Comillas – Modernisme on the Atlantic
A small coastal village with a building by Gaudí, a neo-Gothic palace and plenty of history.
Comillas lies on the western coast of Cantabria and at first glance looks like a quiet fishing village. But on the hills around the town stand buildings you would rather expect to see in Barcelona.
El Capricho de Gaudí
The most famous building is El Capricho, a summer villa designed by Antoni Gaudí in the 1880s. It is one of his few works outside Catalonia. Its green ceramic tiles with a sunflower motif and the slender tower, which looks almost like a minaret, stand out. The villa is open to visitors today.
Palacio de Sobrellano
Right next door is the neo-Gothic Palacio de Sobrellano, built for the Marqués de Comillas. The ensemble includes a chapel with an elaborately designed interior. The Marqués was himself an Indiano who had made his fortune in Cuba – and Comillas owes many of its grand buildings to him.
Universidad Pontificia
Above the town towers the large building of the former Pontifical University. Today it is used for education and culture; the view from outside and across the coast alone is worth the walk.
Tip
Comillas combines nicely with a beach day – the town beach lies just below the village. It is at its best outside the high season, when the streets are quieter.