~3–4 km · ~5–7 min by car Estimate
Lifeguards	July–August only
Facilities	Seasonal beach bar + portable toilets at the main access · adapted access · otherwise unspoiled
Price	Free · parking lots off the CA-236 (last stretch partly unpaved); full by mid-morning in August

• Birdwatching in the La Rabia estuary: herons, spoonbills, cormorants.
• Playa de Gerra is the quieter western continuation of the same sand (access at La Gerruca, km 2.5 of the CA-236).
• Never walk on the dunes — the system is protected and actively eroding.

Verified 13 Aug 2026 · verplayas.com · playas.es

Built around three fixed points: the 11:30 walking tours end ~13:00 and clash with the 12:30 English tour at El Capricho (so English Capricho slots are always the 16:30); Sobrellano and the Seminario sell no same-day online tickets; and the low-tide walk window slides ~40 min later each day. Sobrellano is closed Mondays — this week that only matters if you stay past Sunday.

Everything above was verified against these pages on 13 August 2026. Times and availability change — recheck the booking link before setting out.

1. comillas.es — Horarios monumentos (Agosto 2026)
2. comillas.es — Visiting hours of monuments in Comillas, August 2026 (PDF, English)
3. comillas.es — weekly tourist bulletin, Semana 33 (10–16 Aug 2026) · events agenda
4. elcaprichodegaudi.com — plan your visit · tickets.elcaprichodegaudi.com
5. centros.culturadecantabria.com — Palacio de Sobrellano · Seminario Mayor · booking engine
6. civitatis.com — Free tour por Comillas (plus its live calendar API)
7. guruwalk.com/comillas — walks 41658 (Elia), 35713 (Moncho), 64666 (Emilio) (plus live availability API)
8. elsoplao.es — hours · visitor info · FAQ · booking
9. Museo de Altamira — hours · prices · tickets · cave-access policy · official ticket platform
10. telefericodefuentede.com — FAQ · tarifas 2026 · entradas.telefericofuentede.com (official tickets)
11. entradas.parquedecabarceno.com — official ticket shop · hours · 2026 timetable
12. tablademareas.com — Comillas tide table · tides4fishing.com — San Vicente de la Barquera
13. oyambresurf.com — prices & timetables · escueladesurfh2o.com — tarifas · northoceansurf.com
14. playas.es — Playa de Comillas · Playa de Oyambre · aytocomillas.es — lifeguard service
15. provoca.cantabria.es — guided coastal outings · unican.es — Oyambre coastal route
16. laportilla-comillas.com — guided visits · entradium.com — Caprichos Musicales · ataquilla.com · giglon.com
17. spain.info — Gaudí outside Catalonia · Wikipedia — El Capricho
18. Photos: Wikimedia Commons — author and license credited on each image, linked to its file page.
19. Driving distances/times: OSRM routing (router.project-osrm.org), queried 13 Aug 2026; entries marked "Estimate" were not live-routed.