Discover Saro: Heritage, Landscapes and Fishing

Saro offers several distinct highlights for a stay: protected cultural heritage, historic buildings, routes through the Río Rubionzo basin and a fishing park. When planning your itinerary, you can treat architectural history, landscapes and leisure activities as separate themes, and plan your day around what interests you most locally.

Cultural Heritage and Buildings

The Cubos de Saro were carved in the 18th century and formed part of the enclosure around the grounds of the former Palacio de Saranilla. Since 3 April 2002, they have been protected as an Asset of Cultural Interest (Bien de Interés Cultural, BIC) in the Monument category. These stone structures therefore combine a historical connection to the former Palacio grounds with formal protection granted on a specific date.

The Palacio Gómez Barreda is located in Saro. Its architecture follows the construction principles of 18th-century manor houses with towers. The building includes a chapel dedicated to the Virgen de Guadalupe. The Iglesia de San Tirso, which stands in the centre of Saro de Arriba, is a separate site.

Landscapes and Routes

Saro’s landscape features gentle hills, river terraces at varying heights, grazing slopes and scattered huts. The PR-S56 Río Rubionzo y la Zarrizuela is one route that lets you combine this rural setting with built heritage. It runs through the Río Rubionzo basin between Saro and Villacarriedo and reaches the Molino de Rubionzo.

The mill retains its original machinery, the diversion channel and a remarkable 19th-century stone bridge. The PR-S56 also passes through the Zarrizuela forest, a well-preserved stand of native deciduous trees, including oaks and chestnuts. The mill can also be reached on foot via a paved path along the border with Villacarriedo. Access conditions may vary, so check them before your visit.

Another route passes through Saro’s three districts and can be travelled by car or bicycle. Along the way, you can admire numerous houses bearing coats of arms. Unlike the PR-S56, this route through the settlements focuses on the districts and their houses, while the short PR-S56 includes the river basin, forest and mill among its described stops. Check local conditions before setting out.

Fishing and Festival Date

The Piscifactoría de Saro is a fishing park where visitors can try sport fishing. The site includes a lake for sport fishing, a zoo and a park for exotic birds. For the fishing experience, it provides visitors with fishing rods, bait and trout. The programme also includes fishing-related activities, such as feeding trout, young goats and parrots. If you plan to include this activity in your stay, confirm the visitor arrangements in advance.

The San Tirso festival is celebrated in the town of Saro on 28 January. If you would like to plan your stay around it, confirm the programme locally.

Discover more destinations: Vioño, Helguera, Torrelavega, Bárcena De Cicero, Santiurde De Toranzo, Villacarriedo, Casamaría, San Miguel de Meruelo

For the broader travel overview: Cantabria.