Puentedey – Natural Rock Arch of Puentedey loop from Villarcayo de Merindad de Castilla la Vieja
Puentedey – Natural Rock Arch of Puentedey loop from Villarcayo de Merindad de Castilla la Vieja
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Puentedey – Natural Rock Arch of Puentedey loop from Villarcayo de Merindad de Castilla la Vieja
03:25
53.5km
350m
Gravel riding
Moderate gravel ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.
Last updated: August 23, 2026
Waypoints
Start point
Parking
Get Directions
419 m
Villarcayo Town Hall
Highlight • Monument
2.30 km
Villarcayo
Highlight • Settlement
97 kilometers. 1,370 positive meters.
In the old Villarcayo-Horna station there are many remains and curiosities of the railway heritage of the old Santander-Mediterranean line. An old machine parked next to the track, the water tanks, the platforms, the point changes and the buildings attached to the railway service dismantled in 1985. The Natural Trail continues through Cigüenza, with a new bridge over the Nela, and continues through a fantastic valley crossing the meanders of the Nela through Tubilla, Escanduso and Escaño to the curious railway station of Brizuela , which preserves some rails, the railway building and a pleasant grass “pavement” between the platforms. Puentedey is another attractive stop to go down to the bed of the Nela and see the impressive natural tunnel that the river bed has carved under the town. The old train track also passes through another tunnel under the town and continues through the spectacular canyon that the Nela River has carved at the foot of the Muelas de Dulla. In Quitanabaldo the track deviates along the Ruta de los Sentidos towards Soncillo to complete the stage following the Ebro Natural Path but still has to travel one of the emblematic sections of the Santander-Mediterranean Natural Path to the Tunnel of Engaña. At the Nela bridge, the Cidad Dosante detour leaves to the left, the main route crosses the imposing bridge, passes through the Pedrosa de Valdeporres station and goes up to the entrance of the Engaña Tunnel. The area is a forest jungle of birch, oak, beech, maple, hazel and bushes of all kinds in a place steeped in history. The construction of the tunnel in the bowels of the Cantabrian Mountains was essential to complete the railway line; it took 17 years and hundreds of workers, most of them political prisoners, to drill the seven kilometers of gallery between Burgos and Cantabria, a work that had never been It was used for the passage of trains, however it was used for several decades to exchange goods between the two slopes of the mountain range by private vehicles, until landslides in the interior complicated transit and it was permanently closed.
The traveling cycle route returns along the same path to Quintanabaldo and deviates from the Santander-Mediterranean Natural Path along the Route of the Senses GR-85. From this point on, the technical level for gravel bikes increases, there are sections with uneven surfaces, high slopes, narrow paths and several points in the Ebro canyon where it is necessary to load the bike to overcome some walkways. In reality, everything is cyclable except for the walkways, which are easy to navigate in a few minutes on foot, and it is worth it to travel a fantastic stretch of the Ebro Natural Trail through the Manzanedo and Valdivieso valleys. The GR-85 goes up from Quintabaldo along a fairly steep track to the town of Villabáscones de Bezana, a gem of popular architecture hidden in the Pisas beech forest. In the town you have to continue along the road to Soncillo, a good place to regain strength after the climb from the Nela valley. The gravel trip continues along the Alto de la Hoya road and begins an enjoyable descent through the towns of the Trifón River valley, all asphalt, without traffic, between mountains sculpted by a capricious and suggestive nature. In Lándraves there are signs of the Palancas Gorge, one of the natural wonders of the area. The Route of the Senses passes through the canyon but on gravel it is not recommended. The descent continues through Cueva de Manzanedo and finally reaches the bank of the Ebro in Manzanedo, connecting with the Ebro Natural Trail. The route changes banks and continues for about ten kilometers along technical and entertaining trails surrounding livestock meadows and private farms. Cyclability is one hundred percent with patience and skill on this type of narrow and bumpy paths, a complication can be mud during times of heavy rain. The alternative would be to continue along the road to Incinillas and then along the N-232 to Puente del Aire.
Translated by Google •
Tip by
12.0 km
Path Along the Nela River
Highlight (Segment) • Trail
Translated by Google •
Tip by
13.4 km
Greenway of the Sierra de la Demanda
Highlight • Cycleway
13.9 km
Puentedey
Highlight • Natural Monument
Translated by Google •
Tip by
27.5 km
Trail between mountains
Highlight • Trail
Translated by Google •
Tip by
28.1 km
Exit of the Ceramico Tunnel
Highlight • Structure
Translated by Google •
Tip by
41.2 km
Natural Rock Arch of Puentedey
Highlight • Natural Monument
Translated by Google •
Tip by
53.5 km
End point
Parking
Way Types & Surfaces
Way Types
46.8 km
4.45 km
717 m
642 m
456 m
356 m
104 m
Surfaces
27.2 km
20.3 km
3.19 km
2.65 km
< 100 m
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Elevation
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Weather
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Sunday 23 August
28°C
13°C
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Our route recommendations are based on thousands of hikes, rides, and runs completed by other people on komoot.
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