Free walking tours in Potes and what to see

Must-sees

Potes is the capital of the Liébana district, on the Cantabrian side of the Picos de Europa. The town huddles beside the rivers Deva and Quiviesa, with stone bridges and houses with wooden balconies. The 15th-century Torre del Infantado dominates the main square and hosts exhibitions. Stroll through the Solana quarter, the oldest, and the streets leading down to the river.

A few kilometres away is the Monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana, which keeps the Lignum Crucis, considered the largest surviving fragment of Christ's cross. It is a place of pilgrimage with jubilee years. Higher up, at Fuente Dé, the cable car climbs to the Mirador del Cable, at more than 1,800 metres. Arriving through the La Hermida gorge is already part of the visit.

Free tours and guided visits

Free walking tours are not common in Potes. The usual options are guided visits to the town and the monastery, and above all trips around the district. At Santo Toribio you can ask about the visits explaining its history, that of the Lignum Crucis and that of Beatus of Liébana, the monk who wrote his famous commentaries here.

Guided routes into the Picos de Europa leave from Potes, many of them from the top of the Fuente Dé cable car. There are also 4x4 outings on mountain tracks and visits to villages in the district, such as Mogrovejo. Food is another reason to come: cocido lebaniego, the cheeses and orujo, which has its own festival in autumn.

How long to spend

A morning or an afternoon is enough to see Potes. A sensible plan is two days for the district. The first for the town and Santo Toribio, which is very close. The second for Fuente Dé and a walk in the high area. If you come in summer, go up the cable car early, because queues can be long.

Where to stay

Staying in Potes is the most practical choice. You have restaurants, shops and services to hand, and the roads to Fuente Dé and the gorge start from the town. If you want silence, the villages of the Camaleño valley, on the way to Fuente Dé, have rural houses and small hotels with mountain views. From there you are closer to the high mountain routes.