The elegantly proportioned 12th-century Romanesque church in Cervatos, 6km south of Reinosa, is most celebrated for the rare explicit sexual carvings on some of its corbels. But there's plenty of other absorbing sculptural detail to inspect, mainly on its exterior: animals, musicians, acrobats, and the beautiful multi-arched main entrance carved with six lions and an intricate interlaced-leaves pattern. If you're keen to go inside, call the villager's phone number posted on the door.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
29.13 MILES
The museum’s highlight is the Neocueva, a dazzling, full-sized re-creation of the real Cueva de Altamira’s most interesting chamber, the Sala de…
Iglesia Rupestre de Santa María de Valverde
11.23 MILES
Dating back to the 10th century or earlier, Santa María de Valverde is the Ebro Valley's largest iglesia rupestre (rock-cut church). The church retains a…
24.99 MILES
Of these four World Heritage–listed caves 30km southwest of Santander, two – El Castillo and Las Monedas – are open for 45-minute guided visits (in…
4.7 MILES
The Río Ebro starts life at this tree-shaded spring 5km northwest of Reinosa. It’s a stunningly serene spot, with deep-turquoise water, a tiny shrine and…
Monasterio de Santo Toribio de Liébana
28.9 MILES
Christian refugees, fleeing to Liébana from Muslim-occupied Spain in the 8th century, brought with them the Lígnum Crucis, purportedly the single biggest…
Iglesia de Santa María de Lebeña
28.65 MILES
The fascinating Lebeña church, 9km northeast of Potes, dates back to the 9th or 10th century. The horseshoe arches are a telltale sign of its Mozarabic…
26.95 MILES
This extensive 20km cave system, exploited as a lead and zinc mine before 1979, makes for a popular outing inland from San Vicente. The one-hour visit…
Centro de Interpretación del Rupestre
11.21 MILES
This visitor centre next to the church of Santa María de Valverde has excellent interpretative displays about rock-cut churches throughout the Ebro Valley…
Nearby Cantabria attractions
2.69 MILES
The remains of Julióbriga, Cantabria’s most significant Roman town, lie 4km east of Reinosa. Hourly guided visits (45 minutes, in Spanish) lead you…
4.7 MILES
The Río Ebro starts life at this tree-shaded spring 5km northwest of Reinosa. It’s a stunningly serene spot, with deep-turquoise water, a tiny shrine and…
3. Arqueositio Cántabro-Romano de Camesa-Rebolledo
4.76 MILES
This fascinating triple-epoch excavation site of a Roman villa buried beneath a Visigothic necropolis and a medieval graveyard sits just outside…
5.29 MILES
Signposted from Arroyo, 12km southeast of Reinosa, this tranquil monastery has a fine site overlooking the Ebro valley and a history going back to at…
5. Centro de Interpretación del Rupestre
11.21 MILES
This visitor centre next to the church of Santa María de Valverde has excellent interpretative displays about rock-cut churches throughout the Ebro Valley…
6. Iglesia Rupestre de Santa María de Valverde
11.23 MILES
Dating back to the 10th century or earlier, Santa María de Valverde is the Ebro Valley's largest iglesia rupestre (rock-cut church). The church retains a…
12.45 MILES
Overlooking the town and providing its picturesque backdrop is a 12th-century castillo (castle) and the graceful Romanesque Ermita de Santa Cecilia, a…
12.6 MILES
In the centre of Aguilar de Campóo, the elongated Plaza de España is capped at its eastern end by the Colegiata de San Miguel, a 14th-century Gothic…