Santa María de Cayón: Trails, Forests and Architectural Heritage

Santa María de Cayón combines circular trails, forest and river landscapes, and historic buildings as different facets of the municipality.

Nature and Trails

The municipality of Santa María de Cayón features a gentle landscape of meadows and scrubland with few elevations. In the areas around the Pisueña and Suscuaja rivers, there are mixed alluvial forests with willows, alders, poplars and ash trees, as well as rushes and ferns. The Hayedo de Esles is a damp, shady beech forest that preserves several impressive beech trees. At the same time, it is an example of native woodland in the municipality.

In the area of Santa María de Cayón, the Senda Verde runs from Sarón to Castañeda along a converted and refurbished former railway section. It can be used by cyclists and pedestrians and includes stretches of alluvial forest and extensive meadows. The different landscapes and types of use help you compare trails by route and activity.

Trails and Circular Routes

Ruta I “El Hayal de Esles” is a 6.7-kilometre circular route with an estimated duration of two hours; it is recommended year-round. Ruta III “El Monte Alto del Cagigal” begins in the Barrio de la Iglesia of Santa María de Cayón. “Una mirada desde lo alto” is a circular route through the villages of Santa María de Cayón.

The La cabecera del Suscuaja route begins in the municipality of Santa María de Cayón, in Lloreda, continues to Esles, passes through the Hayedo de Esles and is suitable for hikes of moderate difficulty. Circular routes, a village walk and a moderately difficult hike offer different ways to compare the duration and character of an outing.

More local pages: Miengo, Santander, Los Tojos, Santibáñez, Tresviso, Camargo, Secadura

Culture and History

The Iglesia de Santa María de Cayón is a heavily modified Romanesque building with a semicircular apse. It stands beside the Pisueña River; the trees along its banks form a visible boundary and a natural backdrop for the apse.

The Iglesia de San Andrés in Argomilla de Cayón, in the municipality of Santa María de Cayón, is a Bien de Interés Cultural. Also located in Argomilla de Cayón is the Palacio de Ceballos “El Caballero”, which is designated in the municipality of Santa María de Cayón as a Bien de Interés Local in the “Inmueble” category. The palace appears to date from the late 16th century and belonged to the Ceballos line.

The Palacio de Ceballos “El Caballero” stands on a promontory on the slope south of Argomilla de Cayón and has a visual relationship with the nearby Romanesque Iglesia de San Andrés. The Ermita de San Vicente is the only surviving witness to the 9th-century monastery of San Vicente de Fístoles. The present-day Ermita de San Vicente was built in the 16th century between Esles and Lloreda. The Nuestra Señora de la Asunción church in Santa María de Cayón dates from the 12th century.

For the main travel overview: Cantabria.