Canoe trip down the Ebro river in Campoo, basic section

Downstream from the Embalse del Ebro, the river regains its course and flows enclosed between Campoo and Valderredible. Here, something uncommon in the north occurs: the flow does not depend on rainfall but on what the dam releases, so in the middle of August—when the rest of the Cantabrian rivers run dry—this stretch remains navigable.

The basic route is five kilometers, from Arroyo to Bustasur. It is low-to-medium level water: a few rapids with their own names—El Molino, La Ferrería, La Seguridad—and long stretches of calm water in between where the river slows down and you can put the paddle down. This is the stretch used by camps and school groups, and it works well with children.

You go down in a canoe-raft, an inflatable boat with a soft bottom that absorbs impacts and withstands rubbing against rocks: you get in and out of it without ceremony and, if it capsizes, it can be righted on the spot. A guide goes with each group and, before setting off, the paddling, the position, and what to do in a quick rapid are explained, so no previous experience is required.

The full activity takes about two and a half hours, including transport, and the descent itself takes just over an hour. Even in summer, the water comes out cold from the bottom of the dam: the wetsuit is not just for decoration.