Discover Totero: Bridges, Cheese-making and a Route

Totero and its architectural forms

Totero is a rural settlement above the Suscuaja valley, with stone houses arranged in rows. The Escuelas en Totero de Cayón is a school building with an L-shaped floor plan, stone surrounds and lintels, and tiled roofs. Comparing the rows of houses with the single building’s L-shaped floor plan gives you two distinct architectural scales. The surrounds and lintels are stone details of the building; the tiled roofs describe the roof covering. If you are interested in architecture, you can look at these features individually instead of classifying Totero only by a general style label.

Bridges and cultural heritage

The Puente del Diablo de Ruda is a 19th-century stone bridge in Totero. It spans the Pisueña between Ruda de Cayón and Vega de Villafufre. It has not been used since the new bridge was built. “El Puente del Diablo” in Totero is listed as inventoried cultural heritage of Cantabria; the municipal entry dates from 2005. The Puente del Diablo de Totero is classified as tangible cultural heritage and as a crossing. The Peña del Sombrero y Caballar route crosses the Pisueña via a metal footbridge. Several specific links to structures and river crossings are therefore central to Totero, while the historic bridge has not been used since the new bridge was built.

Cheese-making in Totero

Quesería Tasugueras is an artisanal cheese dairy in Totero. Its cheese is made using a copper vat, artisanal lactic acid cultures and milk from a local dairy farm. Both production details and the milk’s origin are therefore part of the cheese’s profile. The dairy offers groups of 6 to 15 people workshops and tours about cheese-making; these formats include a tasting of its products. The group size of 6 to 15 people is the specific limit for a group visit. Contact the dairy in advance to plan your visit. The production process and tasting bring two aspects of a cheese visit into focus: the artisanal process and sampling the products.

Peña del Sombrero y Caballar route

The route from Totero initially heads southwest and crosses the Pisueña via a metal footbridge. It passes over Peña del Sombrero and Caballar through pine forest and mixed forest, predominantly native. The tree species mentioned include oaks, chestnuts, beeches and holm oaks. The route is rated moderate. The route details recorded in August 2025 give a distance of 19.35 kilometres for the out-and-back trip, 777 metres of total ascent and a total duration of 5 hours and 48 minutes. Check current conditions before setting off.

The cheese visit is a group activity focused on production and tasting; the moderate route is listed as an out-and-back trip taking a total of 5 hours and 48 minutes. The two options differ in activity and time commitment: one centres on a visit about cheese, while the other is a longer route through woodland landscapes.

Discover more destinations: Samano, Ramales De La Victoria, Coo, Nates, Sel de la Carrera, Argüébanes, Sollagua, Corvera.

Back to the regional travel overview: Cantabria.