Caléndula

• Ahumona: 1 four-bed room, WC , bathroom
• Cerezo: 1 double room, WC , bathroom
• Iglesia: 1 triple room, WC , bathroom
• Nava: 1 triple room, WC , bathroom
• Peña: 1 triple room, WC , bathroom
• Peral: 1 double room, WC , bathroom

Characteristics

• Inside: selection of games, Hi-fi, washing machine, microwave, heating, dishwasher, dining room, rooms with en-suite bathroom, kitchen, fireplace, library, lounge, conference room.
• Situation: mountains, quite central, tarmac entrance, signposted.
• Services: laundry service, breakfast available, information about the area, dinner service, local products on sale.
• Languages: German, French, English, Spanish, Dutch.
• Outside: garden, barbecue, terrace, garden furniture, car-parking facilities.

- Caléndula is a century-old farm made of oak and natural stone, located in an area soon to be declared a nature reserve called "The canyons of the River Ebro and Alto Rudrón". The village, Población de Arreba, is located in the heart of a special bird preserve (ZEPA) and the region is officially registered as an area of European-wide interest (LIC).
- ZEPA and LIC areas are part of the Nature Network 2000, the corner stone of the environmental protection policy of the European Union. This EU project aims to create a European-wide network of natural parks, which will be identified by scientists, to protect and preserve natural spaces and its species.
- Services: dinner, library, CDS, two cots, information about the area, laundry facilities, sale of local products, two lounges.From the farm it´s just an hour by car to the Gothic cathedral of Burgos and the open beaches of Santander, one hour and a half to Bilbao´s Guggenheim Museum, and just over three to Madrid. Twice a week there is a ferry from Britain to the northern port of Santander, which is just one hour from the house.
- The farm, which opened in the fall of 2005, has been restored by five people over the course of nearly 18 months. The restoration work aimed to preserve as much as possible the farm´s original structure and traditional materials and, at the same time, create a house of modern comfort and great charm.
- Caléndula has six spacious double rooms, each with its own bath. The two largest rooms also have a bath tub, and one or two extra beds can be placed in them. Two other rooms have private access to a wide balcony looking out on  the surrounding mountains.
- There is a large lounge with a fireplace and a separate dining room. The former hayloft has been turned into a second lounge, also with a fireplace, suitable for meetings, or activities such as yoga, painting or drama.
- In front of the house is a garden-patio, with pear, cherry, apple and walnut trees, where you can have a drink, dine or have a nap.

The owner´s comments

Outside: silence, peace, vastness. Inside: wood, stone, clay, fireplaces.

Outside: valleys, crags, plains. Inside: maps, trails, backpacks.

Outside: deer, foxes, boars, vultures and wolves. Inside: good food, good company and reading.

Outside: long days and long walks. Inside: rest and deep sleep in good beds.

Outside: oaks, beeches and meadows. Inside: tales and adventures.

Outside: hot or cold. Inside: warm or cool.

Caléndula (pot marigold): a flower with curative powers, closes in mid-afternoon. Colour: orange.

Activities 

- Hiking along the area´s many paths.
- Mountain biking along tracks.
- Horseback riding through the valleys from a nearby village.
- Rafting and kayaking down the Ebro. Sailing, windsurfing and kiting on Lake Ebro.
- Cross-country skiing in the valley close to the house. Skiing.
- Language courses (Dutch and Spanish as a secondary language).
- Nature observation.
- Mushroom picking.

Interesting places

- The Zamanzas valley, which starts 200 metres from the farm, and the Manzanedo valley, from which the township derives its name.
- The spectacular Ebro canyon, which has both a peaceful and a wild stretch.
- Prehistoric sites of the megalithic period, including dolmens and menhirs scattered throughout the area.
- Old flag-stone huts on the high-plateaus surrounded by hills; rock churches in nearby valleys.
- Karstic caves and wells in the Ojo Guareña nature reserve and the Blue Well in Covanera.
- Trenches and forts dating back to the Spanish Civil War within earshot.
- Romanesque churches within walking distance. Beach and oak woods within sight.
- Breathtaking villages such as Orbaneja del Castillo and Valdelateja, with good restaurants and charming terraces beside a brook or river. More spectacular villages: Pesquera de Ebro, Cortiguera, Puentedey.
- Astonishing medieval town such as Frías, Oña, Poza de la Sal and Sedano. Just a little further, in the neighbouring region of Cantabria, prehistoric caves and cave paintings in Puente Viesgo, the Cabárceno nature preserve for a safari among bears, elephants, lions, wolves, giraffes and jaguars, which roam freely through this former Roman mine.-