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RURAL TOURISM
A journey that begins by the sea
The adventure begins in San Vicente de la Barquera,
where the salt air of the Cantabrian Sea accompanies
the traveller’s first breath. This fishing town not only
boasts its Church of Santa María de los Ángeles, the
bridge of La Maza and its medieval castle, but also a
cuisine that pays homage to the sea: stews, baked fish
and, of course, sorropotún, the flagship of the local re-
cipe book.
From here, the Camino leaves the coast behind and
enters the green valleys, passing by Romanesque cha-
pels, villages like Cades — with its historic forge — and
river paths such as the Nansa, a route of centuries-old
trees and waterfalls that whisper stories of salmon and
ancient travellers.
Where the pilgrim becomes a moun-
taineer
As the journey progresses, the landscape becomes
more rugged and the mountains rise like guardians
of mystery. The mountain passes become natural
viewpoints, and the silence of the forest accompanies
contemplation. Places such as the chestnut grove of
Pendes, with its thousand-year-old trees, or the Santa
Catalina viewpoint, watched over by figures from Can-
tabrian mythology, reinforce the feeling that along the
Camino everything is alive: the land, the myths… and
the memories.
The most demanding stage climbs up to the Church
of Santa Juliana in Lafuente, a Romanesque jewel
from the 12th century, and descends towards villages
like Cicera or Lebeña, where pre-Romanesque art
appears in the Mozarabic Church of Santa María. This
entire stretch is a feast for the senses, and also for the
palate, with products born of this generous land: que-
sucos from Liébana, cocido lebaniego made with pe-
drosillano chickpeas, or Tudanca beef, a native breed
that sustains Cantabrian gastronomic tradition
View of San Vicente de la Barquera
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