DIRECTIONS TO GARABANDAL FROM MADRID AND TORRELAVEGA

1 – From Madrid you will head north on N-1 to Burgos. Once you get into Burgos follow the signs to Santander and Reinosa, Hwys N-627/N-623. After about 10km, this road will split.

2 – If you decide to follow N-623 to Santander, you will come to a village called Vargas. You will not come to this village until you get close to Santander and you will need to then watch for directions to Torrelavega and Hwy N-634. You will take a left onto N-634 to head toward Torrelavega, which will bring you to road signs for Oviedo and Cabezon de la Sal, Hwy E70/A8.

3 – Follow road signs that lead you to Hwy E70/A8 Oviedo and Cabazon de la Sal. After about 10 miles Hwy A8, our super highway, will end and you will need to go around the circle and to the left to continue to follow Hwy E70 to Cabazon de la Sal for approximately 2km or so. You will reach a road sign for Reinosa, (there will be no highway sign for about 1 mile) then you will see Hwy C180. Turn left there and go through the little village of Cabazon de la Sal. Do not turn off of this road as you will come to a bridge in about another 2-3km. After the bridge bear to the right and just keep following Hwy C-180 for another 10km or so. You will notice a little village called Sopena. Just after this you will come to Valle de Cabuerniga, and a bar to your right named Fonda. Hwy C-181 is just after this bar to your right. This road inclines immediately because you have now started over the mountain to Carmona and Puentenansa. As you turn onto this road you will see a road sign for Puentenansa 17km. (May I add that if it is a beautiful day, plan on stopping at the top of this mountain for a view of God’s creation that will take your breath away!) When you reach a village called Carmona you will know you are over the mountain and Puentenansa will be the next little village. In about 4km you will pass a gas station on your right and Hwy C-181 will end at a stop sign. You will turn left onto Hwy C-281 and go over a little bridge and keep going straight directly through Puentenansa. After about another 2-3km, you will cross another bridge. Right pass this bridge you will come to Cosio. Take the very next right which takes you right into Cosio. To help keep your barrings this road into Cosio faces the bus stop, and down behind the bus stop is a resturant. You are now on the road to Garabandal. This road dead ends in Garabandal in about 3-5km.

4 – If you decide to take Hwy N-627 to Reinosa, you will evenutally need to turn north on Hwy N-611 and after you get near Torrelavega follow Instructions # 3 to get to Garabandal.

 

DIRECTIONS TO GARABANDAL FROM SANTANDER

1 – Follow road signs that lead you to Hwy E70/A8 Oviedo and Cabazon de la Sal. After about 10 miles Hwy A8, our super highway, will end and you will need to go around the circle and to the left to continue to follow Hwy E70 to Cabazon de la Sal for approximately 2km or so. You will reach a road sign for Reinosa, (there will be no highway sign for about 1 mile) then you will see Hwy C180. Turn left there and go through the little village of Cabazon de la Sal. Do not turn off of this road as you will come to a bridge in about another 2-3km. After the bridge bear to the right and just keep following Hwy C-180 for another 10km or so. You will notice a little village called Sopena. Just after this you will come to Valle de Cabuerniga, and a bar to your right named Fonda. Hwy C-181 is just after this bar to your right. This road inclines immediately because you have now started over the mountain to Carmona and Puentenansa. As you turn onto this road you will see a road sign for Puentenansa 17km. (May I add that if it is a beautiful day, plan on stopping at the top of this mountain for a view of God’s creation that will take your breath away!) When you reach a village called Carmona you will know you are over the mountain and Puentenansa will be the next little village. In about 4km you will pass a gas station on your right and Hwy C-181 will end at a stop sign. You will turn left onto Hwy C-281 and go over a little bridge and keep going straight directly through Puentenansa. After about another 2-3km, you will cross another bridge. Right pass this bridge you will come to Cosio. Take the very next right which takes you right into Cosio. To help keep your barrings this road into Cosio faces the bus stop, and down behind the bus stop is a resturant. You are now on the road to Garabandal. This road dead ends in Garabandal in about 3-5km.

2 – If you decide to take Hwy N-627 to Reinosa, you will evenutally need to turn north on Hwy N-611 and after you get near Torrelavega follow Instructions # 3 to get to Garabandal.

 

DIRECTIONS TO GARABANDAL FROM BILBAO** AND SAN SEBASTIAN

**When you leave Bilbao’s airport it is VERY IMPORTANT to stay in the right hand lane until you make the FIRST of the TWO exits that there are in Bilbao to Santander. Pay attention and follow the Santander signs. The FIRST exit will bear to the right. After a few miles you will take the SECOND exit to Santander onto hwy E-70/A-8. This exit is where you will bear left at a ‘Y’ and then you are on your way. There should be no other exits until you get to Santander. If you miss these turn offs you will go into downtown Bilbao and it will be hours before you find your way out!! Bilbao is a very confusing place.
(Spain’s road signs seem to mainly direct you to towns, villages, and cities, not by Highway designators.)
1 – After you follow the instructions above, you will be heading west on E70/A8 to Santander. You DO NOT leave this road! The only major turn you will make is once you are approaching Santander (a very large city) you will go on to an overpass and there is a sign TO EXIST ON THIS OVERPASS to the right to go to Torrelavega. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you don’t miss this exit. About 1 KM PRIOR to this exit you should go through two short tunnels, and pass the airport exit sign. There is a shopping center and a large industrial area around there. This should clue you to watch carefully for this overpass where you must exit to the right and head for Torrelavega. You will now be on A-67.

2 – After about 10 miles you will get close to Torrelavega, which will bring you to road signs for Oviedo and Cabezon de la Sal, stay to the right side because the road will bear to the right and seem to exit, but you are now back on E-70.

3 – There are several road signs that you can watch for to know you are still going right, and they are Oviedo and Cabezon de la Sal. After about 7-10 miles you will pass the exit for Cabezon de la Sal. Just keep going and head for Oviedo and San Vicente de la Barquera. San Vicente de la Barquera is another 3-5 miles or so ahead. Now start watching for the town of Pesues. This is the exit you will want to take. It’s about another 3 miles farther. When you exit at Pesues you will turn right and come to a ‘round-about’. Go around until you can turn onto the road that heads for Pesues. You will still be going west on N-634. About a quarter of a mile later, you will take a left turn shortly after you have passed over a bridge. There is a sign indicating the town of Moñorrodero when you make this left turn. As soon as you turn left you will pass over another bridge and then you will have to turn to the right onto CA-181. There is a sign pointing to Puentenansa! This village is your next goal. It is about 10 miles or so to Puentenansa. (19 KM) You will go through a village called Celis a few miles before you get to Puentenansa. There are two sharp curves between Celis and Puentenansa. Then you start coming down off the side of a mountain, and you do experience the going down, so be aware that now you will come to a place where you can either turn left and go toward a filling station OR go straight and cross over a bridge which leads directly into Puentenansa. GO STRAIGHT AND CROSS OVER THE LITTLE BRIDGE. You will travel about 2-3 miles on CA-182 until you come to another bridge. A very short distance after this bridge is the village of Cosio. You will take a right hand turn directly into this village. As you turn right, in front of you, you should see the road sign for San Sebastian de Garabandal. You are now on the road to Garabandal. This road will soon start to incline because you are now heading to the top of this little mountain. This road will dead end in Garabandal.

We will pray your journey is safe and peaceful! God bless!