Aja in the Soba Valley: History, Trails and Mountain Landscapes

Aja is considered the first inhabited settlement in the Soba Valley documented in historical records.

Culture and History

The site of the San Andrés de “Asia” (Aja) monastery is considered the oldest monastic settlement in the Soba Valley. The Gutiérrez de Otero manor house in Aja dates from the 18th century. Houses belonging to Indianos from the 19th and 20th centuries can be seen in Aja. This means that different historical points of reference stand side by side in the same settlement: a monastic settlement, a manor house and residential buildings from two successive centuries.

Landscape

The viewpoint in Aja offers a panorama over the valley and most of its settlements. The view extends from Pico San Vicente to Portillo de la Sia. The broad panorama combines views across the valley with a series of individual settlements, creating a different landscape impression from the closer forms of the terrain and mountains.

The Mirador de Aja is located in the surroundings of Aja, in the municipality of Soba. From there, the view encompasses the mountain landscape characteristic of Alto Asón, as well as the terrain and natural environment. The viewpoint can therefore be regarded as a distinct focal point alongside the valley panorama and the geological landscape forms along the routes.

Routes

The “Recorriendo el Valle de Soba” route turns onto a path before the centre of Aja. It climbs through a karst landscape and leads to Lombo de Aja. The route also reaches the CA-667 road, which is connected to Aja. The karst landscape, Lombo de Aja and the connecting road are therefore successive landmarks along this path.

The guided “Caminos de Soba” route passes through Aja and continues to the Mirador de Aja viewpoint. The guided “Ermita de Irías” route begins in Aja. From there, it leads into the mountain area known as Sobero. The two guided routes therefore focus on different aspects: one connects the settlement with the Mirador de Aja, while the other leads from Aja into the Sobero mountain area.

Together with the “Recorriendo el Valle de Soba” route, this results in three different thematic lines: the ascent through the karst landscape, the path to the viewpoint and the route into the mountain area known as Sobero.

Other Places

Other places that you can access on this page include Rasines, San Miguel de Meruelo, Santibáñez, Bareyo, Villar, Pumareña, Puente Viesgo and Villaescusa.

Nature

A section of the “Ermita de Irías” route near Mazo Grande lies within the ZEC Montaña Oriental Special Area of Conservation. This area belongs to the Natura 2000 network. The protected-area section is therefore another clearly identified natural feature along the route, separate from its course into the mountain area known as Sobero.

Red kites (Milvus milvus) can frequently be observed in autumn and winter in an open area along the “Ermita de Irías” route. In spring and summer, black kites (Milvus migrans) are predominantly seen there. The seasonal distinction between these two species is therefore one of the notable natural details of this section of the route.

For the overarching travel overview: Cantabria.