Max Abroad : The Best of Spain

Puentedey is a village in the province of Burgos whose name literally means “God’s bridge”. This town’s singularity resides in its location. As a matter of fact, it is situated on top of a natural rock arch; i.e. on a crag, which forms one of the most curious natural occurring bridges in Spain. Part of the town is built on top of the bridge, including its Romanesque church. This curious bridge is shaped by the river Nela, whose source is in the mountains of Somo and flows on into the river Ebro. 

The arch was formed when the Nela River abandoned a long meander by carving its way through the hill. A fairly wide path runs through the arch alongside the river, letting you enjoy the sheer size of the arch from the directly beneath it. Just inside, you’ll find a sort of small, sandy beach which is an ideal spot for taking refuge from the sun in summer.

Not surprisingly, as it is limestone, it has several openings which discharge water during wet weather, sometimes with quite significant pressure. If you happen to visit be sure look up to admire the scenery, too. The village is nestled within a wonderful Karst landscape with impressive limestone bluffs towering high above it.