Dublin to Comillas is a full journey (roughly 22 hours by road, so fly into Bilbao or Santander and connect by private car, about 1.5 to 2 hours from either airport, allowing extra time for summer weekend traffic). Plan an early departure from Dublin so you land by early afternoon. Your anchor point on arrival is the historic old town core of Comillas, where cobbled lanes and colonnaded buildings signal you've arrived somewhere special, centred on the Old Town Hall Comillas ✅ in the Plaza de la Constitución.

Settle into your hotel and take your first slow lap of town. Walk to the Old Town Hall Comillas ✅ in the Plaza de la Constitución, a handsome 18th century building that anchors the square and gives you your bearings before the weekend properly begins.

Wander down to the Fuente de Tres Caños ✅, a historic three-spout fountain tucked into the townscape, then let the golden hour pull you toward the coast. Pack a light layer, evenings here can turn breezy off the water. 🌦 Rainy day alternative: linger over coffee and a pastry indoors at La Mar de Bien Café-Bar 🕒 (confirm hours before visiting).

Dinner at La Secret 🕒 (confirm hours before visiting), tucked on Calle las Infantas, is the kind of intimate, unfussy local spot that rewards couples who want good food without ceremony. If La Secret is fully booked or closed, try Restaurante Gurea 🕒 nearby. Afterward, stroll to Pub El Pernau 🕒 for a relaxed nightcap (confirm hours before visiting), Comillas keeps its nightlife low-key and warm rather than loud.

Start with coffee and pastry at La Mar de Bien Café-Bar ✅ on Calle Saturnino Fernández de Castro, a genuine neighbourhood spot where locals linger over their first espresso (confirm hours before visiting). If it's full or closed, there are several cafés around the old town nearby. Then head straight for the town's crown jewel: El Capricho de Gaudí 🕒, the young architect's whimsical sunflower-tiled villa, one of only three Gaudí buildings outside Catalonia. Admission runs approximately €10 to €12 per person, book ahead online to skip the weekend queue. Arrive right at opening or after 4pm to avoid weekend crowds.

Continue the Gaudí-era trail at the Palace of Sobrellano 🕒, the Marquis of Comillas's neo-Gothic residence, paired with the adjoining chapel and mausoleum of the Marquises of Comillas, an atmospheric spot with soaring stonework and quiet grandeur (confirm hours before visiting). Guided tours typically run €5 to €8 and cover both sites together.

If rain moves in (light drizzle possible, around 20°C), the interior guided tour of the Palace of Sobrellano 🕒 makes a perfect wet-weather pivot. If skies clear even briefly, walk out to the Mirador de Santa Lucía ✅ 🌦 for a cinematic, wind-whipped view over the Cantabrian Sea. 🌦 Rainy day alternative: an unhurried indoor coffee at La Mar de Bien Café-Bar ✅.

Dinner at Restaurante Gurea 🕒 (confirm hours before visiting), a well-loved local spot near the town centre serving honest Cantabrian cooking without pretension. If Gurea is fully booked or closed, try La Secret 🕒 nearby. For a nightcap with atmosphere, try Montañesuca Cocktail hoyse 🕒, easy walking distance from the old town and known for a relaxed, romantic late-night hum (confirm hours before visiting).

Breakfast and a proper coffee fix at La Mar de Bien Café-Bar ✅ on Calle Saturnino Fernández de Castro, an ideal last slow morning together (confirm hours before visiting). Follow it with a final wander through the historic streets and green spaces around the Palace of Sobrellano ✅ 🌦, landscaped in the same era as the town's Modernist landmarks. 🌦 Rainy day alternative: revisit the interiors and Gaudí detail at El Capricho de Gaudí 🕒.

Grab a casual, unhurried lunch back near the town centre at Restaurante Gurea 🕒 (confirm hours before visiting), the kind of honest Cantabrian table that sums up why this town rewards slow travel. If it's closed, La Secret 🕒 is a short walk away. If time allows, one last pass through the old town's shops for a small edible souvenir (local cheese, cider, or pastries) to carry home, centred on the Fuente de Tres Caños ✅.

Depart Comillas by early afternoon (aim for 1:00pm) to allow the 1.5 to 2 hour drive, plus buffer for weekend traffic, back to Santander Airport 🚗 or Bilbao Airport 🚗 for your flight to Dublin. If routing via Bilbao, take the A-8 motorway east, a scenic coastal stretch worth savouring one last time before you're airborne. WHERE TO STAY - Hotel Costa Esmeralda Suites (Suances, about 20 to 30 minutes from Comillas by car), a highly rated property with sea-facing suites, ideal if you want a resort-style base with spa amenities. Check current rates on Booking.com as prices vary by season. - For a true walkable-only stay directly in Comillas old town, look for a boutique hotel or historic manor conversion near Calle Antonio López, expect roughly $250 to $400/night in August. Check current rates on Booking.com as prices vary by season. GETTING THERE There is no direct flight from Dublin to Comillas. Fly Dublin to Bilbao (Aeropuerto de Bilbao) or Dublin to Santander, both roughly 2 to 2.5 hours in the air, then arrange a private car transfer for the 1.5 to 2 hour scenic drive west along the Cantabrian coast into Comillas (allow extra time on summer weekends). INSIDER TIPS - Book your El Capricho de Gaudí 🕒 timed-entry ticket online before you go, it's the single most popular sight in town and August weekends sell out by midday. - Locals eat dinner late here, don't expect restaurants like La Secret 🕒 or Restaurante Gurea 🕒 to fill up before 9pm, arrive right at opening if you want a quiet table for two. - Pack a light rain shell given the chance of summer drizzle, but don't skip the Mirador de Santa Lucía ✅, the moody coastal light after rain is often the most photogenic moment of the whole trip.