Puentedey Spain

Day 27 Sunday 31 May 2026

Today we kept meandering through the backroads of Spain. Beginning with a walk along the Ebro River, a drive along the Ebro reservoir and after 89km ending up in the quaint village of Barcena de Pie de Concha.

The hot weather has finally ended (for now) and we breathe a sigh of relief as we made our way from our sleepy spot that we had all to ourselves in Valdenoceda. 

Only a few kilometres away we stopped at a bridge over the Ebro River. Google maps showed a lovely walk along the river to a suspended walkway on the edge of the escarpment. It was 1.5km taking about 25mins each way. 

As we were leaving driving along on the other side, we noticed a longer one that was a bit further on. Anyway it was a nice start to the day.

Our next stop was Puentedey. As its name indicates, is defined by a structure that was considered divine for a long time. It is a rock arch that the river Nela has been carving for millions of years on which the town has been built. It was fascinating to see and we enjoyed a short stroll through the village… and the church was open!

A different bowling game we have never seen before..would be great if we could see it in action.

From here we drove to the Ebro reservoir was finished by Franco in 1945 to provide better water supplies to areas downriver (i.e.outside of Cantabria).  The remains of 9 villages lie beneath the waters, although several were relocated to shore level. We find a parking spot in Corconte with good internet reception to watch the Bombers play the worst game ever…shocking.

Interesting church facade 

A lot of villages use traffic lights to slow down traffic

With that out of the way we had to make a decision on our next route, eventually deciding to finish driving along the north shore and then head north to a small village Barcena de Pie de Concha that had a dedicated motorhome parking area. As we drove in we were surprised with the amount of cars that were here for a junior soccer tournament.  Luckily they had left a few motorhomes spots vacant!

Parking up we then walked to a restaurant and had a beer. They seemed too busy for a meal so we ventured back to Bluey for an early dinner as we had skipped lunch. We were impressed with some of the lovely building here too.

I89km today

Ebro River Spain

Day 16 Saturday 30 May 2026

Today we travelled west, mainly following the Elbro River via gorges and fertile valleys. We saw a salt mine, an ancient tower and a medieval village, then finished the day again in the shade on the banks of the Ebro River in Valdenoceda.

After a bit of a sleep in (for us) we left our tranquil spot on the banks of of the Ebro River around 9am. We chose the back road route to our first destination, ANANA, taking us about an hour. 

The road to the motorhome parking was a bit narrow (it’s possible that the GPS chose the wrong way). Anyway we make it in one piece, park up, have breakfast and then venture off to have a look at the salt mine.

Its one of the oldest salt factories in the world. The oldest evidence of salt extraction at the valley dates from about 7000 years ago, in the Neolithic. The evaporation of water was achieved by heating the water in ceramic pottery. During Roman times, salt ponds for evaporation were introduced. A unique and extensive network of wooden channels distribute the water to the most remote corners of the Salt Valley. Its prized salt is completely pure, as it comes from springs from an ancient sea of more than 200 million years. 

During the early 20th century, new materials like concrete were introduced, while the number of ponds increased. The profitability of salt production fell drastically in the second half of the 20th century. This led to the near abandonment of salt production, and the structures of the valley fell into disrepair. It is now a tourist attraction. You can view it from the street or pay €10 for a tour. Unfortunately there were no English tours today.

Another fly screen door idea… squished aluminum wine bottle caps…

Not far away was The Varona Family's Palace-Tower. The origin of this tower dates back to the end of the 14th or start of the 15th century. The tower stands out on one side of the complex. The whole building is defended by a crenellated barbican and walls with arrow slits, as well as a wide moat filled with water. Unfortunately it was closed today… 

So we continued on to FRIAS, is a historic medieval town on a hill above the river Ebro, and has been a strategic point to cross the river on routes leading to the Cantabrian Sea. It’s a lovely drive there as we follow the Ebro River via the Sobron gorge.

As we approach it’s not hard to see FRIAS as it is perched on a rocky hill.

 It appears to be a popular tourist destination. We eventually find ourselves in the overflow carpark and make our way UP into the village. We admire the view of the castle from the street below.

Then we popped in for a bite to eat and drink in one of the numerous bars. 

We were then ready to tackle the rest of the village making our way to the top where a church and the castle reside. We enjoyed the views of the surrounding countryside and then found out the castle was closed between 2-4pm… so we admired the castle from the outside.

There’s Bluey… in the lower carpark

We strolled back down out of the village to a lookout that the houses built on the edge of the cliff and what they call the ‘hanging houses’.

 As we drive away we stopped to have a look at the medieval bridge, originally a Roman structure. It is 143 meters in length and has 9 arches. It was refurbished in the 14th century when a defensive tower with arrow-holes and battlements were built in the center. This tower also functioned as a medieval toll point.

Although it wasn’t as hot as the last couple of days, we still went in search of a shady spot. After a failed attempt we stuck it lucky in Valdenoceda. We couldn’t really get any closer to the Elbro River. A few locals came to also enjoy the lovely picnic area as the cool change came later in the evening.

146km today