"Comillas: city of the Marquis." Comillas by breughel

Comillas Travel Guide: 34 reviews and 121 photos

The marquis of Comillas - Comillas et ses Marquis.

It is at the end of the 19th century that Comillas acquired its fame when Don Antonio Lopez Lopez returned to Spain having made fortune in the USA and began to invest in Comillas.
Appointed marquis of Comillas, Antonio Lopez Lopez invited King Alfonso XII to spend the summer in residences put at the disposal of the royal court. Nobility and upper-class persons followed the court and Comillas became a valued sea resort.
Cantabria with its cloudy sky and moderate temperatures in the summer (20-25°C) presented numerous attractions at a time when suntan was the sign of farmers and where the air-conditioning was still unknown while Madrid choked with heat (30 - 40°C).
Let us add that magnificent sandy beaches and sea swimming, already appreciated in the time of king Alfonso XII, explain the success of the beaches of Cantabria among a Spanish population less enthusiast about the climatic conditions of the Costa del Sol than the northern tourists.

C'est à la fin du 19e siècle que Comillas acquiert sa notoriété lorsque Don Antonio Lopez Lopez revient en Espagne après avoir fait fortune aux USA et commence à investir à Comillas.
Nommé marquis de Comillas Antonio Lopez Lopez invite le roi Alfonso XII à passer l'été dans des résidences d'été mises à la disposition de la cour. Noblesse et bourgeoise suivent la cour et Comillas devient ainsi une station balnéaire recherchée.
La Cantabria avec son ciel couvert, ses températures modérées (20 -25°C) en été présentait de nombreux attraits à une époque où le bronzage était le signe des paysannes et où l'air conditionné était encore inconnu alors que Madrid suffoquait de chaleur (30 - 40°C).
Ajoutons que de magnifiques plages de sable et des bains de mer déjà appréciés à l'époque expliquent le succès des plages de la Cantabria parmi une population espagnole qui recherche moins les conditions climatiques de la Costa del Sol que les touristes du Nord

Last visit to Comillas: Jun 2006
Intro Updated Mar 2, 2011
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Reviews (5)

Natural park of Oyambre Things to Do (5)

Between Comillas and San Vicente de la Barquera is the Ría de la Rabia and the beach and dunes of the natural park of... more travel advice

Universidad Pontificia de Comillas Things to Do (5)

This enormous neogothic palace on the hill with neomudejar (hispano-arab) decoration elements is a University of the... more travel advice

El Panteon Things to Do (5)

This church of neogothic style which looks like a miniature cathedral was build by the second marquis of Comillas to be... more travel advice

Capricho de Gaudi Things to Do (5)

On the same hill as the Palace of Sobrellano was build in 1883 the "Capricho" of the famous Catalan modernistic... more travel advice

Comments (4)

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Nemorino Jul 8, 2010 at 1:35 PM

I'm glad Don Claudio López y López Marquis de Comillas found a good use for his money. And I'm not surprised that the Spanish prefer a beach resort with cloudy skies and moderate temperatures in the summer -- they have enough sun and hot weather at home.
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LoriPori Apr 14, 2007 at 2:58 AM

Lovely little page on comillas, esp. the Pantheon and Capricho.
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DanielF Dec 18, 2006 at 1:38 AM

Excellent Comillas page!
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hquittner Dec 13, 2006 at 7:14 AM

Loved Gaudi's Folly desole at sight 22annees d'antan Prix: 1M$US. Lost lottery, so rien (memories). Welcome to VT!