Ontón: Greenway, Churches and Coast

Ontón brings together several different interests for a trip: a greenway, church buildings and mining traces, as well as Playa de Ontón–El Berrón. If you are looking for a hotel in Ontón, you can consider whether you would rather combine your stay with getting active on a route, exploring architecture and history, or visiting a beach. The specific features of each place can help you weigh up these options and plan your trip around your own interests.

Greenway and mining traces

The Vía Verde del Piquillo is a 1.93 km route between Ontón and Covarón (Bizkaia) in Cantabria and Euskadi. It is suitable for walkers, cyclists and people with reduced mobility. Its length, endpoints and the user groups listed provide a clear basis for deciding whether the route fits your plans. How much time you allow for it will depend on your pace and chosen mode of travel.

Mining-era railway lines also run between Ontón and Covarón. They are among the mining traces on the eastern coast of Castro-Urdiales; much of this network can be walked and explored from the Vías Verdes. If you are interested in the routes, you can look beyond their layout to the area’s mining history. The Vías Verdes combine getting active with experiencing this industrial history.

Churches and sacred buildings

The Iglesia de la Inmaculada in Ontón has a single-nave layout with four bays and star vaults. A single-nave layout is one long, lengthwise-oriented church space; the bays divide it, while the star vaults shape the ceiling. The portal consists of two sections, the first of which has a round arch between Doric columns. This lets you appreciate the building through different details: the layout and vaults define the nave, while the arch and columns mark the entrance. This contrast makes the architecture tangible without reducing the church to a single feature.

A different detail can be found in Baltezana: the Ermita de San Juan Bautista incorporates a Roman imperial-period funerary stele into a window. This brings together a piece from the Roman imperial period and a specific part of the chapel. While in Ontón the nave, vaults and portal draw attention to the building’s form, in Baltezana it is the integration of the historic object that stands out. In the Talledo area, the Ermita de Ntra. Sra. de Guadalupe is another sacred landmark to consider when planning your trip.

Playa de Ontón–El Berrón

Playa de Ontón–El Berrón is a pebble beach with strong waves. Wave conditions change with the weather and tides; the beach has no facilities. Check the facilities on site if you are planning a visit. These specific conditions are important to your decision: the pebbles, waves and facilities shape the character of a beach visit. Unlike the architectural features described above, here the focus is on the nature of the shore and the wave conditions.

Discover more destinations

Santa María De Cayón, Pesaguero, La Concha, Guarnizo, Vega De Liébana, Santoña, Villafufre, Gornazo

For the main travel overview: Cantabria.