Along the Pas and Miera rivers, limiting the north with Santander and to the south with the province of Burgos, the most characteristic area of Cantabria: the pasiegos valleys. These represent, like no other region, the link between its inhabitants (the pasiegos) and the land they own. In the course of the Pas river the towns of Vega de Pas and San Pedro del Romeral stand out, and in that of the Miera river, San Roque de Riomiera: these are known as the three Pasiegas villas.
Vestiges of history
The Pas river leads us to Viesgo Bridge, where the first vestiges of a culture are located prehistoric, in the caves of Monte Castillo. It is an exceptional set of rock art, where a large spa is also located.
More than 150,000 years ago, between Paleolithic and the Bronze Age, the man inhabited this area, as witnessed by the caves of Monte Castillo. Subsequently, the Romans they also left their mark on Campo Las Cercas, an archaeological site that shows the remains of the military camp, settled in the area, on the occasion of the Cantabrian Wars
In the High Middle Ages, this town was a surveillance point strategic from the valleys of Toranzo and Piélagos, as it was a crossing point towards the Castellana Plateau. The importance of this territory, as well as the names of rivers and localities, are collected in documents dating from the year 1000.
Villasevil It belongs to the municipality of Santiturde de Toranzo. His church of Saint Cecilia, declared a Site of Cultural Interest, is a beautiful representation of the Romanesque. It dates from the end of the century XII, although with later reforms, and in it the union between the prince Juan, son of the Catholic Monarchs, and Margaret of Austria (1,497) took place. The collegiate church of Santa Cruz de Castañeda is another beautiful legacy of art Romanesque in the zone.
Unique nature
The Cabárceno Nature Park in recent years it has become one of the largest attractive of Cantabria. Located in the Pas-Miera region and 15 km. of Santander, the town of Cabárceno opens the way to a spectacular geological landscape of the karst (from German, limestone plateau), transformed into an extensive zoo. This park, in turn, is part of a space protected broader: the Peña Cabarga Natural Park, with 26 square kilometers in length and encompasses the entire mountainous massif that dominates Santander Bay.
Within it, Cabárceno Park can be visited easily and comfortably as it has an extensive network of paved tracks that allow it to be traveled by car. From a geomorphological point of view, the park presents an aspect original and interesting: rocks limestones that form it, are the result of a process of karst dissolution or decomposition and disintegration of the rock by the intervention of biological and atmospheric agents.
Another of the most important characteristics of this park is that it also constitutes a great wildlife reserve. There is a complete and varied representation of animals autochthonous: wolves, deer, bears, wild boars, roe deer, chamois ... Although, without a doubt, the fauna exotic is the great protagonist of the park. In it you can see tigers, elephants, lions, hippos, hyenas, giraffes, ostriches, zebras, camels, kangaroos, llamas, antelopes, rhinos, monkeys, dromedaries….
There are also several lakes for the practice of trout fishing, panoramic viewpoints, walking areas, playground, hotel complex, parking and shops.
✅ TOP 10: Things To Do In Santander (April 2024)
- history, natural parks, Santander
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