Discover Las Ilces: Forests, Trails and the Ermita de Santiago

Las Ilces reveals its natural landscape particularly clearly along the PR-PNPE 26 Hayedo de Las Ilces route. The woodland surrounding the route is one of the best-preserved areas in the surroundings of the Picos de Europa; the route runs through the surroundings of well-preserved beech and oak forests.

Nature and Trails

The complete PR-PNPE 26 Hayedo de Las Ilces circular route is 10.4 kilometres long and has a total elevation gain of 400 metres and an elevation loss of 400 metres. On the approach to Las Ilces, the circular trail crosses the CA-185 road and then passes the village chapel.

When planning personally, the separate elevation figures can be considered alongside the route length; the course of the trail adds a spatial reference to the numerical values. The route can therefore be understood through several different details, not just a single figure.

Routes

The Sierra Beleña route is 15 kilometres long, takes approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, has 400 metres of elevation gain and is of medium to high difficulty. It connects Espinama, Las Ilces, Pembes and Areños, a district of Cosgaya, and can be started from any of these places.

Connecting several places gives the Sierra Beleña a different character from a circular route. For your daily planning, you can consider the route format, length, duration, elevation profile and difficulty level side by side. The details provide several points of comparison without a single number having to determine the entire character of a route.

Culture and Village Character

The Ermita de Santiago, located in the village of Las Ilces in the municipality of Camaleño, is said to have been built in the 17th century at the request of the residents because attending services in Espinama was difficult for them. In 1735, the residents of Las Ilces had the chapel rebuilt and furnished at their own expense for local worship; the work cost them more than 1,000 ducats.

On the outside, the Ermita de Santiago has a square apse and a bell gable at the rear of the building. Inside, the chancel has a flat wooden ceiling; a semicircular triumphal arch leads to the nave, which is covered by a wooden pitched roof.

The few fairly well-preserved houses of Las Ilces illustrate the traditional Lebaniego architecture of this area; their building materials include stone, brick and wood.

When looking for a holiday apartment in Las Ilces, compare travel dates, room category and cancellation policies on the offer pages. These details provide a clear framework for personal planning, while nature trails, the village character and the history of the chapel shape the content of the trip.

More village pages

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For the higher-level travel overview: Cantabria.