A tiny village in the province of Burgos, where the sound of pouring water is the main melody
The road to Orbaneja del Castillo follows the river uphill, past small pools with turquoise water. Swimming in these reservoirs is prohibited, which allowed this miracle of nature to avoid the pollution that mass tourism inevitably brings. And now the sound of the waterfall announces that you are entering the medieval village of Orbaneja del Castillo, where only 50 people live at the moment. At first glance, it seems that the same majestic and energetic waterfall is pouring directly from the houses located on the slope. Its noisy waters run down the slope, skirting houses and their inhabitants. The road past the houses leads up to the La Cueva del Agua cave, where the waterfall is born. In winter, the stream emanating from the karst cave increases significantly, turning into a natural phenomenon of incredible beauty.
Orbaneja del Castillo exudes peace and tranquility on weekdays, where only the sound of the water is heard, which is the hallmark of this small village. But when the weekend rolls around, this place welcomes guests whose voices and surprised exclamations dilute the natural melody. The rather isolated location of this settlement allowed it to stay away from mass tourism and preserve its authenticity, but guests still find it and often stop by to admire the greatness of nature. Locals say that the Santiago Way used to be nearby and there was a monastery, which, unfortunately, has not survived to this day. Only one of the ancient water mills has survived, which used to grind grain with the power of water and were scattered throughout the village. Today, this mill has become the cozy country house El Molino de la Cascada for those looking for extraordinary accommodation.
La Cueva del Agua is not the only cave in the area. Once in these parts, it is important not to miss the opportunity to visit also the Cueva del Azar cave, which contains paintings of the Neolithic period, declared an object of cultural interest in 1985.