Las Ilces: Hiking and Architectural History

Las Ilces offers several specific starting points for planning a trip: two hiking routes, the Ermita de Santiago and a few fairly well-preserved houses with traditional Liébana architecture.

Hiking routes around Las Ilces

The full PR-PNPE 26 Hayedo de Las Ilces circular route is 10.4 kilometres long. It has an elevation gain of 400 metres and a descent of 400 metres. On the approach to Las Ilces, the route crosses the CA-185 road and then passes the village church.

At 15 kilometres, the Sierra Beleña is longer. It takes approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, has 400 metres of elevation gain and is of moderate to high difficulty. It connects Espinama, Las Ilces, Pembes and Areños, a locality within Cosgaya, and can be started at any of these places. This means a full circular route and a longer route connecting several possible starting points are available as different planning options. For choosing a route, the Sierra’s approximate duration and difficulty complement its length; for the circular route, the elevation gain and descent are given separately.

The PR-PNPE 26 passes through an area of well-preserved beech and oak forests. The woodland around the route is among the best-preserved areas around the Picos de Europa. Alongside the route’s measurements, the forest landscape is therefore another specific feature to consider when choosing a route.

Ermita de Santiago: Architecture and History

The Ermita de Santiago is located in Las Ilces, in the municipality of Camaleño. Outside, it has a square apse and a bell gable at the foot of the building. Inside, the choir has a flat wooden ceiling; a semicircular triumphal arch leads to the nave, which is covered by a wooden pitched roof. The exterior and interior features offer different views of the building, from the apse and bell gable to the transition from the choir to the nave.

The hermitage is believed to have been built in the 17th century at the request of local residents, for whom attending church services in Espinama was difficult. In 1735, the residents of Las Ilces had the building rebuilt and furnished at their own expense for local worship; the work cost them more than 1,000 ducats. These dates refer to different construction phases: a presumed construction in the 17th century and the later rebuilding in 1735.

Traditional houses in Las Ilces

The few fairly well-preserved houses in Las Ilces illustrate the traditional architecture of the Liébana area and are built from stone, brick and wood. The houses complement the hermitage as a second example of local architecture, this time in residential construction. Those who include architecture and history in their trip planning alongside the hiking routes can thus consider religious buildings and traditional homes as different aspects of the village.

Discover more destinations: Brez, La Revilla, Villabanez, Los Tojos, Cotillo, Laredo, San Miguel de Meruelo, La Cueva

For the overview of the wider region: Cantabria.