La Gándara: Springs, Karst and Pasabolo

In the Lavín district of La Gándara de Soba is the Interpretation Centre of the Los Collados del Asón Nature Park. A guided and commented route through the area around La Gándara leads from this centre to the source of the Gándara River and ends at the Mirador de las Cascadas del Gándara viewpoint. The sequence thus connects three clearly distinguishable stops: the centre, the spring area and the viewpoint overlooking the watercourses.

Nature and Landscape

The source of the Gándara River comprises two individual outlets, the Cueva de La Gándara and the Cueva río Chico, as well as a diffuse spring zone. The springs at the source of the Gándara River emerge at the contact zone with the low-permeability formations that outcrop in La Gándara de Soba. The Sistema Gándara karst system comprises 106 kilometres of galleries and cavities. The 106 kilometres refer to the galleries and cavities of the karst system and therefore differ from the visible spring outlets and the diffuse spring zone. The viewpoint at Las Cascadas del Gándara is located in La Gándara and offers a view of the rapids of the Gándara River. Distinguishing between individual outlets, a diffuse zone, the karst system and the visible rapids allows you to consider different aspects of the landscape separately.

Further destinations: Piélagos, San Miguel de Meruelo, La Concha, Rumoroso, San Vicente de la Barquera, Carriazo, Valdáliga and Salces.

When planning a holiday apartment in La Gándara, travel dates, room category and cancellation conditions can be considered separately. They relate to the desired period, the room layout and the conditions for changes. This makes it possible to place the practical details of accommodation alongside the distinct topics of the source of the Gándara River, the Sistema Gándara and Pasabolo Tablón, without conflating them.

Culture and Tradition

On Monte San Pedro in La Gándara there is a Pasabolo Tablón bowling alley that is still in use and is associated with Pasabolo Tablón, a Cantabrian variant of skittles. In this game, a ball is intended to knock three skittles positioned at the end of a long board as far forward as possible. Twenty-one championships have been held at the Pasabolo Tablón bowling alley on Monte San Pedro. Día de Soba is associated with activities on Monte San Pedro in La Gándara. The black drawings in El Becerral Cave probably date from the present day. For different interests, you can consider these places and topics side by side: the guided nature route, the gaming tradition, the festival connection, the cave drawing and the building architecture each have their own focus. A building complex is arranged around an inner courtyard with rooms and storage areas; its façade features round arches and windows. It also formerly contained a chapel.

To the overarching travel overview: Cantabria.