The isolated Spanish village stuck in time where only six residents still live
- Our Hidden Earth
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
It was 1990 and much of the world was becoming fascinated with computers and the new World Wide Web.
But in one tiny Spanish village tucked away in a remote corner of the country, there wasn’t even a telephone connection, reports The Olive Press.
Because of this, this hidden gem was named Spain’s first ever ‘Exemplary Village’, an honour given to places recognised for their cultural, historical, environmental and community importance.
At the time, Prince Felipe handed the award to a village of around 100 people. Today, only six residents remain, yet its old-world charm has stayed intact.
Set high on a mountainside in Asturias’ Picos de Europa national park, San Esteban de Cuñaba feels almost untouched by time.
Stone houses with wooden balconies cling to the hills, and narrow cobbled paths twist between them.
The nearby River Deva keeps the air cool and fresh, and for anyone visiting, the village offers a real sense of peace. It’s also the starting point for several walking routes into the Picos de Europa.
The village is most famous for the preserved trunk of a 400-year-old chestnut tree, which died in 1994 but still stands as a tribute to the people who cared for it over the centuries.
With mobile phone signal still weak or patchy, it remains one of the few places in Western Europe where you can truly switch off.
It also gives visitors a rare glimpse into what life in Spain was like before modern technology, with just six dedicated locals keeping old traditions alive.
Reaching San Esteban de Cuñaba isn’t easy. The journey from Panes winds through La Hermida gorge, the longest gorge in Spain, where drivers must carefully navigate narrow, twisting mountain roads for 10 kilometres.
The route follows the River Deva along the Cantabrian border until a small, weathered inn marks the final turn.
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