Casamaría: Church, Pontoon and Routes Towards Peña Sagra

Casamaría offers specific points of interest for planning a trip focused on church architecture, historic structures and routes. The Church of the Virgen de Loreto is in the village centre; a modern bridge also crosses the Suspino stream, and a stone pontoon remains at its original location. When considering the routes, it is worth distinguishing between a route that passes by the church and a longer circular route with a different starting point.

The Church of the Virgen de Loreto and its history

The church building has medieval origins and may have been a hermitage. Its apse dates from the 16th century. These details relate to different aspects of the building: the origins of the structure and a specific architectural feature with its own date. The church is in the village centre of Casamaría, making it a clear point of reference for anyone interested in the village’s history when planning a trip.

Bridge and pontoon: two structures from different periods

The modern bridge in Casamaría was inaugurated in 2010 and carries the CA-855 road over the Suspino stream. It enables traffic on this road between Puente El Arrudo and Merodio in Asturias. The old stone pontoon tells a different story: it dates from 1910 and remains at its original location. The road crossing and the pontoon are distinct structures; their dates provide two specific points of reference in the history of construction in Casamaría.

Two routes, different time requirements

The church lies on the “Bosques, prados y pastizales subiendo hacia Peña Sagra” route—a trail whose name evokes forests, meadows and pastures on the ascent towards Peña Sagra. The Sierra de Herrerías circular route is a separate option. It starts in Cabanzón, in Herrerías, by the 12th-century Torre Medieval. The route follows the Camino de la Magdalena and the CA-855, then a farm track to the Suspina River, and continues to the El Cuesto neighbourhood near Casamaría.

The circular route is listed as 16.5 kilometres long and taking 4 hours 30 minutes. This provides a specific basis for planning your time, without making any claim about the level of difficulty. A figure of 595 metres is also given twice; it is unclear whether the two figures refer to ascent or descent. Check current trail conditions before setting out. The different starting point is also important: the Sierra route starts in Cabanzón, not at the church in Casamaría.

Fuente de El Cuestu: a historic water complex

Near Casamaría, in the El Cuesto neighbourhood in Herrerías, is the Fuente de El Cuestu. This historic water complex is in poor condition. It comprises a spring, a livestock drinking trough and an uncovered washing basin. The rectangular basin was partly sunk into the ground and built against the wall of an earthen slope; it had two washboards. Water from the drinking trough flowed into the basin and drained away through a buried channel. Traditionally, the facility supplied the El Cuesto neighbourhood. The sequence of trough, washing basin and drainage channel gives a clear picture of how water was once managed.

Discover more destinations: Camplengo, La Concha, Vernejo, Luey, Villar, Villacarriedo, Rumoroso, Pejanda.

For the broader travel overview: Cantabria.