Casa Cayo Restaurant
What to order: the cocido lebaniego, and if there are several of you, the roast suckling lamb; for something quick, portions at the bar
geocalia
Day itinerary · 43.15° N · 4.62° W
Sunday in Liébana: 753 metres of cable, cocido and a monastery.
You take the Fuente Dé cable car up to 1,823 metres and walk towards Áliva, eat Liébana cocido in Potes and finish at Santo Toribio. An hour and three quarters from Santander.
Leaving from
Part of Liébana and PotesPicos de EuropaCantabrian Coast
Add to my trip
Total time11 h
By car1 h 45 each way
Walking2 h on a track
DifficultyEasy
Cost€45–70 pp
Best timeMay – October
With childrenYes; ages 4 to 12, cable car €8–15
With a dogIn a carrier in the cabin
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Santander 1 h 45 by car
A-8 to Unquera and N-621 through the La Hermida gorge
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1
Fuente Dé Cable Car
€20–30 return; buy online the day before
- 45 min on foot
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2
Walk Down Through the Áliva Pastures
there and back towards the Áliva refuge hotel, under 2 h
- 30 min by car25 km
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3
Casa Cayo Restaurant
cocido lebaniego · €€ · booking
Calle Cántabra, 6, 39570 Potes · +34 942 730 150
Restaurant €€Book - 8 min by car3 km
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4
Monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana and the Lignum Crucis
church and cloister 16:00 to 19:00; on Sundays the Lignum Crucis cannot be seen
- 8 min by car3 km
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5
Walk Round Potes, Between the Deva and the Quiviesa
walk between the Quiviesa bridges
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Back home
in Santander around 20:15
Approximate cost
About €20–35 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Fuente Dé Cable Car
The Fuente Dé cable car is closed for works from 16 November: check on its website that it has reopened before you go.
Liébana is a long Sunday from Santander, but it fits: you set off early, take the Fuente Dé cable car mid-morning, walk a couple of hours through the Áliva meadows, go down to Potes for cocido and finish at the monastery of Santo Toribio.
The day, hour by hour
7:45 · Set off. A-8 towards Asturias to Unquera and the N-621 through the La Hermida gorge to Potes; then the Fuente Dé road to the end. About two hours.
9:45 · Fuente Dé cable car. In four minutes you go from 1,070 to 1,823 metres. Return trip, €20 in low season and €30 in high; children aged 4 to 12, €8 or €15. Buy online the day before: the ticket has a 30-minute window for going up.
10:15 · Walk towards Áliva. From El Cable, a track climbs to the Horcadina de Covarrobles and descends through meadows towards the Áliva refuge hotel. There and back, under two hours. Go down by cable car.
14:00 · Lunch at Casa Cayo. In the centre of Potes: Liébana cocido and roast lamb, for under €35. Book.
16:30 · Santo Toribio. The monastery of the Lignum Crucis, 3 km from Potes. On Sundays the relic chapel does not open; the church and cloister, from 16:00 to 18:00.
17:30 · Potes. A stroll between the Quiviesa bridges before heading back.
18:30 · Head home. Through the gorge, in Santander around a quarter past eight.
Time2 h
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Hotel del Oso Restaurant
What to order: the cocido lebaniego (€14) or the montañés; for a main, the mushroom-stuffed trotters, and for dessert the rice pudding or the Liébana fresh-cheese tart
Asador Llorente
What to order: cocido lebaniego to start and charcoal-grilled red meat; for dessert, the cheesecake
© ParadoresParador de Fuente Dé Restaurant
What to order: the cocido lebaniego or the sirloin with Tresviso cheese, and the cheese board
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Liébana and Potes
From May to October, with the cable car on long hours. In November 2026 it closes for a few weeks for works from the 16th: check its website before setting off.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Check the webcam and the wind
The cable car closes in strong wind and does not refund the ticket for fog.
- 2If you go in high season, go up on the first run
The afternoon queues are long.
We'd skip it
The cable car from 16 November 2026: it is closed for works for a few weeks. Swap the morning for the thermal cave at La Hermida.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Fuente Dé cable car cost?
€20 return in low season and €30 in high season for adults.
Can you see the Lignum Crucis on Sunday?
No; the chapel opens Monday to Saturday.
Is it worth it in a day from Santander?
Yes, if you leave early. It is about four hours of driving in total.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/spain/cantabria/liebana-and-potes/itineraries/fuente-de-cable-car-and-santo-toribio
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.