Braña de los Tejos / The Yew pasture
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The route to the braña de los tejos requires you to be physically fit because you climb 900 meters uphill for 8 kilometers! From Cicera you should take the Las Cordancas forest trail, a cobblestone path that leads into an oak grove. You pass the remains of the Santa Cilde hermitage, El Murón refuge, groups of cabins, disused coal cellars and remains of past mining activity. Apart from oak trees, you’ll also find grand beeches, birches, holly, rowans and, of course, yews. It’s not common to find a yew forest like this one. These trees are slow growing, have very hard wood and were the sacred tree of the Cantabrians who lived here over 2,000 years ago. One of the characteristics of yews is their toxicity: taxine, the alkaloid it gets its name from (Taxus baccata), is fatal in concentrated doses. It’s said that Cantabrians used it to commit suicide during the Roman invasion. Nowadays, this alkaloid is used in chemotherapy treatments for uterine, lung and breast cancer. The views are amazing throughout the route: if it’s a clear day, you can see everything from the Picos de Europa (Peaks of Europe) to San Vicente de la Barquera. To return, there’s a trail near Collado Arceón that passes between forests and meadows. Another option is to take the same trail you came from. The Climb to the Braña de los Tejos takes place on the first Saturday of August; it’s an event that brings people from both valleys together. Make sure you save the date... Technical information and recommendations: ► Starts and ends: Cicera Notes: 1. We recommend downloading the track of the route on your phone and check the weather forecast beforehand.
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- Galería