Villacarriedo – Holiday apartments in the Valle de Carriedo

Villacarriedo lies in the basin of the Río Pisueña, in the heart of the Valle de Carriedo. The historic and artistic ensemble of Villacarriedo can be explored on foot and offers an insight into the history of the valley.

Geographical setting

The course of the Río Pisueña in Villacarriedo is included in the Río Pas Site of Community Importance within the Natura 2000 network. The landscape in the municipality is characterised by hay meadows interspersed with pasiego huts. In the upper reaches of the Rubionzo stream, Monte de Zarrizuela is home to a well-preserved area of native deciduous woodland consisting of oaks and chestnut trees. Numerous streams run through Villacarriedo and contribute to the municipality’s fluvial character and abundance of fish; the fish species listed include eel, salmon and trout. Villacarriedo is connected by bus services to Santander and to the Aloños–Villacarriedo–Selaya route.

Culture

The Palacio de Soñanes was built between 1719 and 1724 over a medieval defensive tower and features a monumental staircase incorporating the central tower. The Colegio de los Padres Escolapios in Villacarriedo was founded in 1746; it includes the three-naved Iglesia de San Antonio with a hemispherical dome decorated with stars. The work of some members of the Colegio contributed to improving the valley’s infrastructure in the last third of the 19th century, including the construction of a bridge over the Pisueña in Villacarriedo. The series of traditional Montañés houses forms part of the municipality’s documented cultural heritage. In the municipality, the Molino de Rubionzo preserves its original machinery, diversion channel and a remarkable stone bridge from the 19th century. The Cajigona de Villacarriedo is a century-old, emblematic oak tree standing in one of the town’s squares.

Walks and trails

The PR-S53 Hayal de Aloños is a signposted and waymarked hiking trail that begins in Aloños; within the municipality of Villacarriedo, this starting point is on the village square next to the Ermita de San Fructuoso. Within the municipality, the PR-S53 passes through a beech forest where two watercourses form small cascades over limestone. The La Torca, a large karst cave created by the dissolution of the limestone, lies alongside the PR-S53 route there. The PR-S56 Río Rubionzo y la Zarrizuela runs through the basin of the Río Rubionzo between the municipalities of Saro and Villacarriedo. It is considered a walk of around one and a half hours, conveniently accessible for all visitor groups and in every season.

Regional impressions

The 10 km car route “Los pueblos carredanos” runs from Bárcena de Carriedo via Tezanos, Pedroso, Santibáñez and Aloños and offers insights into valuable architectural features such as manor houses, traditional houses, fountains and bowling alleys. At La Jarradilla, a guided tour of the cheese dairy is offered, including explanations of the production and maturation of the cheeses as well as a commented tasting of the cheeses made there.

Choosing a location

Anyone comparing a holiday apartment in Villacarriedo can compare travel dates, room category and cancellation conditions on the respective offer pages. The walks, cultural heritage sites, forests and regional discoveries described above provide different points of reference.

Other places

Other location options: Camijanes, San Roque De Riomiera, Orzales, Casamaría, Dueso, Pedreña, Vega De Liébana, Vega De Pas

For the overarching travel overview: Cantabria.