Opening of the Door of Forgiveness as part of the Lebaniego Jubilee Year, Cantabria

15 Apr 2023 - 16 Apr 2024

Lebaniego Jubilee Year 2023/2024

Name: Lebaniego Jubilee Year 2023/2024
Start: 2023-04-15T00:00
End: 2024-04-16T23:59
Location: Lebaniego Jubilee Year 2023/2024

Special events

Cantabria

Cantabria celebrates the Lebaniego Jubilee Year in style, which happens when 16 April, the feast of Santo Toribio, falls on a Sunday. You will be able to enjoy many different cultural and religious activities based around the pilgrimage to Monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana and get to know some of the most beautiful landscapes of Cantabria in the heart of the Picos de Europa. Whether you are looking for nature, culture, religion or anything else, this is the event for you.

Have you heard of The Lebaniego Way?It is a centuries-old pilgrimage route to the Monastery of Santo Toribio, which is home to the Lignum Crucis: the largest fragment of the True Cross of Christ. Although this Way, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, can be walked at any time (it also links up with Saint James Way), during the Holy Year the Monastery's Puerta del Perdón opens, an event that attracts thousands of pilgrims in search of the “jubilee grace”- the forgiveness of all sins.The full Lebaniego Way runs for 71.73 kilometres between San Vicente de la Barquera and the Monastery of Santo Toribio, winding through stunning natural landscapes and the towns of Val de San Vicente, Herrerías, Lamasón, Peñarrubia, Cillórigo, Potes and Camaleño. The Lebaniego Way is not just a religious experience, it can also be a cultural encounter that will give you the chance to discover yourself.

What is organised on the occasion of the Holy Year?The opening of the Puerta del Perdón takes place on 16 April, featuring an incredible 6x5m floral carpet. As well as several religious events (for example, 14 September will be the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the monastery's main festival) there will be more than 400 activities including 150 concerts, 10 special editions and exhibitions, 50 infrastructure improvement plans for the roads, 20 traditional festivals, 70 sporting events, 30 stage arts shows and 20 food and drink programs.If you decide to go, you will be able to see live artists including Andrea Bocelli (who will perform on the monastery esplanade), Muse, Ara Malikian and Alejandro Sanz. Other key activities Other activities include a nautical show in the Bay of Santander accompanied by drones and fireworks, the 1st “SIN LASTRE” Hot Air Balloon Festival, a pilgrimage of hundreds of people and the premiere of the documentary “Beato: The origins of the Jacobean Year”.

Things to see and do in the areaIf you visit the Comarca de Liébana or walk part of the The Lebaniego Way, you will cross scenic mountainous areas and discover some beautiful spots. We highly recommend a ride in the Fuente Dé cable car, which will take you to more than 1,800 metres above sea level. Forests abound here, some of them straight out of a fairytale, such as Habario de Pendes, a thousand-year-old chestnut grove. The La Hermida gorge is also worth visiting, which, at 21 kilometres, is the longest in the Iberian Peninsula.In addition to its imposing Monastery of Liébana, this area also features other architectural gems such as the Church of Santa María de Lebena, the main pre-Romanesque monument in Cantabria. It is also worth stopping in charming towns such asPotes, which is part of the Association of The Most Beautiful Towns in Spain.On this website you will find information about the celebration of the Holy Year and you will be able to download a map of The Lebaniego Way, as well as lots of useful tips.