The best city hikes and walks in Saja-Besaya

The San Andrés Bridge is in Somahoz (Los Corrales de Buelna) over the Besaya River, which gives access to the San Andrés neighbourhood. It is divided into a narrow lane for vehicles and a pedestrian crossing, and from it we see a railway bridge that we have to go under to enter the neighbourhood. And that railway bridge (or overpass) that we crossed is part of the historic "Ferro-carril de Isabel II" (Isabel II Railway) that began to be built in the mid-19th century with the project of joining the towns of Alar del Rey with Santander and whose section from Bárcena de Pie de Concha to the Cantabrian capital must have been finished in 1858.

The leguarios are large boundary stones made of local sandstone, placed, in this case, in La Bandera, near the town hall of Los Corrales de Buelna, which marked seven leagues. It was placed in this place on the occasion of the construction of the Camino Real, in 1753, and marked the distance of seven leagues to the city of Santander, the league being the most common unit of length in Castilian lands, equivalent to 5,572 metres, until the implementation of the decimal metric system on 1 July 1880. In this way, the walker knew the distance from the boundary stone to the city of Santander and, given that a person could travel a league in approximately one hour, this leguario with its seven-league inscription reminded the walker that he was seven hours from the city.

The Casa Palacio that the Ceballos had in Barros is today owned by Mr. Herrero and Mr. Martínez de Azcoitia. It is a beautiful mountain architectural complex with a portal between cylindrical cubes, a typical mansion and a chapel. It was restored a few years ago by the current owners who have managed to give its interior a stately and period atmosphere. It dates back to the beginning of the 18th century.

Giant Barros Stele: Located in the town of Barros, municipality of Los Corrales de Buelna, Cantabria. The Cantabrian Steles found next to the hermitage of the Virgen de la Rueda, in the town of Barros, and the two found in the Lombera neighbourhood, are displayed in a permanent exhibition next to the aforementioned hermitage in what is known as the Parque de las Estelas de Cantabria. These are circular pieces that preserve the base pier, 0.80 metres wide, for vertical placement. The largest one (Barros II), between 2.15 and 2.46 metres in diameter and weighing 3,000 kilos, was found in fragments in 1977 between the walls of the chapel of Nuestra Señora de la Rueda de Barros and was rebuilt in 1999. The Cantabrian stele known as Barros I, also called the Wheel of Santa Catalina or the Wheel of the Virgin, is smaller in size, but its dimensions are still spectacular: 1.75 metres in diameter and 32 centimetres thick. Made of sandstone, easy to work, like the previous one, it has a geometric decoration. Although interpreted by some as religious or funerary testimonies, the steles displayed in the Parque de las Estelas de Cantabria continue to offer researchers numerous questions about their functionality and chronology. There is a possibility that they may belong to the Roman period or even later. They were declared a Site of Cultural Interest in 1985 and since then their image has been part of the coat of arms of Cantabria. Information from: https://www.cantabriarural.com/lugares-de-interes/parque-de-las-estelas-de-cantabria.html

The leguarios are large boundary stones made of local sandstone and placed, in this case, in the Lombas de Barros, next to the Rueda de Barros chapel, which marked six and a half leagues. All three, in the municipality of Los Corrales de Buelna, indicated the route and the distance to the coastal port of the city of Santander. It was situated there on the occasion of the construction of the Camino Real in 1753 and marked the distance of six leagues to the city of Santander, the league being the most common unit of length in Castilian lands, equivalent to 5,572 metres, until the implementation of the decimal metric system on 1 July 1880. In this way, the walker knew the distance from the boundary marker to the city of Santander and, given that a person could travel a league in approximately one hour, this leguario with its inscription of six and a half leagues reminded the walker that he was six and a half hours away from the city.

The Hermitage of the Virgin of the Wheel is a small chapel at the foot of the road in Barros (Los Corrales de Buelna), next to the Museum of Las Estelas and the 6 and a half league long Leguario. It is believed that its construction dates back to the 16th century, although it has undergone various restorations over the years. The name of the hermitage refers to an old local tradition that tells that the image of the Virgin of the Wheel was found in a nearby mill wheel.

The leguarios are large boundary markers made of local sandstone and placed, in this case, very close to the town hall of Los Corrales de Buelna, almost in front of the Estelas park. It was placed in this place on the occasion of the construction of the Camino Real, in 1753, and marked the distance of seven leagues to the city of Santander, the league being the most common unit of length in Castilian lands, equivalent to 5,572 metres, until the implementation of the decimal metric system on 1 July 1880. In this way, the walker knew the distance from the boundary marker to the city of Santander and, given that a person could travel a league in approximately one hour, this leguario with its seven-league inscription reminded the walker that he was seven hours from the city.

The church of San Román is located in Somahoz (Corrales de Buelna). It is an emblematic place. This church dates back to the 13th century and is believed to have been built by local craftsmen, using techniques and materials typical of Romanesque architecture. Over the centuries, the church has undergone various modifications and restorations, but has managed to largely preserve its original structure. The Church of Somahoz has witnessed important events throughout the history of Cantabria, including religious ceremonies, weddings, baptisms and funerals. During the Spanish Civil War, the church suffered damage to its structure, but was later restored thanks to the efforts of the local community and the ecclesiastical authorities.