San Martín De Elines: Romanesque Architecture and Trails Along the Ebro

San Martín De Elines can be explored through several themes: Romanesque architecture, archaeological traces, and trails through the landscape along the Ebro. The collegiate church connects the history of the village with its cultural focal point; hikes lead, among other places, to Páramo de la Lora and through the Ebro Gorge. You can take whichever of these themes shapes your trip into account when planning.

Romanesque Architecture and Earlier Traces

The Collegiate Church of San Martín de Elines is one of Cantabria’s four Romanesque collegiate churches. It stands on the remains of a Mozarabic church dating from the 10th century. This brings a Romanesque collegiate church and architectural evidence of an earlier church building together in one place.

The complex includes a square cloister. It displays pieces from the collegiate church and churches in the surrounding area. The “Lanchahincada” menhir on La Lora points to human presence since the Bronze Age. For a visit to the collegiate church, bear in mind that if you have enough time during a leg of your journey, you can visit it in the village square.

Hiking Trails and Their Routes

Stage 4 of the Camino Natural del Ebro runs from Polientes via Arenillas de Ebro to San Martín de Elines, then continues to Orbaneja del Castillo. Another hike, the Cañones del Ebro y El Tobazo route, passes through San Martín de Elines, crosses the Ebro on a bridge there, and then heads towards Arroyuelos. The route descriptions therefore use different reference points: for the stage, the sequence of villages matters; for the second route, it is the river crossing and the route that follows.

The hiking route to Páramo de la Lora starts in Barrio de Arriba, on a square next to the Romanesque collegiate church. From there, the route climbs below the cliffs of the páramo and reaches El Tez at an altitude of about 955 metres. The starting point and approximate elevation give you specific reference points if you include this trail in your plans.

Cliff, Waterfall, and Forest

On the side of Peña Camesía facing the Ebro Valley, there is an almost 150-metre-high vertical cliff that vultures use for nesting. The Cañones del Ebro y El Tobazo route also includes Tobazo Waterfall: it is a tufa formation where, during the rainy season, water cascades into blue-shimmering pools. The route description thus connects the rocky landscape and water with specific natural features.

The trail also passes through a riverside forest dominated by alders and poplars. Further on, it passes holm oaks and subrupicolous beech trees. If you mentally map out the different sections of this landscape, the route description gives you not only the course of the river but also a change in the tree species mentioned. The Camino Natural del Ebro also approaches the Ebro Gorge, whose narrowness is apparent from the enclosing cliffs.

Crafts and Rural Culture

In the courtyard of La Granja del Abuelo, a tour of the cellar or barn, oven, and forge illustrates traditional crafts. At the working farm, visitors can learn through hands-on experience and discover how animals are cared for. If you are planning a visit, check the visiting arrangements before you travel; individual facilities or activities may change.

For the 2026 edition of the Cine y Zona Festival, short films about rural life, its people, its quiet, its beauty, and its challenges were planned. The 2026 programme was set to include screenings, meetups, workshops, food, and discussions about rural life and culture. The programme may change in future editions.

More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Polientes.

Go to the parent travel overview: Valderredible.