The award-winning, cave-aged cheeses of Spain's Cantabria region are as complex in flavor as they are in history, and agro-tourism is helping to make them even more well-known.

It is a condition of the designation of origin that the cheeses must be matured in natural caves between 500 and 2,000 metres above sea level. In exceptional circumstances and with written approval, the law may be lifted temporarily.

Cabrales, a cheese famous in nearby Asturias is practically the same as Bejes-Tresviso and is the only other cheese in Spain to be matured in caves. In fact, it was only when Spain divided into autonomous communities that the cheeses were renamed according to their new autonomies. “They are first cousins although they say Cabrales is slightly stronger than our cheese” explained Luis.

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Photo by Luis Carré/©ICEX