Casa Mínima, an EnerPHit cabin in Valles Pasiegos, Cantabria

A 19th-Century Stone Cabin in the Valles Pasiegos Restored to Passivhaus Standard

Estudio Mínima spent two years transforming a ruined Pasiegan cabin into Casa Mínima. Helena Aguilar and Juan Ramón Cristóbal (the practice's two principals) kept the original dry-stone shell intact, worked entirely from within, and achieved EnerPHit certification: one of the very few rural properties in Spain to do so. In the process they preserved its 19th-century typology—stone walls up to 80 centimeters thick, the exterior staircase, the pitched clay-tile roof. Inside is a layered interior skin of lime plaster, organic insulation, and handmade brick, as well as triple passive-glazed timber windows and an Orkli PKOM 4 heat recovery unit doing quiet, invisible work. On a private estate of more than two hectares in the Pisueña valley, with meadows, native woodland, and two streams, the house sits completely alone.

The ground floor was originally a cattle shed. Dense, dark, defined by massive stone walls and minimal light. Estudio Mínima opened it, carving new apertures through the thick masonry to pull in the valley, then arranging kitchen, dining, and living in a single open sequence. Adjacent, the old manure enclosure was cleared and repaved with the original stable slabs, some still bearing the channels carved into the stone for upkeep.

The living room centers on a wood-burning stove designed specifically for passive houses. The kitchen is fully equipped with high-efficiency appliances. Upstairs, two bedrooms are lined in oak, each with a sloped ceiling, a framed view of the valley, and its own bathroom finished in beige mineral renders. A separate guest WC is on the ground floor. There is no Wi-Fi and no television—an intentional choice.

The courtyard is the house's best room when the weather cooperates. Original stone slabs, some still grooved from their former life as stable flooring, form the paving. Old stone walls, overgrown with ivy and flowering climbers, enclose it on three sides, the fourth open to the meadow. A wooden table for four sits at the center. Beyond the courtyard, the private estate extends across more than two hectares: mixed woodland, open meadow, and two streams with small waterfalls.

What we love

The window seat is the first thing you notice. There's a built-in bench along the large timber-framed windows and in the morning, with coffee, it's hard to leave. The house is completely alone on its estate, and the silence is the kind that takes a day to settle into. If you feel like getting out, the sobao bakery in Selaya is three kilometers down the road. Pick something up and come back. The house is Passivhaus certified and stays at exactly the right temperature whether it's June or November.

Layout

This vacation home for rent in Valles Pasiegos, Cantabria sleeps up to six guests across two floors totaling 160 square meters.

The ground floor holds the original cattle-shed volume, now containing an open-plan kitchen, dining, and living area, plus a guest WC.

The upper floor, accessed from outside via the original stone staircase, holds the two generously sized, oak-lined bedrooms, each with an en-suite bathroom. An exterior courtyard extends the ground-floor living area outward.

- Bedroom 1 — King, en suite

-Bedroom 2 — King, en suite

Up to two extra beds can be added across the two rooms in any combination, bringing the total to a maximum of six guests.

Experiences

Estudio Mínima can arrange guided architectural and construction visits, walking routes through the estate and surrounding Pisueña valley, seasonal introductions to local food producers, and personalized advice on hiking and cultural itineraries in the area.

Good to know

There is no Wi-Fi (mobile coverage is good, and fiber is expected in late 2026) and no television. Pets are not permitted. A cot is available for children under two.

Amenities & services

Bed linen, towels, organic bathroom products, firewood (in season), and final cleaning are included.

Passivhaus heat recovery ventilation (Orkli PKOM 4), wood-burning stove (sealed, passive-house certified), full climate control (heating and cooling), fully equipped kitchen with high-efficiency appliances, area guides and maps, parking, outdoor courtyard, private estate (2+ hectares), no Wi-Fi (good mobile coverage), no TV, no pets

Around

The Valles Pasiegos—Pisueña, Miera, and Pas—are the least-visited green valleys in northern Spain, a landscape of deep beech forest, pastured hillsides, and mist-fed waterfalls that has changed very little since the semi-transhumant Pasiegan culture it gave rise to in the 16th century. Hiking routes leave directly from the estate. Selaya, three kilometers away, has a market, pharmacy, and local shops. The cave paintings of Altamira and the thermal caves of Puente Viesgo (both UNESCO World Heritage Sites) are roughly 30 minutes west. Cantabria's Michelin-listed restaurants, including the one-starred Cenador de Amós (Villaverde de Pontones) and La Bicicleta (Hoznayo), are within 40 minutes. Wild Atlantic beaches (Langre, Liencres, Somo) are the same distance north. A car is essential.