Hiking

The municipality of Comillas has 18.5 square kilometres, which extend along the coast from the Portillo cove to the Ría de la Rabia, and inland to Mount Corona, shared with the neighbouring municipalities of Udías and Valdáliga.

The reliefs are very gentle, approaching 300 metres in altitude in the area adjacent to Udías, although there are hardly any flat areas.

Limestone predominates, giving rise to some characteristic karst forms, as well as caves and steep cliffs on the coastline.

THE COAST OF COMILLAS

As we have already mentioned, the coast of the municipality extends from the Portillo cove, mouth of the Gandarilla Stream, to the Ría de la Rabia, which forms the western limit of the municipality. It is a predominantly cliffy coast, although there is also a good beach, in the town of Comillas itself, and an equally remarkable estuary, the Ría de la Rabia, shared with the neighbouring municipality of Valdáliga. It is also necessary to highlight the existence of two points of singular geomorphological interest in surrounding extra-municipal areas, such as the Punta del Miradorio fault in Ruiloba and the Oyambre prop and dunes in Valdáliga, both observable from the municipality of Comillas.

Comillas' relationship with the sea is not exclusively natural, but also human, being one of the 8 fishing ports on the Cantabrian coast. In addition to fishing, reference must be made to a very significant traditional gathering activity in this area, such as the collection of caloca, an algae that reaches the Cantabrian coasts and is exploited by the inhabitants of Comillas and other neighbouring municipalities. Finally, it is necessary to refer to shellfishing and other activities typical of the coast, currently subject to regulation to prevent these natural resources from being depleted.

MONTE CORONA

When we hear about Monte Corona, we should not think of a mountain or a summit, but of a forest. In Cantabria the word monte has a double meaning, it can be a mountain, which is the usual meaning, or a forest, as is the case in this case.

Monte Corona is an extensive forest mass located on the western coast of the region, a few kilometres from the beaches of Comillas and Oyambre, which can be seen perfectly from some points of Corona where the trees allow us to contemplate the panoramic views. This mountain extends to the west of the road that leads from Cabezón de la Sal to Comillas through the Alto de la Hayuela, this village being the most common access to Monte Corona, although not the only one. The relief of the area is very gentle, not exceeding 300 metres in altitude, but in any case the topography is quite undulating, with an important valley through which the Turbio River carries the waters of a large part of Corona to the Ría de la Rabia. The trees of Mount Corona are mostly allochthonous, that is, it is due to the reforestation work carried out in the area during the second half of the twentieth century, in which mainly pines (834 hectares) and eucalyptus (621 hectares) were used. Other exotic species were also used on a rather experimental basis, such as the American oak (39 hectares), and even the sequoya (5.5 hectares). However, the most valuable area of Corona is the sector corresponding to the village of Caviedes, whose inhabitants managed to save from felling the only native oak grove on the Cantabrian coast (200 hectares), the last vestige of the original Monte Corona, which was an oak grove. In this sector of the mountain you can also find beech trees, surprising this fact due to its location so close to the coast and at an unusually low altitude, about 100 meters above sea level.

Monte Corona is divided between the municipalities of Comillas, Udias and Valdáliga, and is partially included within the Oyambre Natural Park. Inside there are several hermitages, located in clearings in the forest very appropriate for spending a quiet day in the countryside with children or the elderly, given their easy access. A dense network of tracks runs along the entire Monte Corona and allows you to take good walks through its different corners, without excessive slopes.


Select one of the routes to get all the information about the route and its development.