Around Lake Ebro

History

Prior to the construction of Lake Ebro in the first half of twentieth century, the area was a vast fertile plain known as La Rasa de Campoo which was exploited for agriculture and livestock as well as serving as home to a number of thriving if somewhat small local communities. The motivation for the development of the lake was the increasingly severe water shortages that were affecting the regions of La Rioja, Navarra, Aragón and on to Cataluña.

Construction began in the 1920s but was paused during the Spanish Civil War with subsequent work being undertaken largely by Prisoners of War and political internees.  The lake was officially opened in 1952.

In order to secure the land for the project, compulsory purchase orders were placed on the entire village communities of Medianedo, La Magdalena, Quintanilla and Quintanilla de Bustamente. Other villages were partially given over to the site wiith large numbers of people moving into different parts of the surrounding area, principally Campoo de Yuso and Las Rozas de Valdearroyo.

Originally, a plan was developed to provide housing, work and compensation for the benefit of those affected but a major source of contention has been the failure for any of this to come to fruition with the sole project being the construction of a bridge joining the northern and southern shores at Noguerol. However, the bridge collapsed shortly after its initiation.

A startling reminder of the consequences of the flooding can be seen at Las Rozas where the tower of the former village church protrudes from the waters.

A full description of the history of the construction of the lake and a model of the dam used can be enjoyed at the Museo del Embalse del Ebro in Corconte.

Characteristics

Lake Ebro extends for 6250 hectares and has a maximum depth of 23 metres. Its waters come into the lake from the Cantabrian mountains and flow out to the south east, passing through Zaragoza, Huesca, Lérida and Tarragona where it enters the Mediterranean Sea.

The lake itself is home to a large fish population and provides resting place and sustenance for migratory birds in autumn and spring. An excellent display of the wildlife associated with the area can be found at the Ornithological Centre near La Población on the northern shore.

The waters of Lake Ebro also serve as a base for a wide range of watersports and the roads that track its shores are ideal for cycling and walking. You will also find a number of beach and bathing areas including La Población and Arija, in Castilla León.

A tale of two shorelines

The north and south shores of the vast expanse of water that is Lake Ebro constitute two remarkably different perspectives in terms of terrain, population density, flora and fauna. Progressing eastward along the northern shore, the visitor regularly comes across established villages, albeit sometimes of only a few inhabitants; there is a constant buzz of traffic and farming activity; the hills to the south are lush and inviting. Museums, Information Centres and other points of interest are clearly signposted and there are frequent opportunities to stop for refreshment, either at a café or a lakeside rereation area.

A drive along the southern shore presents a different type of charm. The dwellings are more dispersed and some villages seem particularly tranquil and inactive. The countryside is more austere, almost intimidating, and at times navigating one’s way to a particular feature or place of interest can be challenging. Having said that, we have only ever been offered a friendly, helpful welcome and some of our most enjoyable days out have been along this shore, often culminating with a picnic in the grounds of the Roman Domus at Julióbriga from where the views over the lake are exceptional.

  

A drive along the north shore of Lake Ebro

From junction 136 of the A67 we follow signs for Requejo to join the CA171 heading east. The open fields of the area to the north of the road are an excellent area for hiking and a short drive (or walk) soon brings you to a picturesque spot at Laguna de Santa Águeda. Three kilometres along the road from Requejo you come to an observation point (mirador) ‘Cartel Embalse del Ebro’ where you will enjoy excellent views over the lake and have access to a number of information panels (in Spanish).

A little further on there is another viewpoint – Mirador de Orzales – which is a popular bird watching location while just beyond the village of Orzales a small diversion takes you to the bridge ‘Puente de Lalastra’ which will take you to another popular hiking area, Peninsula de Lalastra. A walk from Bustamente onto the peninsula is described on an adjacent page.

