Altamira

Introduction

Altamira is a municipality in the state of Pará, in northern Brazil, and it is vast: by area it is the largest municipality in both Pará and Brazil, and it occupies a significant share of the state's territory. Its scale is comparable to that of the US state of Georgia, and it covers a more extensive area than many countries. Expect distances here to be measured in hours, not blocks.

Getting there

Santillana sits west of Santander, and the A-67 is the road to follow if you're driving from the city or the airport. By bus, Cantabria buses run several times a day from Santander, taking around three quarters of an hour, and continue onward to Comillas and San Vicente de la Barquera. Alsa buses connect Santillana with Torrelavega to the east every hour or so, a journey of about twenty minutes; Torrelavega has frequent buses and trains from Santander, so it works well as a staging point. Commuter trains on line C2 run from Santander, with some services from Oviedo, to Puente San Miguel south of Santillana, but no bus continues from there, so you'll need another way to cover the last stretch.

Buses arrive at the Terminal de autobus on Av de Dorat at the east edge of town, a futuristic structure that is also notably draughty. Tour buses drop off and park further along the same road.

Getting around

Altamira's village centre is small and traffic-restricted, so walking is the practical way to cover it — shops, restaurants and services cluster together and you can explore the central areas on foot. Outside the centre, distances stretch out and pavements become less reliable, so plan to pair walking with a short bus or taxi trip.

There is no metro, tram or commuter rail network to rely on, so city buses are the usual way to cover longer distances between neighbourhoods. Fares are generally paid in cash to a conductor or at a turnstile on boarding, so keep small notes and coins with you; where rechargeable transport cards exist, they can be topped up at terminals and authorised shops. Taxis can be hailed on the street, found at ranks or booked by phone, and ride-hailing apps are a convenient option if you are unfamiliar with local routes — confirm the meter is running or agree the fare before setting off. Altamira is served by an airport, and the usual options into the centre are taxis, ride-hailing apps or a local bus where one runs; confirm the fare in advance for taxis and check locally whether an airport bus is operating. Detailed, Altamira-specific transport information is thin, so verify current routes, fares and services locally on arrival.

Where to stay

Several places to stay cluster in the town centre along Cantón, where you'll find atmospheric options in historic buildings. The Altamira occupies a former palace, the Palacio Valdivieso, and the Posada Ansorena sits next door; the Casa del Marques is housed in a 15th-century building further along the same street. For something more upscale, the Parador de Santillana - Gil Blas is a charming hotel in the former mansion of the Barreda-Bracho family, with wooden floors and traditional furniture.

• Altamira – atmospheric villa in a former palace on Cantón
• Posada Ansorena – next door on Cantón
• Casa del Marques – 15th-century building on Cantón
• Parador de Santillana - Gil Blas – upscale hotel in a former family mansion
• Posada Araceli – comfy place at the edge of town
• Posada Santa Juliana – on Carrera
• Hotel Santillana – on El Cruce
• Hotel Bestprice – on Revolgo
• El Convento – pilgrim hostel on Antonio Niceas
• Hotel Cuevas, Pension Miguel Angel and Hotel San Marcos – along Av Antonia Sandi
• Hotel Salldemar – on Av Marcelino S Sautuola

Food & drink

Santillana del Mar's eating places cluster along the same main alleys, with a further loop of bars south of the crossroads on Av del Alcalde Antonio Sandi. Several restaurants sit right on the Plaza Mayor, including El Castillo, a pleasant spot on the main square. Casa Cossio, by the church on Plaza Abad Francisco Navarro, serves good traditional food, and La Batea, next to the torture museum on Bertrand Clisson, is there if you still have an appetite. Other options include El Porche and Conde on Juan Infante, El Cantón and El Ojancano on Cantón, and La Viga on Carrera, alongside Celina Bonita, La Huerta del Indiano and Gran Duque. Los Blasones on Plaza de la Gándara has drawn many poor reviews for value against quality, so weigh that before settling in.

For local pastries, look for sobao pasiego and quesadas, a light cheesecake. Casa Ángel on Cantón is a shop selling sobao pasiego, quesadas and other local fare, with a few seats if you want to eat there. To drink, follow the locals: as in neighbouring Asturias, the region produces a small amount of wine, but the main drink is sidra, a hard dry cider. Traditionally you pour it from a bottle held above your head into a glass down at your waist, which means plenty of spillage and wet shoes.

