This municipality is one of Cantabria’s most appealing thanks to its unique geographical features. Potes is a flat area surrounded by mountains, where the powerful houses of Mendoza and Manrique fought their medieval battles. In more recent times, in 1836, the great violinist Jesús de Monasterio was born here.

The town of Potes, the capital of the small municipality, is located in the center of the Liébana region, where the Deva and Quiviesa rivers meet. Surrounded by spectacular scenery and situated at the confluence of the region’s four valleys, the town reveals its rich history at every turn.

It has been documented since the mid-9th century and from the late Middle Ages, it was linked first to the House of the Marquis of Santillana, and later to that of Infantado.

Potes is known as the town of bridges (hence its name) and towers. The Infantado Tower (now an exhibition venue) and the Orejón de la Lama Tower, both from the 15th century, are particularly noteworthy.

The collection of old town neighborhoods retains a great popular flavor, and its charming narrow streets and large houses (most with coats of arms) help visitors imagine bygone times full of history.

Undoubtedly, one of the most relevant aspects of Potes and the entire region is its gastronomy. The town boasts a good number of restaurants of all styles and categories where a wide variety of dishes can be sampled. Cocido Lebaniego is one of its culinary stars, made with the typical chickpeas of the area (small and tender), cured meat or beef, cabbage, and a stuffing.

Meats are also of prime quality in Potes, as we are in a predominantly livestock-raising area. Big game dishes (wild boar and roe deer) and river fish like trout and salmon from the Deva River also enjoy a well-deserved reputation. Artisan cheeses are another of the region’s most exquisite bites, along with homemade desserts such as frisuelos, rice pudding (arroz con leche), canónigos, and the typical sequillos de Potes.

A special and prominent mention goes to the famous artisan-produced liqueurs: orujo and tostadillo. A popular festival has even become consolidated around orujo, celebrated annually in November and declared a Festival of National Tourist Interest. The aim of this festival is to promote a product made in stills from the harvest of the region’s numerous vineyards. This popular liqueur is the ideal complement to another of the typical drinks of the Liébana region, port tea (té del puerto).

All these typical gastronomic products can be found together at the traditional market held every Monday in the Plaza de Potes. This market has deep historical roots, serving as a traditional meeting point where the people of Liébana exchanged their agricultural products.

The municipality celebrates its patron saint festivities for San Vicente Mártir on January 22nd. On August 15th, it celebrates the Virgen de Valmayor, but the most popular and deeply rooted festivities in the town are those of the Santísima Cruz (Holy Cross), held on September 14th and the surrounding days.

We are in livestock country, and therefore, livestock fairs are significant. There are six key dates throughout the year for the buying and selling of animals: January 11th, March 1st, May 1st, June 29th (San Pedro), September 16th, and November 2nd (Los Santos). The latter stands out as one of the most important and well-attended in all of Cantabria.

Activities
Potes and its region offer all kinds of leisure alternatives, both cultural and sporting, and natural. It provides visitors with every facility for practicing activities such as hiking, mountain biking, equestrian tourism, climbing, ski touring, paragliding, hunting, fishing, and many others.