Orbaneja del Castillo is a small and quiet town located in the autonomous community of Castilla y León, province of Burgos. It is located on the border with Cantabria and offers great natural landscapes to enjoy a getaway with a rural atmosphere.
If you want to discover those small charming towns that are within our geography, you can start with places like Orbaneja del Castillo, which strangely lacks a castle, although it suggests that in ancient times it had to have one to keep this name.
History of Orbaneja del Castillo
This population was occupied at least in the Epipaleolithic by the archaeological remains that have been found in the surroundings. However, it was not until the Middle Ages that the town that has survived to this day originated in this area. The chosen place-name makes it clear that in this town there must have been a castle that has not been preserved. Mozarabs from Al-Andalus also inhabited this place and there was a aljama. On the other hand, the Templars passed through here, since they founded the Hospital de San Albín. It was the Catholic Monarchs who gave the town the title of town. In the year 1993 the town is declared a Historic Site.
What to see in Orbaneja del Castillo
This is one of the most beautiful towns in Burgos, and that is why it requires a visit of at least one weekend. A town with waterfalls, blue lakes and some beautiful houses that make the whole a dream place. But let's think about all there is to see.
The waterfall
This is the most attractive thing about the town as a whole, and it is that few places can boast of having an incredible waterfall in it. It is about 25 meters high in different steps, so it is a very beautiful waterfall that also has some houses nearby, which makes it even more charming. Is waterfall has water all year and it has different terraces. If the flow is small in the rainy season, the terraces look like real natural pools.
Following this waterfall in the riverbed and before it empties into the Ebro, we can find large pools of great beauty. They have a amazing turquoise blue color that makes us feel in an exotic and distant place. They are places that invite you to swim, but it must be said that this area is protected and bathing is prohibited, but the photographs will be just as wonderful.
Architectural ensemble
This town is located in the canyon walls created by the river Ebro and it has very few registered inhabitants, but nowadays it has become a tourist place for those who enjoy visiting places surrounded by nature. Its historical complex is small, but it is charming and conquers those who visit it. Its houses are of mountain style and the streets have an irregular framework typical of the Middle Ages, which was when the town was founded. There are few streets but it is worth seeing the surroundings for that style that it still preserves.
In the nearby moors there are some flat areas, which were the ones that were cultivated. In these places old stone huts are preserved, in the place known as las You were from Orbaneja del Castillo. These old constructions served as a barn and shelter against bad weather, being another representation of the oldest and most authentic popular architecture.
Water Cave
This natural cave is the point from which the water rises that divides the town into two halves with the waterfall. The water arises from the subsoil, from an aquifer located under the Páramo de Bricia. Today this cave can be visited with a guide. At a higher level it find the Cave of Chance, in which there are cave paintings from the Neolithic Age. This set of natural caves are essential when visiting Orbaneja del Castillo.
Hiking in Orbaneja del Castillo
This area surrounded by natural landscapes of incredible beauty has some great hiking trails. The GR 99 route, the Ebro nature trail is one of them. You just have to cross the bridge over the Ebro and start walking towards one of the two directions.
La Path of the Chozos it is a road of about five kilometers. The path leaves from the Cueva del Agua and heads towards the upper area, where the old grazing huts are. On this route it is possible to enjoy the best possible views of the entire natural environment and the town from above.
La Orbaneja Castle route He heads towards the rocks that can be seen at the top from the town. It is a short route, like the others, so you do not have to have a special physical level to be able to do them and thus enjoy all the perspectives that the environment offers us.