The best city hikes and walks around Pas-Iguña

This simple but atmospheric statue of Francis of Assisi stands along the Camino del Norte in Viveda. In 1214, St Francis of Assisi slept in Viveda on his pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.

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 leguarios are large boundary stones made of local sandstone, placed, in this case, in La Bandera, near the town hall of Los Corrales de Buelna, which marked seven leagues. It was placed in this place on the occasion of the construction of the Camino Real, in 1753, and marked the distance of seven leagues to the city of Santander, the league being the most common unit of length in Castilian lands, equivalent to 5,572 metres, until the implementation of the decimal metric system on 1 July 1880. In this way, the walker knew the distance from the boundary stone to the city of Santander and, given that a person could travel a league in approximately one hour, this leguario with its seven-league inscription reminded the walker that he was seven hours from the city.

The leguarios are large boundary markers made of local sandstone and placed, in this case, very close to the town hall of Los Corrales de Buelna, almost in front of the Estelas park. It was placed in this place on the occasion of the construction of the Camino Real, in 1753, and marked the distance of seven leagues to the city of Santander, the league being the most common unit of length in Castilian lands, equivalent to 5,572 metres, until the implementation of the decimal metric system on 1 July 1880. In this way, the walker knew the distance from the boundary marker to the city of Santander and, given that a person could travel a league in approximately one hour, this leguario with its seven-league inscription reminded the walker that he was seven hours from the city.

The church of San Román is located in Somahoz (Corrales de Buelna). It is an emblematic place. This church dates back to the 13th century and is believed to have been built by local craftsmen, using techniques and materials typical of Romanesque architecture. Over the centuries, the church has undergone various modifications and restorations, but has managed to largely preserve its original structure. The Church of Somahoz has witnessed important events throughout the history of Cantabria, including religious ceremonies, weddings, baptisms and funerals. During the Spanish Civil War, the church suffered damage to its structure, but was later restored thanks to the efforts of the local community and the ecclesiastical authorities.

The Casona de Somahoz, in Los Corrales de Buelna and at the foot of the Besaya River, now restored and converted into a hostel, was built in the first half of the 15th century and houses a good example of civil and religious architecture in the mountain style. Its coat of arms includes the most prestigious lineages of the region such as the Fernández Castillo, the Bustamantes and the Liaño.

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 monument is the work of the sculptor Mercedes Rodríguez Elvira from Torrelave and is modeled in bronze. His weight is 500 kilos and he is 2.50 meters tall. It represents a young San Francisco pilgrim in a place where legend and historical chronicles place him on his way to Santiago.