It was 1990 and the world was obsessed with computers and the World Wide Web. But one village perched in one of Spain’s most isolated corners didn’t even have telephone service. Thanks to this, San Esteban de Cuñaba holds the distinction of Spain’s first ever ‘Exemplary Village’, an official designation awarded to villages that stand out for their cultural, historical, environmental, and community values. That year, Prince Felipe presented the award to an area with around 100 people. Today, the medieval village is home to only six residents – but still retains its charm.
Perched on a mountainside in Asturias’ Picos de Europa national park, San Esteban de Cuñaba feels like a village frozen in time. Stone houses with wooden balconies cling to the slopes, while narrow cobbled lanes wind between them. The air is fresh from the nearby river Deva and for visitors, the village offers a sense of escape. The village is also a gateway to several hiking trails of Picos de Europa.
The village is best known for the preserved trunk of a 400-year-old chestnut tree, which died in 1994 and now stands as a tribute to the generations who once taken care of it. With mobile phone coverage still limited, it remains one of Western Europe’s last genuine havens of disconnection.
It also offers a rare window into pre-industrial Spain, where just six steadfast residents continue a way of life that has nearly disappeared elsewhere.
Getting to San Esteban de Cuñaba is no small feat. The route from Panes snakes through La Hermida gorge – Spain’s longest defile – where drivers must inch along narrow mountain passes for 10 kilometres. The road follows the River Deva along the Cantabrian border until a weathered roadside inn signals the final turn-off.
Visitors staying the night should book accommodation in nearby Panes or Arenas de Cabrales, as the village itself offers no hotels or restaurants.
