Cervatos Travel Guide

 
by easyoar
 
  •   Cervatos
    by easyoar
  • Cervatos Church
      Cervatos Church
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  • Cervatos with a 12C church
      Cervatos with a 12C church
    by easyoar
  • Sun dial on Cervatos Church
      Sun dial on Cervatos Church
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  • Cervatos Church
      Cervatos Church
    by easyoar
 

Explore Cervatos

Things to Do  

Tiny village with a naughty secret

Tiny village with a naughty secret, Cervatos

 easyoar Says:  To stop in Cervatos, you'll probably needed to have:(1) - A pretty detailed local guide book(2) - Already read itOtherwise most people will drive straight past Cervatos in Cantabria, Spain without a second glance. OK, so there is a sign showing that there is a church from... 

Little else to see...

Little else to see..., Cervatos

 easyoar Says:  Well just in case you wanted to see more of Cervatos, there isn't actually much more to show, it's a tiny place. I don't think their modern art is up to much, as this weird carving/sculpture thing by the church shows. Somebody appears to have gone to a lot of effort... 

The naughtiest carving on Cervatos Church?

The naughtiest carving on Cervatos Church?, Cervatos

 easyoar Says:  Alright, you twisted my arm. Strangely when you are at the church. most people seem to miss these carvings, even when they are looking for them, and they go away disappointed. Well I suppose having a good telephoto lens helped ;-) Well what's going on here? Is this some kind... 

A naughtier carving on Cervatos Church

A naughtier carving on Cervatos Church, Cervatos

 easyoar Says:  Well if that last carving was "proud", then what must this guy be? I don't think there is much I can add to this one, but it isn't the standard fare you get to see on a normal church.How on earth these carvings survived the Spanish Inquisition is anybodies guess, perhaps... 

A naughty carving

A naughty carving, Cervatos

 easyoar Says:  To visually zoom into one of the carvings that are up on the edges of the roof, it looks like just another gargoyle type carving (this is not a gargoyle as it does not act as a water spout) that you see on many old churches. But hang on a minute, the carving looks remarkably... 

Carving on Cervatos Church

Carving on Cervatos Church, Cervatos

 easyoar Says:  This is the carving around the doorway into the church. Pleasant enough, but nothing you won't have seen on a grander scale around bigger churches, but this is why most people that stop in Cervatos actually stop here. It's still not clear yet though is it? Still considering... 

Cervatos Church

Cervatos Church, Cervatos

 easyoar Says:  This is the church in question. It's the far side of the village from the Camino de Santiago, which means it is about 1 minutes walk from the road. Yes, the village really is that small. It's remarkably well preserved considering it dates back to the 12 Century, but is it... 

This can't be the naughty secret

This can't be the naughty secret, Cervatos

 easyoar Says:  Is this the unusual thing about the church in Cervatos? It's a old sun dial, and at first site it appears to be working, it's saying the time is about 13:30. Well don't set your watch off it, when I took the picture, it was actually 15:40. No, this sun dial is actually built... 

Transportation  

Getting to Cervatos
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easyoar 1261 reviews
Getting to Cervatos

I should imagine that being on the Camino de Santiago, there are probably several ways to get to Cervatos. Hiking (a ver slow option!), bike, car, coach and probably even bus.

My prefered option is car, as you don't need to stay long, and you can come and go at your own leisure.

If on the other hand you decide to make the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela on foot, then it probably makes a nice stopping off point too!

Written Apr 29, 2006

Related to:
 Architecture
 Road Trip
 Hiking and Walking

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Good place for a short break

Good place for a short break, Cervatos

 easyoar Says:  Cervatos is in Cantabria, a region in the North of Spain. It is on the road to Santiago de Compostela, although I was actually heading up to Santander at the time. I didn't see any shops or anything really whilst I was there, although I have to admit I didn't look too hard... 

Even the dog was bored...

Even the dog was bored..., Cervatos

 easyoar Says:  The only thing moving apart from a few other tourists, none of whom seemed to spot the carvings was this dog. Even he couldn't be bothered to muster a bark or wag his tail or even really acknowledge my presence as I walked past. This town really is sleepy and quiet, which... 

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Map of Cervatos