Salazar nestles at the foot of Alto de Zozama, a steep, wooded mountain ridge at the far western edge of the municipality of Villarcayo de la Merindad de Castilla la Vieja.

Characterized by its rugged mountain landscape, it belonged to the Salazar family - one of the region’s feuding clans. The Salazar and Velasco families’ legacy includes many properties that today form part of the municipality’s rich heritage, including their stately homes. The Salazar Tower still stands on the road leading out of the town, one of the sturdiest and best-conserved in the region.