El Capricho

El Capricho is among Gaudí's earliest independent commissions — built in 1883–85 as a summer villa for a wealthy Cantabrian, it shows the young architect already pushing hard against convention. The exterior is covered in ceramic sunflower tiles that shimmer in the sea light, arranged with geometric precision. The tower takes the form of a minaret, signalling Gaudí's fascination with Moorish architecture that would deepen throughout his career. The interiors are full of his characteristic detail: cast-iron decorations, patterned surfaces, and a structure that feels organic rather than imposed.

The building is now a museum. Visits are self-guided; the main floor displays exhibits on Gaudí's life and work in context, and the upper rooms retain something of the original residential feel. Allow 45 minutes to an hour. The garden is small but well kept, and the building looks especially good in morning light from the east. Check the website for current opening hours as they change seasonally.

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A story
Gaudí was only 31 when he designed El Capricho in 1883, and had never visited Comillas. He sent the plans and entrusted construction to a local architect who had to interpret his drawings remotely. The sunflower tiles covering the exterior were chosen because the estate's owner, Máximo Díaz de Quijano, loved sunflowers — but Gaudí also arranged them to track the path of the sun across the facade, facing east on the morning side and west in the afternoon. The house is the only Gaudí building in Cantabria and one of only three he built outside Catalonia.