My son by a statue of the La Virgen del Pilar, at the very source of the river.

Fontibre is a small neighbourhood, 3 kilometers from the town of Reinosa, in the province of Cantabria in the north of Spain. My mother lives a few kilometers away, and although its far away from where I live, I visit regularly.

I was there recently and took these photos.

It is famous because the source of the river Ebro, the second longest river in the Iberian Peninsula, has its source, right here, in Fontibre.

In fact, this name derives from the Latin words ‘Fontes’ and ‘Iberis’, meaning source of the Ebro.

The Ancient Cantabri, who were considered to be savage and untamable mountaineers, were one of the largest independent tribes of Hispania, to succumb to Roman rule. They were finally conquered by the Romans during the Cantabrian Wars (29-19 BC), under the reign of Augustus.  More information with maps here 

It’s a stunning place for a quiet walk, and there’s a cozy rural hotel called La Posada de Fontibre and a lovely restaurant for a delicious meal called Restaurante Fuentebro, where we love to stop for lunch after a long country walk.