Continuing along the CA171, you pass Quintana and Monegro, where you will find the church Santa Cecilia. The next village, La Costana, is home to the area’s Town Hall and here you can also view a historical monument, La Torre de los Bustamente, as well as visiting the nearby wildlife reserve at Isla de la Cruz and the ruins at Quintanilla de Bustamente. A little further on, near Quintanamanil, is a garden centre dedicated to tulips (Reserva de Tulipanes de Europa), best visited in the spring when the flowers are abundant. The next stretch takes you past two important wildlife conservation areas, one dedicated to amphibious creatures before arriving at another mirador, Quintanamanil.

Just before you cross the water to enter La Población, a left turn onto the CA726 brings you to the important Information Centre for Ornithology. Here, you will find displays and information panels relating to the birdlife that flourishes on and around Lake Ebro as well as the opportunity to watch a video and peruse leaflets relating to the lake and its surroundings. A little way north of here are the remains of a Roman Camp, El Cincho.

Returning to the CA171 and resuming our journey eastwards, we pass through La Población with its chapel ‘Virgen del Humano’ as well as a number of restaurants and bars and then past a small recreation area to soon arrive at Corconte. This is the last village in Cantabria on this section of road and is home to the Tourist Information Office for Lake Ebro. Located in the former village school, the centre features several displays explaining the history of the lake, technical data around the volume of water, its provenance and uses, the rivers that both feed and flow from Lake Ebro as well as information about the flora and fauna that populate the waters and the surrounding area. Once you have visited the Information Centre, a wald or drive around Corconte offers an elegant spa hotel, a renowned fountain and a small wildlife reserve.

A little way further on we cross into Burgos and heading south on the N623 we arrive at Cilleruelo de Bezana from where we can follow the southern shores of Lake Ebro back to the motorway.

Walks

There is a good selection of walking routes available in this part of Cantabria covering a range of distances and levels of difficulty. Detailed walking instructions can often be found either through Wikiloc or Naturea’s website. Among those that we have particularly enjoyed are the following;

Storks at Bustamente

This six kilometre route takes you from the village of Bustamente up to a high point at La Lastra from where you will gain excellent views of the surrounding area. The entire walk takes place within a bird protection zone (ZEPA). Bustamente is located some eight kilometres from the A67 motorway and parking is available alongside the village church where there is a panel escribing the route.

Ermita las Nieves

This delightful chapel sits on the hillside above Lake Ebro and can be approached by following signs from the Café Elisa at Monegro on the CA171 where you can also park. The route is approximately 6.5 kilometres and presents little or no difficulty.

Lanchares

A more challenging walk can be undertaken at Lanchares, towards the eastern end of the lake. The 12.5 kilometre route leads away from the village and up to a height of 1125m (3700ft) above sea level with some sharp ascents and descents along the way. Lanchares is signposted from the CA171, about 18 kilometres from the A67 motorway. The route is described in our book, Circular Walks in Cantabria.

The southern shore of Lake Ebro

Leaving the A67 at junction 133, we join the CA730 heading east. Soon we pass through Bolmir and a short distance further on come to a turning (CA732) with signs to Rertortillo and Julióbriga. At this important archaeological site, you will find the remains of a Roman town, complete with pillars, the foundations of houses, deep wells and outhouses. It is a remarkable step back into the history of Spain under Roman rule. The town – named after Julius Caesar - was a thriving centre of commerce and served as a connecting point between Rome’s territories in the north of Spain and the remainder of the peninsula. Within the complex you can visit a reconstruction of a Roman domus while alongside is the twelfth century church of Santa María del Retortillo with its external stairs to the former bell tower which sadly visitors are no longer able to climb up for a magnificent view of Lake Ebro and its surroundings and photo opportunity!

The CA730 continues through Villafría where is a small chapel (Ermita Santa Bárbara) and lavadero (washing station) before following the southern shores of Lake Ebro southwards until you reach Arroyo, the first of the villages in the Las Rozas area. Here, you can see the man made cascades that see the River Ebro begin its journey away from the lake before the road leads across a dam and on towards the more substantial dwellings that make up Las Rozas and its neighbour Renedo.

