Cartes: Medieval Heritage, Mills and Vía Verde

Cartes preserves its original medieval layout along a main street that developed from the former route of the Camino Real. The Villa de Cartes was built along the old road from the Meseta plateau to the Cantabrian coast, which connected Castile with the sea via the Besaya route.

History

Cartes, in the province of Cantabria, is home to the Conjunto Histórico de Cartes. It is a Property of Cultural Interest in the category of historic site and was protected on 29 March 1985. The ensemble includes Cantabrian manor houses dating from the 15th to the 18th century; several feature carved coats of arms on their façades. The Conjunto Histórico de Cartes is completed by a rectangular Gothic tower through which two large pointed arches pass. The recesses for the portcullises are still visible inside.

Culture

In Yermo, in the municipality of Cartes, stands the Iglesia de Santa María, which was declared a Property of Cultural Interest on 4 July 1930. The church’s protected surroundings border woodland, wooded areas, meadows and a local road; rural paths and the road from Sierra Elsa cross this area.

Cartes is home to the Molino de La Aceña, which has been converted into a private residence. The stepped walls of the millpond along the millrace, the rear water channels and the outlet arch have been preserved. In the district of Ribero de Santiago de Cartes, the Molino de La Fuente has fallen into ruin. Only its three main walls and some traces of the hydraulic system remain; the millrace is filled in and concealed.

Cartes also has a route to eight mills; they have been listed in Cantabria’s General Heritage Inventory since 2003.

Paths

The Vía Verde del Besaya runs through Cartes on the route from Suances to Barros near Los Corrales de Buelna. It is suitable for walkers, skaters and cyclists and has both asphalt and compacted-earth surfaces. For planning a day out, the designated uses and surfaces can be compared with one another.

When choosing a holiday apartment in Cartes, travel dates, the desired room category and the applicable cancellation conditions can define the personal framework. Depending on the travel plans, these details can be weighted differently and considered separately from preferences for history, mills, paths or the event date. This creates an objective comparison between accommodation-related questions and daily destinations for personal planning.

Other local destinations for orientation: Riocorvo, Selaya, Saro, Val De San Vicente, Villapresente, Polanco, Argoños, Trasvia.

For comparison, you can give these factors different weights depending on your travel period and the desired room configuration.

Events

The San Roque festival on 16 August is designated an event of local interest. The Villa de Cartes can be reached via National Road 611 south of Torrelavega.

For the higher-level travel overview: Cantabria.