Cantabria mountain villa for holiday rental, Picos de Europa, Spain

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Rustical´s review                                                     See prices

The Spanish owners, keen walkers themselves, created this Cantabria mountain retreat for themselves and it has the feel and the qualities of a real alpine home. We think this can make all the difference between acceptable holiday accommodation and a place you really appreciate and enjoy staying in.

The house inside is welcoming, well-finished and decorated in keeping with its rural character. The main feature is a huge picture window from floor to ceiling. The light that enters fills the entire open-plan living and dining space but more importantly, the stupendous views of the valley and forested mountains beyond the private garden make you feel very much part of the dramatic natural world of the Liebana you will undoubtedly want to explore.

The house is well arranged, with a good-sized living area above which a gallery provides extra sleeping space. There is an open fireplace in addition to central heating. Sofas are comfortable and equipment includes a DVD and CD player. The kitchen, dining area and shower room complete the main floor, which ends at the window view and a glass door giving access to the main garden.

Downstairs are a twin bedroom and the Master double, sharing a second shower room. The Master bedroom has its own door out to a lower, smaller garden with barbecue. Steps go up to the main garden area from here. There is a pub garden-style wooden bench and seating here and extraordinary views.

The house enjoys plenty of privacy in the sleepy but inhabited hamlet, behind which the mountains loom up impressively. There are no services, but it’s not far at all – 4 km to be precise – to Ojedo, where there is a large supermarket. And a little closer, in Tama, you can eat out very well and spend time finding out about the Picos de Europa and hiking routes at the impressive Visitors Centre. Potes, the main market town and capital of the Liebana region is also nearby.

Potes is the hiking hub for the Liebana, a lively place with plenty of shops, restaurants, bars and internet cafés. The beef at a local butchers’ is excellent and there are at least three good restaurants we can recommend. You can buy good local honey and boleto mushrooms, too, and orujo, a fiery digestif to round off a hearty meal.

Cheese lovers will have a field day, with the nearby village of Tama being famous for its production of cave-cured, potent, crumbly cheeses. The Tama Cheese Festival is held on the 3rd weekend of July. The natural cider which complements is not restricted to neighbouring Asturias, but an important cottage industry in Cantabria, too, and you will find it served widely at restaurants and taverns.

A car is pretty much essential here. The drive from Santander is an easy enough 90 minutes and there’s room to park two cars outside the house. A short drive wll bring you to Pendes and a one thousand year-old chestnut forest. With their massive girths, these are the ancients of the tree world. The walks around here are a delight. You may see wild orchids, alpine newts and the European Griffon or smaller Egyptian vulture.

Here you are in the Liebana area with plenty to do and see: you can read more about it in our Cantabria guide. In 45 minutes you can be at Fuente Dé to take the cable car high up into the mountains or at the coast, where we recommend San Vicente Barquera, a fishing village with a huge backdrop of snowy mountains. A little further on is Oyambre, a coastal Natural Park with beautiful beaches surrounded by nature.

For more very interesting beaches and coves, our tip is to cross over into Asturias 15 minutes west.

Facilities
Glass-fronted fireplace; central heating; fully equipped kitchen including dishwasher; TV / DVD; CD player. Garden with outdoor furniture and barbecue; all linen provided.

Distribution
On two floors
First floor: entrance to open plan kitchen / dining / living room, steps up to sleeping gallery (extra room for 2); shower room. Top garden
Ground floor:  Master bedroom with its own access to the bottom garden;  twin-bedded room; shower room.

Notes:
-Dogs are permitted at a charge of 3 € per dog, per day.

Location and Distances
Located in the Cillorigo district of the Liebana region (see also Cantabria map), in a hamlet with no services.

Tama (good restaurant, Picos de Europa Visitors Centre)	3 km
Large supermarket	4 km
Potes (market town, most facilities)	6 km
Fuente Dé (cable car up the Picos)	40 mins
Cantabrian coast	45 mins
Oyambre Natural Park (beautiful beaches)	1 hr
Santander (town, Airport, ferry port)	1 hr 30 mins