In and around Reinosa

With first mentions in official court documents dating from 1000 AD and with the Rivers Híjar and Ebro passing through its centre, Reinosa has played an important role in the commerce, industry, history and geography of this part of Spain. From the Middle Ages until the development of the railway in the nineteenth century, its geographical location made it a key intersection between the coast and mountains of northern Spain, the cities of the meseta and the trade and pilgrimage routes from further south.

The nineteenth and twentieth centuries saw fluctuations in its population and prosperity, largely related to the success or otherwise of its industry which was based on wheat, cheese, chocolate and glass. These were added to with the construction of a huge casting and metalwork factory at the beginning of the twentieth century. With the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, the factory was converted to armament production and was the subject of one of the first air raids in July 1936.

It is a compact town with its main commrece and places of interest clustered around the impressive Town Hall building. The Tourist Office is located in the Town Hall building and organises free guided walking tours, taking in the town’s principal attractions as well as its well presented parks and open spaces and a number of historical buildings and bridges. A weekly market is celebrated on Mondays.

If you do stop in Reinosa you may well find yourself caught up in one of the town’s many fiestas. The principal celebrations include San Sebastián on 20^th January, which features a cooking competition involving ollas ferrovarias – the containers used to transport meals to railway staff; on 25^th July Reinosa marks Spain’s national patron, Santiago, with a national folklore competition; 21^st September sees a major celebration of San Mateo, including a procession of sumptuosly decorated floats; while on the last Sunday of September, the town hosts the Día de Campoo, celebrating the rich cultural life of this part of Cantabria.

Heading west from Reinosa

Travelling west from Reinosa on the CA183 takes you to some of the real highlights of this part of Cantabria:

Some five kilometres beyond the centre of Reinosa, you come to Fontibre and the source of the River Ebro. This tranquil spot with its small waterfall and lake is an ideal place to enjoy quiet time. It has short walkways around the lake, picnic benches, a couple of bars and restaurants and, of course the enchantment of the being the starting point for one of Spain’s major rivers.

Another two kilometres further on brings you to Argüeso where, as well as one of Cantabria’s few castles you can also visit a Poblado Cántabro – a reconstruction of Iron Age dwellings with exhibits of tools and handcrafts from the era.

Crossing the roundabout at Espinilla you soon arrive at the campsite ‘Complejo Puente Romano’ alongside which is located a Roman bridge.

The road starts to climb here with several miradores (viewpoints) along the way until, at its end, you arrive at Cantabria’s ski resort, Alto Campoo, which offers more than twenty ski runs and over twenty-eight kilometres of skiable terrain. The complex includes a complete range of sports outlets, accommodation and refreshment opportunities. Plans are currently being drawn up to develop the site for use in the summer months.

Walks

This is an excellent area for walking and there are several marked routes covering a range of distances and levels of difficulty.

Nacimiento del Ebro

At Fontibre, there is an easy eight kilometre route taking you through the countryside around the source of the Ebro.

Argüeso

Starting alongside the poblado cántabro, a more challenging fifteen kilometre walk leads you higher into the mountains, returning past the castle.

Countryside and villages from Ormas

Just beyond the roundabout at Espinilla, a narrow road takes you uphill to Ormas from where a very pleasant, well marked tour of the local villages can be enjoyed.

Los balcones

Continuing towards the ski resort, at the marker for kilometre 17, there is a large parking bay and on the opposite side of the road is a seven kilometre trail known as ‘Los balcones del oso’ which leads you through sometimes challenging terrain alongside the River Hijar.

Finally, serious mountaineers will find a number of routes and opportunities for winter hiking and climbing around Brañavieja and the ski resort.

The routes at Fontibre, Argüeso, Ormas and Los Balcones del Oso are described in our walking books, Circular Walks in Cantabria, Discover Cantabria  and Explore Cantabria.