Excursion through the Hoces del Río Duratón
Observing the canyon carved out by water while griffon vultures fly overhead, rowing in a river enclosed by walls up to a hundred meters high or exploring trails leading to impossible temples are just some of the surprises offered by the Hoces del Río Duratón Natural Park , in the northeast of Segovia . A rural getaway suitable for the whole family **just two hours from Madrid**.
Our excursion starts as it could not be otherwise in Sepulveda , one of the most beautiful and important towns that lie on the banks of the Duraton River , tributary of the Duero and true protagonist of our adventure.
Sepúlveda, the starting point of your excursions
We walk through its streets in the early morning discovering its Romanesque doors and churches, its old 16th century prison converted into a tourist office, its panoramic views (it is located on a rock facing the riverbank) or its beautiful Plaza de España, with the peculiar Baroque façade of the castle with three towers. An ideal place to have a coffee in the sun on one of its terraces or browse through the old copies of its bookstore.
In the summer months, the Casa del Parque houses the interpretation center of the Hoces del Río Duratón with an exhibition on the natural enclave.
There are various entrances to get to the Hoces. We opted for one of the busiest: go to Villaseca and follow the signs indicating the road to the Hermitage of San Frutos.
After crossing a small dirt road on the outskirts of the town, we will find the car park. From there you can take several ideal routes for hiking and biking.
Again, we choose one of the most demanded options: the path to the Hermitage of San Frutos, easy to do and suitable for all ages (round trip is just 30 minutes).
Hermitage of San Frutos
Soon we will see the lookout of the same name where we can look at the Hoces in all its splendor: the Duratón river has been eroding the limestone soil until it is encased between the walls of its canyons , which in some sections reach up to a hundred meters in height.
On one of its balconies, we will see the hermitage erected in such a privileged place that would be worthy of being chosen as a location for Game of Thrones.
The main attraction of the Natural Park nests in the walls of the gorges: griffon vultures, whose colony (575 couples registered in the year 2003) is considered the largest in Europe. It is advisable bring some binoculars to be able to observe them closely, as well as a camera for any photography lover.
Shortly before reaching the hermitage we will have to save the crack nicknamed La Cuchillada over a stone bridge. Legend has it that it was opened by San Frutos himself with his staff to mark, like Gandalf, to the Saracens the limits of the sacred ground that they must not tread.
after crossing the iron cross , built in 1900 with the seven keys of Sepúlveda, we will see at the foot of the hermitage the anthropomorphic tombs excavated in the High Middle Ages.
The church, which began to rise in 1093, is surrounded by the remains of a Benedictine monastery through whose walls we can walk imagining what life was like there in another era.
They are the largest community of griffon vultures in Europe
In the back we will find a cemetery and a small hut with the tombs of San Frutos and his two brothers. This area is ideal for looking for a shade in which sit down to eat the sandwich watching how the vultures fly over us capriciously until landing on their nests.
There are two other religious sites within the Natural Park worth visiting. First, the Cave of the Seven Altars , a 7th-century Visigothic religious monument built inside a natural cave and considerate the oldest Christian temple in the province of Segovia.
On the other hand, the Monastery of Our Lady of the Angels of the Hoz It was built by the Franciscans in 1231 on a small strip of land at the bottom of the Los Angeles meander. Currently only accessible by boat , since the land accesses were flooded by water when the Burgomillodo dam was built in 1953.
And it is that one of the most popular ways to travel this stretch of the Duratón River is the canoe . A good place to rent one is the town of San Miguel de Bernuy, where we will find many companies with all kinds of offers : half-day excursions (three hours), full-day excursions (seven hours), with a monitor or on your own, with routes to the Hermitage of San Frutos or to the Las Vencías reservoir, in the vicinity of Fuentidueña.
The canoe is one of the best ways to explore the park
That is precisely our next destination, although we will go by car. The remains of its walls and the doors of its cellars on the slopes of its hill They will demand our attention from afar.
Fuentiduena is a mediaeval village declared as a whole Well of Cultural Interest that well deserves to be discovered quietly, on foot, from its lower area to the top of its walled enclosure. We will be contemplating the ruins of the Hospital de La Magdalena, the Castle of Fuentidueña or the Romanesque church of San Miguel (XII century) .
The cellar doors , dug from the XIX century on the rock of the mountain, they will remind us of the houses of the hobbits from The Lord of the Rings. The top of the hill is crowned by the church and the necropolis of San Martín, originally from the High Middle Ages (10th century).
Next to it, the wall that maintains a good part of its original remains. On both sides we will find important views of the town and the valley.
Going back down to the stone bridge, on the banks of the Duratón, there is a recreational area with picnic areas and beach bars where to eat and dine at a picnic or at a set table, to suit the consumer.
Fuentidueña, its wineries and its wall
The route ends in the small town of Villager , where we came to the point of observing one of its magical sunsets. The tranquility of its streets will let us sleep soundly.
The next day we will be able to visit the fountain and the laundry room in its square, its parish church of Santa María Magdalena (a post-medieval Gothic building) and its House of the Mayorazgos , as well as line the route of the Valle de la Hoz (a two-hour walk that connects the town with Membibre de la Hoz) before returning home.
This is how the Sickles of the Duratón River sunset