Abanillas between history and landscape

In Abanillas, the apse of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Abanillas dates from the 17th century. Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Abanillas is part of Val de San Vicente’s religious architectural heritage.

Culture and history

The Vía de Agrippa, also known as the coastal route, ran from Estrada and Abanillas via Luey, then continued along the coast from Abanillas and carried on to Asturias. It is assumed that in the Middle Ages the Vía de Agrippa was used as a coastal route by pilgrims travelling to Santiago de Compostela or returning from there.

Abanillas traditionally celebrates the “Día de lo autóctono”. The event includes a tasting of “Cocidu Cabreau” prepared by the village residents. The Nuestra Señora festivities in Abanillas include a sung solemn Mass and a procession with Picayos. The traditional Nuestra Señora festival has been announced for 15 August 2026 in Abanillas.

Landscape

Abanillas is one of the places in Val de San Vicente that lie in the shadow of the imposing Cantabrian Mountains. Extensive holm oak forests lie southeast of Abanillas town centre. Around Abanillas, the Camino del Maquis is described as offering views of the green meadows of the Nansa Valley, the limestone peak of Naranjo de Bulnes and the snow-covered peaks of the Picos de Europa. These landscape references connect the immediate surroundings of the village with the wider mountain panorama of Cantabria.

Routes

The Camino del Maquis leads from Portillo to Abanillas along a rural path and is a circular route through the villages located inland in Val de San Vicente. It was designed as a route that can be completed on foot or by bicycle. The Ruta Serdio-Polaciones continues from Serdio to Abanillas and connects the two places with the story of Ana R. Cañil’s “La mujer del maquis”.

The CA-843 road runs south of Abanillas town centre. Abanillas has no regular public transport services.

In Abanillas, you can give equal consideration to historic routes and religious architecture, as well as local festival traditions, rural landscapes and the possible modes of travel on the Camino del Maquis. When comparing the routes, their paths and narrative connections are the main focus; cultural impressions place different emphasis on the church, procession and regional tasting.

When choosing a holiday apartment in Abanillas, you can check travel dates, room category and cancellation conditions. The selection can be tailored to your preferred combination of culture, landscape and routes: historic architecture, festival traditions, holm oak forests and routes with different paths are available as separate topics. Traffic and transport conditions are also practical details that can be considered alongside these main areas of interest.

More places in the destination area: Unquera, Prellezo, San Vicente De La Barquera, Estrada, Serdio, Pechón and Pesués

To the higher-level travel overview: Val De San Vicente.