Torices – Church, History and Mountain Landscape

In Torices, an unusual detail leads directly into the history of the village: the Gospel chapel of San Martín Church contains a copy of an unusual shaft featuring a relief of a large snake. The original is said to be in the Diocesan Museum of Santillana del Mar today; the version in San Martín is a copy. The western bell gable is made of rubble masonry and has three sound openings; the upper openings have double round arches. Inside is an undecorated, truncated-cone-shaped baptismal font; its shape and size may indicate a Romanesque origin.

Culture

San Martín de Torices Church was probably built in the 16th century; the exact year of construction is not known. It has a single, relatively wide rectangular nave with a wooden gabled roof. San Martín contains popular Baroque altarpieces and sculptural works from churches in other villages that have since disappeared. Torices' historic religious heritage included a monastery called San Marín. It is recorded that in 1165 King Alfonso VIII donated Santa Cristina de Torices, together with other churches, to the Monastery of Sahagún and its abbot Guterio; the document in question was copied in the 18th century.

Landscape

Torices lies in hilly to mountainous terrain with forests of oaks, beeches, holm oaks and cork oaks. The local climate of Liébana enables the cultivation in Torices of grapevines, numerous fruit trees, legumes and garden crops, as well as the use of natural pastures and meadows. Anyone wishing to combine landscape and local history during a stay can consider these two themes side by side through specific features.

Trails

Access is via a local road that branches off the CA-184 between Ojedo and Piedrasluengas at Torices. The municipal route from Potes to Puerto de Piedras Luengas reaches Torices after Cabezón de Liébana. For cyclists, the mountain biking route “MTB Center Valle de Liébana. Valle Estrechu” passes through Torices and continues from there to Collada Perejita. A hiking route leads from Torices via Somaniezo to Cornón de La Sagra at an altitude of 2,048 metres. The hiking route “Collado Perejita y Iglesia de San Martín desde Torices” leads from Torices to Collado Perejita and San Martín Church. “Paseo por La Jacera de Torices” is designated as a hiking route in Torices.

The municipal connection, the mountain biking route and the three hiking trails mentioned differ in terms of activity and destination; thus, routes can be compared more according to the desired structure of the day than according to a uniform pattern.

Other Places

For your further travel planning, you can choose from Parbayón, Ruiloba, Gornazo, Tezanos, Arredondo, Laredo, Villapresente and Dueso.

Accommodation

When searching for a holiday apartment in Torices, you can compare travel dates, apartment category and cancellation policies. These three pieces of offer information can be considered separately and then aligned with your own planning details for the stay, for example when comparing different periods or categories.

La Hacienda de María is a more than 300-year-old traditional hacienda that was restored in the Montañés style and divided into 15 apartments.

For the overarching travel overview: Cantabria.