Potes is the main town of Liébana, on the Cantabrian side of the Picos de Europa. The old town, a listed site of cultural interest, keeps its cobbled streets, houses with wooden arcades and the unmistakable outline of the Torre del Infantado.
Four rivers meet here — the Deva, Quiviesa, Bullón and Saja — and that shapes the character of the place: damp air, green river meadows and stone bridges. It’s the natural base for visiting Fuente Dé and taking the cable car up to the Cable lookout, and for reaching the monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana, one of the few places in the world with the privilege of a Jubilee Year.
The Monday market and the shops selling artisan orujo (a local grape spirit) are two stops worth making. Potes is 40 minutes from Alles through the La Hermida gorge — one of the more dramatic drives in the north of Spain.
