Hotel Rural Vado del Duratón
Why we like it: Four-star rural hotel in the historic centre of Sepúlveda, next to the Duratón Gorges Natural Park.
Duration1 night
Best timeApril – June · September – October
Budget€130–200 pp
Getting thereBy car
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed for arriving early on Saturday and paddling in the morning. Book the canoe and the roast first, as they are prepared for your group. Check that the Park House doesn't fall on a Tuesday or Wednesday if you are going on a long weekend.
Saturday
- 110:00Canoe route through the canyon
Meet at San Miguel de Bernuy, with changing rooms and showers, or at Sebúlcor. Three and a half hours between hundred-metre walls, with vultures overhead.
- 214:30Lamb in Sepúlveda
At the Asador El Panadero, with the lamb ordered when you book. Confirm the opening times when you call.
- 317:00San Frutos hermitage at sunset
Via Villaseca to the San Frutos car park. 925 metres each way, a viewpoint over the meander and the hermitage with its bridge over the Cuchillada. No permit needed at any time of year.
- 421:00Night in Sepúlveda
A light dinner in the town and a stroll round the Plaza Mayor.
Sunday
- 110:00Park House
In the former church of Santiago. On Sunday it opens from 10:00 to 15:00. They explain the park and give you the map of the trail.
- 211:00Senda de los Dos Ríos
Five circular kilometres through the town wall gates, the Virgen de la Peña viewpoint and the bridges over the Duratón and the Caslilla.
- 313:30The town and the drive home
Climb to the Romanesque church of El Salvador and head home after lunch.
The Hoces del Duratón gorges fit into a long Sunday, but with a night in Sepúlveda everything fits better: the canoe in the morning, San Frutos in the low light of sunset and Sunday for the town and the Senda de los Dos Ríos without watching the clock. Sepúlveda is an hour and forty minutes from Madrid, a little over an hour from Segovia and an hour and a half from Burgos.
Guided canoe or on your own?
If it is your first time, guided. Situral, from Sebúlcor, leaves in the morning and the afternoon with an instructor along the Natural Park stretch: about 8 or 9 km of calm water in around three and a half hours, for €33 per adult and €20 for children up to 14. The independent route starts at San Miguel de Bernuy, with no time limit, for €25 and €15. The pack of both costs €50 and €30 and can be split over two days: guided on Saturday, independent on Sunday.
Where to sleep?
| Accommodation | Where | For whom |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel Rural Vado del Duratón | Centre of Sepúlveda | Couples who want to dine next to the hotel |
| Hospedería de los Templarios | Plaza de España, Sepúlveda | A hotel or apartment, breakfast included |
| Hostal El Panadero | Calle Conde de Sepúlveda, above the roast restaurant | Tight budgets |
| El Cañón del Duratón | Villaseca, on the way to San Frutos | Families and groups, inside the park |
With children
The San Frutos path is short and flat, the canoe has a children's rate and the Park House is designed for them. At the viewpoints, hold hands: there are hundred-metre drops. With small children, El Cañón del Duratón has rooms for four.
With a dog
The park's trails admit dogs under control at all times. Ask at each accommodation: none of those in this plan publishes its pet policy.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Duratón River Gorges and Sepúlveda, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Duratón River Gorges and Sepúlveda
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
The Gorges by car, based in Sepúlveda
Without a car you cannot reach San Frutos or the canoe put-in. Sleep in Sepúlveda or Villaseca and split the day between the canyon from above and from the water.
60–120 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepHotel Rural Vado del Duratón…
- Getting aroundSepúlveda – Villaseca – San…
- Where to eatRoast lamb in Sepúlveda, ordered…
- ServicesPark Centre in Sepúlveda, closed…
Where to sleep
- Hotel Rural Vado del Duratón, in the centre of Sepúlveda
- El Cañón del Duratón, in Villaseca, on the way to San Frutos
- Hostal El Panadero, with the asador downstairs
Getting around
- Sepúlveda – Villaseca – San Frutos car park, by track at the end
- Sebúlcor and San Miguel de Bernuy for the canoe
Where to eat
- Roast lamb in Sepúlveda, ordered when you book
Services
- Park Centre in Sepúlveda, closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays
- Tourist office, closed Wednesdays and Thursdays
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights1
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're driving
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Hostal El Panadero
Why we like it: Renovated guesthouse of the El Panadero asador, on calle Conde de Sepúlveda, with en-suite rooms and views of the valley.
Hotel Rural El Cañón del Duratón
Why we like it: Rural tourism centre in Villaseca, inside the natural park and on the way to San Frutos, with 34 places in rooms for one to four people.
Hospedería de los Templarios
Why we like it: Rural hotel and apartments on Plaza de España in Sepúlveda, with breakfast included at the hotel.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Duratón River Gorges and Sepúlveda
Asador El Panadero
What to order: roast suckling lamb; order it when you book, with the number of diners.
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
Book in this order: the canoe, the accommodation and Saturday's roast. If it rains, the canoe company changes the date; keep the Senda de los Dos Ríos as plan B.
We'd skip it
Midday in July and August on the moorland: there is no shade. In summer, San Frutos first thing or at sunset.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Madrid to Sepúlveda?
Around an hour and forty minutes by car.
How much does the canoe cost?
€33 guided and €25 independent per adult; children up to 14, €20 and €15.
Do I need a permit for San Frutos?
No, at no time of year.
What day is the Park House closed?
Tuesday and Wednesday.
Can I go without a car?
Not in practice: public transport to Sepúlveda is an on-demand service from Boceguillas, and San Frutos and the put-in can only be reached by car.