Carranza is situated at the frontier between the Autonomous Communities of Cantabria and the Basque Country. It has 2.717 inhabitants. Its climate is warm and temperate and its annual average temperature is 15,9ºC. It is a natural Paradise no matter from which of the two Communities you enter Carranza from.
Carranza is a municipality with great history which goes back to the Paleolithic Era. As parts of its patrimony a variety of palaces with different styles can be visited, such as the Palaces of Prieto of Ahedo (in Ranero and Santecilla), of Baroque style, with a quandrangular floor and heraldic shields on the main façades. Another interesting place to visit is the Palace of Trevilla in San Esteban, with various Gothic elements on its main façade.
In Carranza there are some outstanding religious buildings such as the Church of San Esteban of pure Gothic style, the Church of San Miguel, which combines Gothic, rennaissance and baroque styles, which reflect the reconstructions this Church had to go through in the course of time.
The immigration to America resulted in making rich many citizens of Carranza who, when they went back, showed off their new situation and started to build big houses and pantheons, decorated with elements of the “indiano” style. Nowadays these buildings represent the patrimony of a situation of poverty which the village experimented but which it was able to overcome by going to America. These houses stand out for their architectural and colorful style. Some of these are the Chalet Hernaiz in Concha and the one of Portillo in Tejera, for which the French architect called Jean Darroguy collaborated.
Thanks to its impressive natural beauty, a visit you should not miss is to the Caves of Pozalagua and the Armañon Natural Park. In Carranza numerous festivities take place in different neighborhoods, such as the one of San Isidro, which is celebrated in Concha on 15 May. That is when various activities are organized, such as championships or exhibitions of rural sports. At the same place, the Agricultural Fair takes place where crafts and agricultural products are sold.
Its cuisine consists of many dishes, such as beans, porrusalda, stake with paprika, stew of sheep and others. Cuscaro cake is one of its traditional desserts.
