La Hermida is a town in the Cantabrian municipality of Peñarrubia (Cantabria – Spain). It is located at an altitude of 114 metres. It is 5 km from Linares, the municipal capital. It is 12.5 km from Panes (Asturias) and 16 km from Potes (Cantabria). It is the nerve centre of the Desfiladero de la Hermida, the longest in Spain at 21 km, to which it gives its name. You cannot miss visiting: Bejes, 5 km away, birthplace of the DO Bejes Tresviso picón cheese and passage to the Picos de Europa. Senda Mitológica del Monte Hozarco, 10 km away. Children and adults will enjoy finding the main figures of Cantabrian mythology. Mirador de Santa Catalina. The mythological path itself will leave you at the same viewpoint. A must-stop to enjoy the wonderful views over the Gorge and the Picos de Europa. Linares with its Torre del Pontón, 5 km away and municipal capital. Hotel Balneario La Hermida and its thermal waters that come out at 62 degrees Celsius. La Hermida is on the banks of the Deva River, which runs through it, forming the La Hermida gorge, the most prominent geographical feature of the municipality. It has been declared a Site of Community Importance (SCI). This gorge is considered a special protection area for birds (ZEPA). The road that runs through the gorge leads to Liébana from Asturias. From La Hermida there is also another road, which goes towards the Nansa valley. This was the traditional access route to the Liébana region until the gorge road was opened in the 19th century. Its orography is dominated by the mountain called Cuetu del Ave (828 m). For several months in winter it does not receive direct sunlight. The people of La Hermida are mainly dedicated to the hotel business (taking advantage of the proximity to Potes and the presence of the Spa). However, a large part of the population is made up of retirees. There are several rural tourism establishments and restaurants. Hotel Balneario La Hermida: Thermal water source at 62 degrees Celsius, exploited since the mid-nineteenth century, and a hotel was built in 1881. It was abandoned for decades and in 2006 it was rebuilt and reopened. On the property of the Spa there is a Chapel, dedicated to Our Lady of the Angels. In the Middle Ages Peñarrubia belonged to the Merindad de las Asturias de Santillana. The lords of La Hermida were an important family with great influence in the valley during the Modern Age. This family owned three defensive towers that can be seen in Linares, the Pontón or Linares tower being a Site of Cultural Interest. In the nineteenth century the road to the gorge was built, which determined the abandonment of the traditional access routes to Liébana, which was via Colláu Joz. This led to the decline of Linares and the rise of La Hermida. Among the legends of this town, it is worth mentioning that of the "bear of Ándara". Today, La Hermida is a place dedicated to tourism, as a passage between the coast and Liébana, particularly sports tourism: hiking, mountaineering, climbing or fishing, with seven salmon reserves on the Deva River in La Hermida: El Arenal, El Infierno, El Matadero, Estragüeña, La Vide, Las Lágrimas and Peña Redonda. The Mirador del Salmón, one kilometre from the town, allows you to see the Desfiladero de la Hermida and the Deva River. As well as the Via Ferrata de la Hermida, inaugurated in 2010 and the first in Cantabria. Parish church, built in the 1970s and which houses a polychrome Dolorosa from the 19th century. It is in a modernist style and is built on a previous one. Source: Wikipedia