La Pared: Caves, Historic Trails and Holiday Apartments

La Pared combines Paleolithic cave art with historic trails and Cantabrian landscapes.

When choosing a holiday apartment in La Pared, you can compare travel dates, room categories and cancellation policies on accommodation listings and match your planned cave destinations with the different trail lengths. Information on tour duration, walking routes, route lengths, elevation gain and ascents shows whether a short cave visit or an extended route is more likely to determine the rhythm of your day. The different types of trail – path, switchbacks, forest track and road – can also be considered separately.

Caves and History

Covalanas is a UNESCO World Heritage-listed cave with Paleolithic paintings of 18 hinds, a stag, an aurochs and a horse. The guided tour of Covalanas lasts approximately 45 minutes, and a 650-metre uphill footpath leads from the car park to the cave.

Inside Cullalvera, there is a 400-metre-long walkway adapted for people with reduced mobility. Cullalvera’s prehistoric cave paintings are located beyond the visitor route and cannot be visited.

The Camino de las cuevas de Ramales follows the old Camino Real from Laredo to Burgos; its route is connected with Charles V’s journey during his retreat to Yuste.

Hiking Trails and Routes

The Ruta de las Cuevas passes through the area known as Valle del Silencio. After Cueva de Covalanas, the circular R2 Valle del Silencio route leads through La Pared; it is 18 kilometres long, involves 816 metres of elevation gain and is estimated to take 6 to 7 hours.

At Monte del Pando, the corresponding section follows a narrow path through a Cantabrian holm oak forest. The route to the caves of Ramales is 4 kilometres long, takes approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes, includes 220 metres of ascent and descent, and has no stated difficulty rating.

The footpath from Ramales passes Cueva de la Haza and then climbs via switchbacks to the elevated Cueva de Covalanas at 300 m. The different distances, time estimates and elevation figures provide an objective basis for comparing shorter and longer trails.

Landscape and Geology

From La Pared, a pleasant path runs along the Río Calera; from there, you can view Cueva de la Luz, an impressive cave in a sheer limestone wall of Monte del Pando.

After descending through a forest, the Senda de la Dama Roja approaches La Pared via a road in the direction of the Río Calera basin.

Pared del Eco is listed in the Valles de Cantabria Geopark project as a geologically significant site (Lugar de Interés Geológico). The large entrance to Cuevamur is accessible next to Pared del Eco.

More Destinations

More destinations at the same regional level: Limpias, Santa Cruz De Bezana, Castro-Urdiales, Piélagos, Cillorigo De Liébana, Otañes, Los Corrales De Buelna, Val De San Vicente.

For the broader travel overview: Cantabria.