Potes: The Sacred Threshold

Unchanging, despite being partially or fully restored after a devastating fire, Potes remains that melancholic pearl of the Picos de Europa, defining the boundary between the picturesque and the transcendent.

Located in the ancient cultural heart of Liébana, Potes represents, for the weary pilgrim who has just left behind the agonizing but unforgettable trails of the La Hermida gorge, the laurel wreath that always rewards their introspective efforts.

Therefore, it is not at all surprising to see many pilgrims, knowing they are a stone's throw from the place where their pilgrimage will culminate—the Monastery of Santo Toribio, custodian of the largest surviving fragment of the True Cross—let themselves be carried away by the gratifying experience of falling asleep lulled by the sweet song of a mythical river, the Deva.

The river, born amidst the impenetrable crags of the mountains that have guarded this blissful valley since the dawn of time, bears in its very name a transcendent Sanskrit word that means, among other things, "celestial," "divine," or "the one who shines," its feminine form being Devi; that is, "Goddess."

Potes, therefore, whether visited by travelers or pilgrims who ultimately succumb to its charm, is that vital and unmissable place where the journey, whatever the motivations, is always an adventure capable of stirring even the most hardened emotions.

NOTICE: Both the text and the accompanying photographs are my exclusive intellectual property and are therefore subject to my copyright.