Magical Cantabria: Ubierco, beach and hermitage of Santa Justa

Read this post on TravelFeed.io for the best experience

---

Leaving aside the speculative world of metaphors and always following the wise advice of experienced travelers, such as Rudyard Kipling and his invaluable recommendation to discover that world that we have out there, I want to invite you, as soon as the year has just begun, to travel to that little paradise of the north of Spain, which is Cantabria, and discover some of those places, which, due to their special characteristics, can be considered eminently magical, as long as we understand the adjective 'magical', as descriptive of a priceless set of beauty, mystery, legend and tradition.

It affirms, that priceless treasure that is always popular imagery, that the world is a handkerchief, in whose folds, everything has a place and you never know the surprises that await you, metaphorically speaking, behind any of its infinite corners.

And nothing better to do it, on this occasion, than to be located in the vicinity of one of the most beautiful towns in Spain and, at the same time, possessor of the most amazing artistic, historical and cultural treasures in the world, such as, for example, a one of the four wonderful Romanesque collegiate churches in Cantabria - Santa Juliana, a strange personality, with a strong character and strong arms, which, according to tradition, kept the Devil himself in check - and one of the most spectacular and world-renowned prehistoric caves , such as the famous Altamira cave: Santillana del Mar.

It is not surprising, then, that, with this background, the surroundings of Santillana del Mar are the ideal recipient to discover corners, recognized not only for their natural charm, but also for containing elements of interest, where mystery invites, not only to reverie, but also to speculation, being one of them -which I hope you like and, in turn, encourages you to visit in person one day- the beach and the hermitage of Santa Justa.

In fact, if we start from Santillana del Mar, taking the direction of Ubierco, a municipal term where it is located and distant some insignificant six kilometers, we will soon find an indicative sign, to our left, just past the town, which, in just a short time For more than a kilometre, it will take us straight to our destination, which ends in a small parking area set up for visitors, a few meters from a comfortable restaurant, with a splendid terrace included, from where we can already contemplate the beautiful cove - which resembles the horseshoe of a horse - and at its eastern right end, barely separated a few meters from the sea, an architectural curiosity, which, once we get closer, will give us a disturbing surprise.

In effect, what these two canvases hide -one frontal and the other lateral- and that prevent and at the same time allow access to the sacred place, is what we could well call the first model of home and at the same time of temple or sacred precinct. , of humanity: a cave.

A cave, on the other hand, which is known to have been inhabited, back in the 8th century, by some hermits who were fleeing the Agarean invasion of the Iberian Peninsula and who, as was often the case, rescued holy relics -in this case, the bodies of Justa and her sister Rufina, two martyred saints, according to tradition, for their veneration and worship in a safe place, celebrating around them the most ancestral and flowery pilgrimages, which make up an essential part of that popular folklore , picturesque and vital, which, of course, is worth knowing.

But around this place, its cliff and its cave, there are also numerous legends, perhaps the main one being the one that tells us about a Xana or Anjana -water nymphs, very popular throughout the length and breadth of the Cantabrian Coast- which, in this case, in particular, carried out charitable actions, helping, with its golden bell and the brilliant light that its body gave off, to orient themselves, at night, to the daring sailors who sailed these dangerous waters.

In reality, what the legend is telling us, with that wonderful popular vision, is that the place, like many other similar ones, served as a cult for peoples and civilizations prior to the arrival of Christianity and like it, since the times of the the famous Augustine of Hippo -San Agustin- followed the papal orders of the moment, aimed at destroying pagan idols, but preserving their temples, with the idea that, in this way, it would be easier to convince the resilient to enter the temples of the new religion.

Given its proximity to the sea, it is not the first time that the waters of the intrepid Cantabrian Sea seep into the hermitage, especially at times of high tide or strong swell, which also entails a certain risk of being trapped, if well, the cult is hardly usually celebrated on very particular commemorative dates.

In addition, above the cliff, at whose feet the sacred cave sits, you can still see the sad canvases of a small fortification, which even in centuries as late as the 16th, not only served as a lighthouse for navigators, using torches, but also watched over the terrible raids by pirates, in the same way that their ancestors did with the raids of the always fearsome Viking longships that for centuries devastated these spectacular coasts.

But the most remarkable thing, deep down, is the place itself: a place, of course, charming and very special, above all, to be seduced without conditions and enjoy it, as only the senses know how to do.

RELATED MOVIE:

NOTICE: Both the text and the photographs that accompany it, as well as the video that illustrates it, are my exclusive intellectual property and, therefore, are subject to my Copyright.

---

View this post on TravelFeed for the best experience.