Walking the Saja-Besaya Reserve: Trails From Your Doorstep
The Saja-Besaya Natural Park is Cantabria's largest, and one of Green Spain's great under-walked places: 24,500 hectares of ancient oak and beech forest, rising from valley floor to high pasture, with hardly a soul on the trails. It begins at the door of Casa Agara.
What are the walks actually like?
Varied and well-marked. Gentler options include the 7.5 km Fuente Clara loop and the 8.5 km Alto de La Guarda circuit; for a bigger day, the linear routes from Bárcena Mayor run 15–20 km through the forest, one of them crossing the Río Argoza to the Pozo de la Arbencia. The long-distance GR-71 traverses the reserve for anyone chaining days together.
What will I see out there?
Red deer — whose autumn rut in late September is a real spectacle — roe deer, and griffon vultures wheeling overhead. It is genuinely wild country. (You will read online about wild horses here; we can't confirm those, so we won't promise them.)
Is the terrain hard?
It depends where you go. The low forest routes near Ucieda stay under 600 m and are walkable most of the year; the high pastures climb well above 1,000 m and are proper mountain days. Pick to suit yourself.
When is it at its best?
Spring for wildflowers and birdsong, autumn for colour and the deer rut. Both are green, mild and quiet.
*See the walking weeks on Spice Escapes →, or ask us about walking it from Casa Agara.