Bárcena Mayor is a village nestled in the mountains of

Cantabria Cantabria (, ; ) is an autonomous community and Provinces of Spain, province in northern Spain with Santander, Cantabria, Santander as its capital city. It is called a , a Nationalities and regions of Spain, historic community, in its current ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

in the municipality of Los Tojos, and is the only residential village within Saja Reservation within the

Saja and Nansa valleys The Valleys of the Saja and Nansa Rivers comprise an administrative ''comarca'' in Cantabria, Spain. It is formed by the valleys of said rivers, each one being a natural ''comarca'' of its own. Saja valley The valley of the Saja River, located ...

community.

Overview

The Argoza River cuts through this complex, an example of the medieval, rural Cantabrian villages. Said by the Cantabrian tourist bureaus to be the oldest town in Cantabria, it was declared a historic-artistic site in 1979 because of its state of preservation. With the declaration, funds were made available to repair the

access road A frontage road (also known as an access road, outer road, service road, feeder road, or parallel road) is a local road running parallel to a higher-speed, limited-access road. Where parallel high-speed roads are provided as part of a maj ...

leading to it to make it easier for tourists to get to making it the end of the road (the road being CA-817, or Cantabria Provincial route 817). The road is in good condition, but the height of the surrounding mountains brings an early onset to dusk and a late dawn. It is known not only for its rustic architecture but also for its rural cuisine, such as, ''

cocido montañés ''Cocido montañés'' (translated as 'Mountain stew' or 'Cantabrian stew', depending on context) is a rich hearty Spanish bean stew, originally from and most commonly found in Cantabria in northern Spain. ''Cocido montañés'' is a warm and heav ...

'' or game meat. Only residents may drive motor vehicles through the village, so most tour guides and advisers recommend walking through its streets to see its medieval character and look up at the surrounding mountains. It is now one of the most visited towns in the Cantabrian interior. In the town, one can find an ancient

Roman Road Roman roads ( ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Republic and the Roman Em ...

that has been in continual use for almost two millennia. The houses and buildings are examples of the rural medieval stone mountain construction with wooden balconies and windows. To maximize the heating effect of the sun, most of the buildings face the south. The village contains historic laundries in the public square, bakeries, barns, stables,

carpentry Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, Shipbuilding, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. C ...

shops,

gift shop A gift shop or souvenir shop is a store primarily selling souvenirs, memorabilia, and other items relating to a particular topic or theme. The items sold often include coffee mugs, stuffed animals, toys, t-shirts, postcards, handmade collection ...

s, and

restaurant A restaurant is an establishment that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and Delivery (commerce), food delivery services. Restaurants ...

s. Local cattle can be heard in their pastures ringing the bells draped from their necks as they graze. The architecture shows early forms of the

woodworking Woodworking is the skill of making items from wood, and includes cabinetry, furniture making, wood carving, joinery, carpentry, and woodturning. History Along with stone, clay and animal parts, wood was one of the first materials worked b ...

that became a distinguishing facet of Cantabrian architecture, the wooden balcony. As well as the balconies, local woodworkers produce cattle yokes, sandals, canes, and cutlery that are distinctive to rural Cantabria. During the 1920s through the 1970s, it was a favorite

hunting Hunting is the Human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products (fur/hide (sk ...

site for wealthy sportsmen who liked the seclusion and the abundance of wild game. It was also a popular spot for the hunting of

Iberia The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, compri ...

bear Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family (biology), family Ursidae (). They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats ...

s and

wolves The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, including the dog and dingo, though gr ...

before they became endangered. The lack of opportunity for local youth and its remoteness was leading to a population decline heading toward its abandonment until the government's injection of funds to make it a

tourist destination A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural beau ...

in 1979. Many

hiking A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hi ...

trails lead out of the village up into the mountains. The terrain is quite steep but verdant with much local fauna passing through.

Gallery

File:EspanaDic2010 20101211 10.jpg, Bárcena Mayor, 39518, Cantabria, Spain File:EspanaDic2010 20101211 12.jpg, Bárcena Mayor, 39518, Cantabria, Spain File:EspanaDic2010 20101211 13.jpg, Bárcena Mayor, 39518, Cantabria, Spain File:EspanaDic2010 20101211 14.jpg, Bárcena Mayor, 39518, Cantabria, Spain File:EspanaDic2010 20101211 15.jpg, Bárcena Mayor, 39518, Cantabria, Spain File:EspanaDic2010 20101211 16.jpg, Bárcena Mayor, 39518, Cantabria, Spain

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barcena Mayor Towns in Spain Populated places in Cantabria Protected areas of Cantabria Tourist attractions in Cantabria Culture of Cantabria