Casa Luca de Tena

Here you will wake to the sound of birdsong and the gentle mooing of cows. Open the window and an endless, vivid green meadow unfurls in front of you. This is Casa Luca de Tena, more a graceful country manor than a hotel. The handsome seventeenth century house has a rectangular floor plan, three floors and thick ashlar stone walls. On the ground floor you will find a traditional arcade with semi-circular arches and, above it, a wooden oak balcony that serves as a terrace, once used for drying clothes and hanging maize in the sun. In this house you will feel warmly cocooned, in the height of summer as much as in the depths of winter.

Ana and Torcu are your hosts. They welcome you with open, unaffected kindness and are always happy to help you uncover the many things to see and do in this remote yet wonderful corner of Cantabria.

The property lies on the edge of the tiny, picturesque village of Sopeña, in the Cabuérniga valley, where you can choose between sea and mountains. Beaches or high pastures, summer or winter, you will never be short of options.

Casa Luca de Tena has just six rooms, all charming and cosy, with wooden floors and ceilings. They are all on the upper floor, except for an apartment on the ground floor with two bedrooms and a living room with kitchenette, ideal for families. There is also a generous lounge and a welcoming dining room with an open fire for breakfast. Breakfast is fresh and plentiful, with cold cuts, freshly squeezed orange juice and homemade sponge cake, and can be enjoyed as a buffet, à la carte, or with gluten free options.

You come here for nature: oak and beech forests, rolling green pastures. It is the perfect starting point for exploring the Saja-Besaya Natural Park, one of the most important nature reserves in northern Spain. You can follow marked trails on foot or by bike, or simply wander among mountains, valleys and rivers. The closest beaches are Comillas and San Vicente de la Barquera.