On our road trip from Bilbao to Picos de Europa National Park, we made a pitstop at Santillana del Mar, a beautiful medieval town in Cantabria, Spain. Since the town is so small I wasn’t expecting too much by the way of gluten-free options, but Santillana del Mar had some fantastic hidden gems.
La Villa
La Villa has been receiving training and guidance from ACECAN, the Cantabrian coeliac association since 2018, and in 2019 they were nominated for best gluten-free restauarant in the ACECAN group. So it goes without saying that the staff are clued up when it comes to coeliac disease, and the whole menu is gluten-free.
We enjoyed a generous portion of homemade gluten-free croquettes, hake with potato écrasé and seaweed salad and the sirloin steak with foie and mushroom sauce.
Pasaje de los Nobles
Whilst we didn’t eat here (it was a tough choice between here and La Villa restaurant), I read lots of positive reviews from coeliacs and Pasaje de los Nobles, like La Villa, receives advice from local coeliac association, ACECAN. The restaurant offers a mix of gluten-free tapas and dessert options.
Confiteria Las Quintas
Whilst meandering around the cobbled streets of Santillana del Mar we came across Confiteria Las Quintas, a small local bakery which offers a mix of gluten and gluten-free items. Whilst unfortunately their bread and pastries contain gluten, they offered a mix of gluten-free biscuits and gluten-free artisan chocolate bars.
Overall verdict
Overall rating
It was great to visit such a small town with so many gluten-free options. With extensive gluten-free menus, plus the seal of approval from the local coeliac association ACECAN, Santillana del Mar felt like a safe haven for any coeliac visitor.
Coeliac friendly
With multiple restaurants with donning ACECAN and FACE Restauración (the federation of coeliac associations in Spain) badges of approval, it felt like the small town was very aware of coeliac disease and ready to accommodate.
Safety
Whilst I only ate the one meal in the town, I didn’t have any complaints with the safety of the food.
Gluten Free Me 