Limpias
Limpias, Asturias & Cantabria - Overview:
The village of Limpias belongs to the eastern part of the autonomous community of Cantabria. It was very important throughout the 15th century due to its location on the road to Burgos and its active port, famous for elver fishing. It is steeped in a rich history which is reflected in its splendid large houses and palaces, along with the important port known as Ribero that dates from the 16th century. Along with an abundance of antural beauty, the area is rich in culture and has a pleasant climate.
Limpias, Asturias & Cantabria - Local Interest & Activities:
The Parador de Limpias is located in Eguilior Palace, on the El Castanar Estate, and is a perfect spot for travellers seeking rest, relaxation and tranquillity. The forested estate is an excellent example of the green Cantabrian landscape, and it just calls out to walkers.
You do not need to be an ecologist to learn how to distinguish between the native tree species which include hazelnuts, oaks and chestnuts together with reforested eucalyptus, accompanied by a wide variety of birds.
Limpias, Asturias & Cantabria - Out & About:
Ships departed from Ribero for England and Flanders, laden with iron from Cantabrian foundries and wood from its forests. Later these ships were filled with Castilian wheat. Today Limpias commemorates this maritime history with a unique outdoor River Museum at the end of the riverwalk.
Limpias, Asturias & Cantabria - Beaches:
Laredo and its magnificent beaches await swimming enthusiasts nearby, in the Bay of Biscay. So different from other bodies of water in colour, temperature and surf, the Bay of Biscay was a luxury of kings, and it is still a luxury for present-day visitors.
Limpias, Asturias & Cantabria - History:
Some 15,000 or 20,000 years have passed since that long ago time when a tribe reached these Cantabrian valleys. In those days the tribes which travelled inland from the Cantabrian coast came in search of game. The climate was very cold, almost glacial, and they lived on big game such as roe deer and wild boar. Their only means of defense were spears and other basic weapons.
During battles and migrations, the greatest difficulty lay in transporting the children and elderly unused to such temperatures. They became the holders of the sacred fire which ensured heat and hot meals. Inevitably, the youngest men defended the rearguard. They had to protect themselves from the powerful north-easterly wind that was cold and damp. When they reached the sea they found that its waters were salty, and did not quench their thirst. However, they found food including fallow deer, game, mussels and even seaweed. These early settlers tamed their fires and built fertile hearths for roasting game probably fallow deer and even an occasional bison. The fish, grilled golden brown in the embers, must have made them feel as if they were in paradise.
It was easy for them to find recesses, grottos, and caves in the rocks where they could set up their homes. After the first inhabitants of Santander, there came other tribes who had to battle against the already established inhabitants in order to invade their territory.
The area was called kent-aber, place by the sea. In the bay the settlers fished in boats constructed from tar-covered skins stretched over willow brances. They lived in forts, and organised a permanent sentry system to guard the coastline. Invaders soon followed and they arrived armed with helmets and spears, advancing to the sound of drums and trumpets - these invaders also had machines to launch destructive stones.
These were not tribes, but very large armies fully equipped to destroy settlements. Although the local inhabitants were brave and relatively well organised they lacked the resources to defend themselves. Almost before the local people knew what had happened, the valley was soaked in blood. Rome had arrived - the well established arrogant conqueror of Europe.
The Romands started by mining and transporting tin and copper and they even exported valuable malmsey and oil to Gaul and Britain.
Many more years passed, and the land was under German rule, at the service of Catholic Rome. But around the year 711, news spread of the death of El Cid and the loss of that early peninsular nation.
Pilgrims used many pilgrimage routes through Cantabria to reach Santiago (the Camino de Santiago). One was the coastal route, travelling across Cantabria from west to east, using the ancient road built by Agrippa. Another path went up the Ebro river, continuing through the Besaya Valley, from south to north.
The sea routes were heavily travelled, although there was always the threat of attack by Vikings or Normans, hence the Four Villas (Castro, Laredo, Santander, and San Vicente) were chartered ports which played an important role. Al Isidri used the maritime route in the 12th century.
In the 11th and 12th centuries, the Vikings and Normans raided these coasts. For the port of San Emeterio, the danger ceased to come from the south, and began to arrive from the north, via the ocean. It is believed that its fortifications were probably ordered by Alfonso I, as precautionary measures to protect them from the Moorish cavalry.
Alfonso VIII granted Santander a charter in 1187; he ordered the reconstruction of the city walls and the abbey. After that it was a city of the Crown, whose residents were free citizens, not subject to the feudal lords' power.
But it was the port which gave the city its importance, and where it showed its power. A significant expansion in trade during the 13th century lead to the strengthening of the Spanish navy in the next century. This is where the so-called Four Villas (Santander, San Vicente, Laredo, and Castro Urdiales) displayed their strength and power.
Tough seafaring people, frequently whale hunters, they worked the sea hard, and established important shipyards. These were times of fleeting splendor. In Santander, the civil wars of the late Middle Ages divided families, creating violent confrontations. Enrique IV gave the city charter to the second Marquis of Santillana in 1466, which provoked a serious outburst of violence.
Limpias - Our holiday accommodation and service:
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