Santa Olalla: Menhirs, Romanesque Architecture and a Historic Bridge

The Ruta de los Menhires can end in Santa Olalla; the church and the Puente de Santa Olalla offer distinct historical points of interest. You can therefore plan your trip around different interests: a route with specific distance information, Romanesque architecture or the history of a stone bridge. The Centro de Interpretación de Valdeolea is also located in Santa Olalla, in the village’s former school.

Planning the Ruta de los Menhires

The Ruta de los Menhires is listed as approximately twelve kilometres each way, with a duration of about three and a half hours. Both figures are estimates: your pace and conditions affect how long you will be on the route. If you want to finish the route in Santa Olalla, you can take the village into account as the endpoint when planning your journey.

There is also specific guidance for planning a cycling trip. The route is highly suitable for cycling; at least 70 percent of it runs along good agricultural tracks suitable for this purpose. This figure describes the stated proportion, not every section of the route. As trail conditions can change, it is advisable to check the latest conditions before setting out.

Woodlands along the Río-Camesa route

Along the Río-Camesa route are Galician-Portuguese oak forests with Quercus robur and Quercus pyrenaica. This is a separate landscape feature from the distance information for the Ruta de los Menhires. If you are also taking the landscape into account when choosing your destination, you can distinguish the two route names and their respective features rather than treating them as the same route.

Romanesque features and bridge history

The Iglesia Románica de Santa Olalla was consecrated in 1174. Its architectural features include a rectangular apse and a pointed barrel vault; these forms are characteristic of an advanced phase of the Romanesque period. If you are interested in Romanesque architecture, here you will find a specific date and clearly identified architectural features. The focus is therefore not only on its historical classification, but also on the church’s distinctive form.

The Puente de Santa Olalla crosses the Río Camesa just under one kilometre west of Santa Olalla, in the El Salceral area. It is part of an unpaved side road. The stone bridge has a single round arch. It dates back to the 18th century; it may have been built over an older structure. The location and road surface are practical details for finding your way, while the arch and date reflect the structure’s architectural and historical character. If you plan to visit the bridge, take the unpaved side road into account when planning your journey.

The Centro de Interpretación de Valdeolea

The Centro de Interpretación de Valdeolea is located in Santa Olalla’s former school. If you plan to include a visit as a fixed part of your itinerary, check in advance whether it is possible on your chosen date. This allows you to include the centre in your plans without conflating it with the information about the route, church or bridge. Santa Olalla thus offers several distinct starting points for planning your trip: a route with an approximate distance and duration, specific architectural features and an interpretation centre in the former school building.

Discover more destinations: Samano, Sollagua, Roiz, Esles, Puente Pumar, Corvera, San Sebastián de Garabandal, Rábago

For the main travel overview: Cantabria.