History of the Mine
The La Pepita iron mine, with an area of 19,890 m2 and located in the La Calleja de Solares neighborhood, came into operation in 1887, coinciding with the construction of the Santander-Solares railway line and was the starting point of the so-called Ferrocarril de Minas de Heras, which had a route of 13 kilometers to transport the mineral to the laundry and the station in this town. Its facilities consisted of two churns and a dredge that were moved by a 70-horsepower engine.
MYTHOLOGICAL PARK
The unique characteristics of this site, both from a natural point of view, due to the vegetation that has developed in the environment, and from a landscape point of view, due to the geological formations that nature and human activity have formed, make Mina Pepita in the ideal setting for a park dedicated to the Mythology of Cantabria.
Thus, among its magical corners we can discover the representations of the main Cantabrian mythological characters, protagonists of popular beliefs that have been transmitted between generations. We will meet the fearsome Ojáncano, who welcomes us to the park, the benevolent Mossy who accompanies our route with the melody of his flute, the sweet Anjana, the Devil’s Horses or the Trenti, among others, who will gradually emerge among the needles, in their caves or under the mine trees.
GEOLOGY AND VEGETATION
The Pepita Mine Park has several paths with gentle slopes that go between spectacular spiers and mounds up to more than 15 meters high that form gorges, hollows and narrow nooks between the rocks. Natural erosion and human action have outlined a landscape of cuts that nature has been responsible for coloring. Abundant vegetation, both native and exotic, composed of holly, oak, linden, ash, enormous acacia, elderberry, laurel, palmetto and enormous ferns, gives this natural space a notable ecological value in the heart of the urban centre.
CANTABRIA AND ITS LEGENDARY BEINGS
The mythology of the popular knowledge of Cantabria has been related for centuries to Celtic and Roman myths, largely resembling traditions and legends from the rest of the communities of the Cantabrian Coast. The divinization of nature, of mountains and peaks, forests and waters, of flora and fauna, has been captured in stories of fantasy characters that endure to the present day and whose legacy is vividly present in our folklore.
As in other cultures, Cantabrian mythology has been nourished by fabled beings with unequal aspects and virtues whom the locals idolized or feared. There are many creatures of this type within Cantabrian mythology, among which the ojáncano, the anjana, the juáncana of Siete Villas, the mosgoso, the caballucos of the devil, the serpent of Peña Castillo, the guajona, the arbolón or the mozucas stand out. of the water and goblins such as trentis, trastolillos, goblins, tentirujos and dowsers, as well as the clouds and ventolines.