On the water’s edge at Las Rozas you can gaze on the remarkable sight of a church tower protruding from the lake. The church, Villanueva de las Rozas - also known as La Catedral de los Peces (The Cathedral of the Fish) – is a visible remnant of the villages that were submerged in the formation of Lake Ebro in the mid twentieth century. Preliminary works began in the 1920s although the main construction didn’t commence until after the Spanish Civil War with much of the labour being undertaken by prisoners of war. Four villages were forcibly evacuated and the final flooding of the area took place in 1947; the lake becoming fully functional in 1952. The issue remains a contentious one locally; the original inhabitants of the affected villages and their descendants claim that they never received the compensation that they had been promised and much of the reconstruction work for other businesses and villages failed to come to produce tangible results.

About eight hundred metres after the railway station at Las Rozas de Valdearroyo, a sign directs you off the main road to a small car park from where a short walk brings you to the walkway leading to the church tower which you can climb to enjoy splendid views of the lake and its surroundings. Look out for the little grebes that are very common on and around the water. There are several picnic tables and information panels in Spanish detailing the history of the lake. In addition to providing much needed irrigation as well as commercial and domestic water supply to much of the north of Spain, Lake Ebro is a natural refuge for a vast array of wildlife and is a centre for a range of water sports.

                                

For much of the following stretch, the road runs alongside the railway; the narrow gauge line that connects León and Bilbao. At times the train seems to run perilously close to the water’s edge while on other sections small bridges take the line over the lake itself and the streams that feed into it. The route – known as La Robla – dates from 1894 and is one of Europe’s longest narrow gauge journeys. The train takes you from the bustling city of León, across Spain’s northern meseta, through the rugged terrain of the border between Cantabria and Castilla-León and in the shadow of the lofty mountains that separate the northern regions from the rest of Spain. It then runs alongside Lake Ebro and from there deep into the Basque Country before pulling into Bilbao. The epic journey will take you past stunning scenery and fabulous historical monuments but it is best to allow plenty of time; the entire trip can take upwards of six hours. 

As you drive through this remote part of Cantabria, it is worth looking out for the herds of horses that often gather on the shore and sometimes venture into the water and your passengers may wish to peer into the skies where they might catch sight of a stork, a marsh harrier, an Egyptian vulture and, who knows, maybe an eagle.

Our next point of interest is at Llano where you will find an extensive forest populated with various types of oak and holly trees while in the grounds of the village church there is an ancient yew tree. This area forms part of a Bird Protection Zone (ZEPA) and is a particular haven for waterbirds. You should be aware that the forest is also a base for hunting and you should take notice of any warning signs.

Shortly, at Arija, where there is a beach and recreation area, you cross into Burgos and road name changes to the BU642 and moves away from the shores of the lake. You continue in a generally eastward direction passing through a number of small villages until you arrive at the N623 at Cilleruelo de Bezana. Turning left here will take you northwards towards Santander, some eighty kilometres away, while in the opposite direction lies the historic city of Burgos, also a drive of about eighty kilometres.

Walks

Llano

The most significant walking route in this section is to be found at Llano. The 6.5 kilometre route takes you inland from the shores of Lake Ebro and through woodland. Along the way you should have plenty of opportunities to spot and hear the wildlife that thrives in the woods and wetlands and you should enjoy good views of the railway bridge that carries La Robla – one of Spain’s oldest rail routes connecting León and Bilbao. The route benefits from good signage throughout which is especially welcome in the woodland sections. The walk starts from a parking area just beyond the village, Llano which is close to Las Rozas.

GR-99

Driving along the southern shore of Lake Ebro, you will notice a near permanent walking lane adjacent to the road. This is the GR-99 which tracks the River Ebro alongside the lake and then throughout its journey to the Mediterranean Sea. The official route includes a number of variants which take the rambler to some of the notable villages and places of interest on the way. By its nature the GR-99 is a one-way route but it does have the advantage that you can choose your start and finish points and how much of it you wish to walk. The entire route, starting at the former monastery at Montesclaros, and ending at Tarragona, comprises forty-two stages and 610 kilometres.