Exploring España: San Vicente de la Barquera

Following on from Monday's post on Santander, today I'm giving you a tour of the second part of that trip – a day in a Cantabrian fishing village. My decision to visit San Vicente de la Barquera was based on a single photo. After all, who wouldn't want to visit a picturesque village on the Cantabrian coast set against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains? But I never actually got to see that view...

I got up in plenty of time, but having inadvertently spent too long admiring the sea views on the 2.5 km (1.5 mile) walk into town, I ended up missing the 10:30 bus to San Vicente de la Barquera. No matter, I would buy tickets for the 12:15 Alsa service and then go have a coffee somewhere.

Seeing the long-ish queue, I opted to use the self-service machine. I chose my tickets, inserted a €10 note (£8/US$13) and waited. The machine swallowed the note and refused to spit out either the money or the tickets. I managed to get help from a member of staff – evidently this wasn't the first time the greedy machine had done this – and then, tickets in hand, went to wait for the bus. It turned up ridiculously late and by the time we reached San Vicente, the skies were looking decidedly grey.

Looking across the estuary to San Vicente de la Barquera

Despite the overcast day, I was determined to do some sightseeing. I had no map and I didn't know where the tourist information office was, but I figured that the town was probably too small to get lost in. So I just picked a likely looking street and went wandering. Before long I had reached an old stone arch, which I later learned was the gateway to La Puebla Vieja (the old town). To the left was Torre del Preboste, where taxes where levied in medieval times.

One of the original gateways to the town with Torre del Preboste on the left



Entering La Puebla Vieja



A splash of colour on a grey day

Just beyond this gate is Palacio del Corro (the Palace of Corro), a Renaissance palace built by the family of the inquisitor, Antonio del Corro (1471-1556) whose crests can still be seen on the façade. In the 16th century, the palace was used as a hospital for pilgrims en-route to Santiago de Compostela, and today it is home to the Town Hall.


The former pilgrims' hospital

The inquisitor's crest

Outside the palace were two signs. To the left was the church, and to the right, the castle. I opted for the church. On the short walk uphill I was rewarded with stunning views across the valley below.

Looking down on the valley



Echium vulgare, more commonly known as Viper's Bugloss or Blueweed

Sitting on top of the craggy outlook near the well-preserved remains of the medieval walls is La Iglesia de Santa María de los Ángeles, a Santander Gothic-style church with two Romanesque doors. Building work commenced in the 13th century but continued well into the following century. I walked all around the building and then went to explore the fortifications.


The mighty Iglesia de Santa María de los Ángeles

Well-preserved fortifications

Looking out towards the valley

The perfect picture frame

Stunning views across the valley

But it was the views that grabbed me. I spent quite a while just gazing out across the valley below and trying to capture what I was seeing. If I were an artist, I would paint scenes like those. But I'm not so I had to make do with my trusty-if-a-little-elderly Nikon D80. Having taken countless shots, I went to check out the church interior.

One of the Romanesque doors

The church interior

Looking back towards the organ

A simple shrine

I later learned that I had missed the church's key feature – the tomb of Antonio del Corro. This is where having some kind of tourist information comes in handy! Fortunately, thanks to the power of the world wide web, I can see what I missed out on.

The tomb of Corro (photo © unavueltadeldestino.wordpress.com)

The town's other famous site is that of El Puente de la Maza (the Maza Bridge), a bridge that was built in the 15th century during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs, King Fernando II (r. 1479-1516) and Queen Isabel I (r. 1479-1504). Over half a mile long and with 32 arches, the stone bridge stands on the site of a 6th century wooden bridge. It really is quite impressive...

View of the harbour looking towards El Puente de la Maza

Boats at low tide



Boat stuck in the mud

One last look at the mighty bridge