Bárcena Mayor, Saja y Carmona: Viaje a los Pueblos Más Bonitos y Desconocidos de Cantabria

Cantabria is full of fascinating places and many of them are still little known to tourists. Often, those of us who go to this region as tourists visit the famous Potes, Santillana del Mar, Santander, Comillas or San Vicente de la Barquera, places that are much more famous to the whole world. Bárcena Mayor, Saja and Carmona (in order of appearance in the video) are located in the region of Saja-Nansa, which is characterised by its high ecological value. Guaranteed tranquillity and lush nature prevail. The landscape is dominated by sinuous folds and steep reliefs. It includes the Nansa and Cabuérniga valleys and is an area with its own personality within the region. Bárcena Mayor is the only village included in the Saja Besaya Natural Park. It is located on a small plain of the river Argoza, at the foot of the mountains of the Cantabrian divide. It stands out for its traditional architecture, the clarity of its boundaries, preferably marked by the back façades of the rows and the density of the built-up area, which make it a very compact nucleus in which space is used to the maximum, employing various solutions to adapt the buildings to the terrain. The most characteristic type of house in the village corresponds to the mountain house model of rural habitat. In them, the dividing walls protrude on the first floor from "S" brackets to shelter the solana, which began to be introduced in the 17th century with the arrival of corn and the need to have a space to dry the cereal. It is a locality in the municipality of Los Tojos (Cantabria, Spain). It is located 495 metres above sea level in the valley of the river Argoza and has a population of 84 inhabitants (INE, year 2009), of which 14 live scattered. It has been declared a Historic-Artistic Site since 1979, and has been included in the Association of the Most Beautiful Villages of Spain. A visit to the 17th century church of Santa Maria is a must, as are the old rectory houses, the traditional mountain houses, with wide porches and arcades opened by ashlar arches, or the rows of two-storey houses, with arcades, porches and wooden enclosures, which are essentially the most representative image of the mountain settlement model. It is said to be the oldest village in Cantabria. Saja is a village at the bottom of the upper Saja Valley, made up of two districts separated by the river that gives its name to the village. It is the most recent village in the municipality and although it was originally constituted as a neighbourhood of the village of Los Tojos, its most important growth has to do with the creation of a new access road to Castile that crosses the Palombera pass. The river Saja stands out in the landscape due to the heavy rains and thaws, due to its steep slope. Saja was famous for its craftsmen, who made rakes, miniature baits, etc., which they sold at the various livestock fairs. In this, as in the other villages in the municipality, there has traditionally been a great use of the forests, and as a result, a factory of wooden toys and wooden toys was set up in Saja, which was in operation until the Civil War, when it was destroyed. The hydraulic system of this factory was used to provide the village with electricity. Carmona is a village in the municipality of Cabuérniga (Cantabria). It is a village that has been declared a historic-artistic site, where the typical architecture of the mountain houses is perfectly reflected. The Tudanca breed of cattle and wood craftsmanship are traditional. It is a place where peace is the protagonist in every corner, preserving in its streets architectural works (mansions and palaces) almost intact from the Baroque period, mixed with simpler houses, giving rise to a beautiful and relaxing rural environment, surrounded by mountains. For this and much more, it has been included in the Association of the Most Beautiful Villages of Spain. Among the buildings of most tourist interest, the 18th century Palace of the Díaz Cossio y Mier family, now a Parador hotel, stands out. It was built at the beginning of the 18th century and completed in 1715. It has an imposing façade formed by a central body flanked by two square towers. The towers have three floors, with iron balconies and parapets. Viewpoints are one of the places not to be missed when sightseeing in an area because they usually offer a wonderful panoramic view of the place. Very close to Carmona is the Mirador de la Asomada del Rivero, offering great views of Carmona and its surroundings, especially the Picos de Ozalba and the Sierra del Escudo de Cabu.