La Ventona lies on a circular route through several villages; at the same time, the cultural heritage of the municipality of Luena ranges from remains of Roman roads to churches and traditional livestock huts. If you are planning to explore the trails or Sel del Ceo Canyon, check the relevant routes and their conditions separately.

Routes through Luena

The “Barrios y caseríos de Luena” circular route is 18.37 kilometres long. It passes through Sel de la Carrera, Urdiales, Cazpurrion, Bustasur, Vozpornoche and La Ventona. Check current trail conditions before setting out. If you are looking for a shorter route, a short trail runs from Entrambasmestas to the country houses of La Ventona. Check access and any conditions relating to private property locally.

A route description from 2022 mentions sections of the “Sel de Haya y Sel del Cedo” route that turn into an animal track after about 50 metres. Treat this as a helpful indication and check the route before setting out. Another route in the municipality of Luena is 14 kilometres long and leads to Puerto del Escudo. It can be travelled by car or bicycle; weather conditions may affect the route.

Sel del Ceo Canyon

A technical description from 2018 gives directions to Sel del Ceo Canyon from the road to Puerto del Escudo, via a turn-off to Barrio La Ventona and then along a paved track. It mentions plenty of parking space after the first bend. Check the road and parking situation locally.

The descent through the canyon consists of a series of steps and small waterfalls; there are eleven rappels in total. A technical description from 2018 recommends visiting in winter, provided water levels and weather conditions allow. The season alone is therefore not enough to plan a trip: check current water levels, the weather and your equipment before setting out.

Heritage in Luena and the surrounding region

Significant remains of a Roman road have been preserved in the municipality of Luena, between Entrambasmestas and Sel de la Carrera. Traditional Pasiego livestock huts also shape the landscape around the settlements and are of particular ethnographic interest. These sites add an insight into the municipality’s cultural heritage to your route planning.

In the area around La Ventona, the 17th-century Hermitage of Los Remedios is located in San Miguel de Luena and features an interesting altarpiece. The Church of Santiago Apóstol in Entrambasmestas dates from the late 17th century. In San Andrés de Luena, the 18th-century Church of San Andrés has a Baroque altarpiece.

Near Ocejo lies El Churrón Cave, with Palaeolithic paintings, calcareous formations and medieval pottery finds. The Mojón de Pedruecos is a stone marker about 2.5 metres high. It was already described as old in 1689. Taken together, these cultural connections range from Roman road remains and historic churches to prehistoric paintings and medieval finds.

Tourist information

The telephone numbers 942 310 708 and 690 600 825 are listed as contacts for tourist information. Check before travelling whether the numbers are still current.

Discover more destinations: Medio Cudeyo, Villar, Valderredible, Valcaba, Pumareña, Los Tojos, Valle De Villaverde, Torices.

For the main travel overview: Cantabria.