Torrelavega

Can you build a house on rustic land?

Cantabria allows a new house on rustic land only within 200 m of a village, on at least 1,500 m².

Ley 5/2022, art. 51. A town plan can be stricter.

Plan in force: Plan General (a full town plan), from 1986. The region's planning viewer ↗

The national urban information system (SIU) maps the land class for 100% of the municipality.

Only the town hall can confirm it, in writing: ask for a certificado urbanístico.

Is there water?

IGME records 60 wells and boreholes in Torrelavega. Half of the 55 with a depth found water at 6–12 m. 5 springs are recorded.

Ground: 46% low permeability, local groundwater only; 25% porous aquifer, medium productivity; 23% porous aquifer, high productivity; 5.2% karstic or fissured aquifer, high productivity.

Choosing where to drill takes a hydrogeologist.

What to watch for

• 6 fires since 2016 reached the municipality: 341 ha in all, the latest in 2025.
• 7.2% of the municipality lies in the 100-year flood zone; 12% in the 500-year one.
• 4.6% of the municipality is preferential flow zone, where new building is generally banned.
• 1% of the municipality is a protected natural area, whose plan limits what can be done.
• Not a radon zone.

Living here

• 4G reaches 100% of homes; fibre 100%. Averages for the municipality.
• Rain: 1,189 mm a year (1971–2000), about 1,001 by 2041–2070.
• Summer highs: 23.2 °C, about 25.3 °C by 2041–2070.
• Frost days: 10 a year, about 3 by 2041–2070.

Around it

Polanco · Cartes · Reocín · Santillana del Mar · Puente Viesgo · San Felices de Buelna · Piélagos · Los Corrales de Buelna