Valderredible valley
View from the top of Alto Campoo
The Valderredible valley is situated in the northern edge of the Castilian Plateau, in the lowest foothills of the Cantabric Mountains. This valley, which takes its name from the river Ebro (in ancient Spanish ‘Val de Ripa Hibre’: valley of the river Ebro), brings us the flavour of the earliest Christian expressions with the highest density of cave chapels in Europe, as Santa María de Valverde, San Miguel de Campoo de Ebro, Santa Maria del Cadalso or Arroyuelos Church, all of them dug in the rock between the VII and X centuries.
Interior of the cave chapel of Santa María de Valverde
San Miguel de Campoo de Ebro
But in addition, the Valderredible valley has an exuberant vegetation and an important wild fauna, like deers, foxes, wild boars, wolves, and quite a notable vulture colony.
How to get there This area is shared between the provinces of Palencia, Burgos and Cantabria. The easiest way to get to the Valley is along the motorway A1 to Burgos, then take the road N-623 to Ubierna, and in this village you can choose between the road N-627, which goes to Aguilar de Campoo (the western edge of the valley), or keep the N-623, which will take you through a twisting road to the heart of the valley going through charming karst landscapes.
What to see?
Santa María de Valverde Belfry
As a curiosity, taking the path which goes up to Rocamundo, you will arrive at the Astronomical Observatory of Cantabria, and two kilometers south you can find the last oil field in Spain, which was discovered in the sixties and was believed to make Spain a wealthy country. 
Cantabria from the Rocamundo viewpoint
Activities Related to the natural environment you can hike in the dense forests along the river Ebro. I suggest going up to the Valcabado viewpoint through a beech and oak forest. This path takes you from the valley to the Castilian plateau (4 km aprox) where there are spectacular views of the Cantabric valleys (if you look to the north) or views of the plain if you look to the south. In the middle of the path you can find an ancient snowfield, where the snow was saved and compressed in winter to keep it until summer, and an ancient wolves trap. Some of the best preserved ancient Christian monuments can be found in this valley, there you can visit the burial mound of San Pantaleon, with more than hundred graves dug in the rock. One of the most important wealths of this valley is its Pre-Romanesque and Romanesque heritage. Santa María de Valverde is a must-see cave chapel with an addition of a later Romanesque belfry. Moreover, you should not miss one of the most remarkable samples of the Romanesque architecture in Spain: the Colegiata de San Martín de Elines.
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