Getaways and things to do in Cabuerniga Valley

The Cabuerniga Valley is a mountain comarca in the heart of western Cantabria, shaped by the River Saja and its tributaries. It preserves some of the most authentic villages in northern Spain, with mountain architecture of stone manor houses and wooden south-facing balconies that has remained virtually unchanged for centuries.

Barcena Mayor, declared a Historic-Artistic Site in 1979, is the valley jewel and possibly the oldest inhabited village in Cantabria. Around it, hamlets like Valle (municipal capital), Sopena, Teran and Barcenillas maintain the same rural and pastoral character.

Gastronomy is inseparable from the landscape: cocido montanes stew, Cabuerniga cheeses and tudanca beef (indigenous breed) define a culinary culture that draws visitors from across Spain. The Ucieda Forest and the Sequoia Forest complete an exceptional natural setting within Saja-Besaya Natural Park.