The best road cycling routes around Cartes

A well-preserved bridge

Quiet place, interesting views.

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 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.

The Sanctuary of Las Caldas del Besaya is a fantastic Baroque monastery dating from the 17th - 18th century and located in the Corrales de Buelna, very close to the rural centre and on high ground, next to the motorway towards the Meseta. Inside, it contains an important group of Baroque altarpieces, highlighting the Main one, with an image of the patron saint, Our Lady of Las Caldas, from the 16th century. The side altarpieces are from the 17th century, in the Churrigueresque and decorative Baroque style. The cloister has a square plan and preserves several canvases from the end of the 18th century, dedicated to the founder of the order, with scenes from his own life.

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

At the beginning of the San Andrés neighbourhood, in Somahoz, the views upstream from the Besaya are beautiful. This is the starting point for several routes.

The spa is located in Las Caldas de Besaya, which belongs to Los Corrales de Buelna, and this name is thanks to the spring of thermal waters that flows nearby, already known since Roman times (warm waters). On November 15, 1753, the old "Wool Road" or "Flour Road" that ran through this point and along the Besaya, achieved the rank of "Royal Road", notably improving the transport conditions of Castilian products destined for our coastal ports, for export overseas. The building is located next to the train stop across the old donkey-back bridge. Years later, the main road passed by, and all of this contributed to facilitating the communications of the Spa, although currently they are all out of use, but this has not caused the number of travelers to decrease and they remain very popular. The spa was built in the mid-19th century next to the hotel, the inn, and the casino, which was formerly an annex building. Today it is restored, being considered the oldest in the region and continues to receive those who wish to benefit from its mineral-medicinal waters.