Val de San Vicente

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: Normas Subsidiarias (an older, simpler plan), from 1998. The region's planning viewer ↗

The national urban information system (SIU) maps the land class for 99% of the municipality.

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

Is there water?

IGME records one well or borehole in Val de San Vicente. Its depth: 100 m. 13 springs are recorded.

Ground: 34% karstic or fissured aquifer, high productivity; 20% low permeability, local groundwater only; 14% practically impermeable; 13% karstic or fissured aquifer, medium productivity; 9.6% porous aquifer, medium productivity.

Choosing where to drill takes a hydrogeologist.

What to watch for

• No mapped fire since 2016.
• 4.3% of the municipality lies in the 100-year flood zone; 4.8% in the 500-year one.
• 4.3% of the municipality is preferential flow zone, where new building is generally banned.
• 12% of the municipality is Natura 2000: new works need the region's consent.
• 9.1% 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 93%. Averages for the municipality.
• Rain: 999 mm a year (1971–2000), about 841 by 2041–2070.
• Summer highs: 22.2 °C, about 24 °C by 2041–2070.
• Frost days: 6 a year, about 1 by 2041–2070.

Around it

Herrerías · San Vicente de la Barquera · Ribadedeva · Peñamellera Baja