What to see and do

Start in the village centre, where honey-coloured limestone buildings line cobbled alleys. From the bus stop and parking lot, walk west to the foot of Santo Domingo alley, opposite the Diocesan Museum and Hotel Santillana; the alley leads north into the spine of the village along Juan Infante to Plaza Mayor, the Town Hall and the Parador. Around the cobbled triangle of Plaza Mayor you'll find the Town Hall on its west side, the cultural centre of Torre de Don Borja at the head of the plaza, and the 14th-century defensive tower of Torre del Merino on the east side. Nearby, the Casas del Águila y la Parra next to the Town Hall hold a small free exhibition space, with a bison statue outside by Jesús Otero referring to the beasts depicted in Altamira cave. The Palacio de Peredo - Barrera, an elegant 18th-century mansion at the foot of Santo Domingo, sometimes hosts art exhibitions, and a cluster of old houses — Casa de los Villa, Casa de los Estrada, Casa de los Hombrones and Casa de Leonor de la Vega — rewards a wander through the streets.

The Colegiata de Santa Juliana is a Romanesque monastery church whose cloisters have 42 columns depicting Biblical scenes. East of the Diocesan Museum, the Convento de las Clarisas is still active with no public admittance, but you can buy hand-made sweets from the nuns. The Museo Jesús Otero displays works by the local sculptor, and the Palacio de Velarde is now an immersive museum of medieval life — though its narration is only in Spanish, so it's poor value if you're not fluent. The Museo de la Tortura holds a formidable collection of instruments of torture from around Europe, including those used by the Spanish Inquisition; it's not for the squeamish. The Museo Altamira Mitológica is a small garden with a few statues of legendary monsters attached to a bar, nothing to do with Altamira cave.

The caves of Altamira, discovered in 1868, have prehistoric paintings added to and amended over thousands of years. Condensation from 20th-century tourists damaged the paintings, so the caves were closed and a replica cave built — this is what you tour, along with the adjacent museum. Tickets can be bought online or on the spot, but expect a long wait if you turn up without booking. Further out, the Cuevas del Monte Castillo at Puente Viesgo contain Paleolithic art of about the same age, and here you see the originals rather than a replica — numbers are tightly restricted, so book ahead. La Virgen de las Nieves is a small hermitage church east of the village along the road to Santander, with the scrappy ruin of Castillo de Vispieres on the hill south of it and an easy trail for summit views. Santa María de Viaceli at Cóbreces is a neo-gothic Cistercian abbey now run by the Trappists, where you can attend mass and buy their cheeses.

Santillana Zoo is a small zoo with big cats, orangutan and flamingos. Beaches are within easy reach at Ubiarco, Cobreces, Comillas, Oyambre and Suances, and the nearest golf course is at Torrelavega. The Labyrinth of Villapresente is a hedge maze on the west edge of that village — most visitors reach the centre quickly but need an hour to find their way out. El Camino is the collective name for the plexus of pilgrimage trails towards Santiago; the local section of the Camino del Norte runs from Santander via Santillana, Comillas and Unquera towards Llanes and Ribadesella, thence across Asturias to Oviedo. The patron saint day for Santa Juliana falls on 28 June.

Three days in Altamira

Day one: Base yourself in Altamira and get your bearings before committing to the cave country around you. Expect the town to work as a practical starting point rather than a destination in itself, with buses and taxis on hand to move you onward. Use the first day to sort out transport and orient yourself, since several of the places worth reaching lie outside the town centre.

Day two: Head for Santillana, where the Palacio Valdivieso and the Posada Ansorena sit among the streets you will want to wander. Continue to Comillas and San Vicente, and if time allows push on to Barreda or Puente San Miguel. Buses and commuter services link these Cantabrian towns, so you can string several together without a car.

Day three: Turn toward the coast and the larger centres. Santander and Torrelavega are within reach, and Oviedo lies further afield if you are prepared for a longer run. Alsa and other operators serve the region, with fares and detailed schedules best checked at the terminal or the Av. Dorat area before you set out.