[3] During the Middle Ages, the most prominent dynasties in the area were the Villota and Entrambasaguas families, which fought for the control of administrative and political positions.

[5] Guriezo played a role in the development of the prosperous Basque iron industry; in 1846, members of the prominent Ybarra family acquired the factory of La Merced, which operated until 1854.

[6] During the Spanish Civil War, Guriezo was the setting for a number of events: on 24 August 1937, the Santoña Agreement was signed in the village, as a result of which 10,000 soldiers from the Basque Army surrendered to Franco's Italian allies.

When compared to the region as a whole, Guriezo has a considerably lower proportion of service businesses, but a higher percentage of agricultural, building and industrial companies.

[10] When it comes to the labour market, the Eastern Coastal area of Cantabria, which encompasses Guriezo and other municipalities, had an unemployment rate slightly above 20%, in tune with the regional average for 2013.