Duratón River Gorges Park Visitor Centre

The Duratón River Gorges Park Visitor Centre (Casa del Parque) occupies the old Romanesque church of Santiago, at calle Conde de Sepúlveda, 34. It explains the canyon, its birds and its history, and it is the place where they give you information on the trails, the state of the paths and the areas with restrictions during the birds of prey breeding season, from January to July. The visit takes about three quarters of an hour.

What is inside

You enter by the rear side of the church. At reception there is a map of the park and of the Network of Natural Areas, the information desk and a small shop of local products. The panels zigzag, imitating the gorges, and tell the story of the park in parts: the geology of the escarpments, with fossils and a sample of dolomite; a replica of the Siete Altares cave, with information on the park's 23 species of bats; the riverbank, with its trees, fish and the otter, and the programme against the American mink; the moorland plateau, with the Dupont's lark and traditional grazing, and the cliffs, with photos of the hermitage of San Frutos.

The griffon vulture has its own space, with an audiovisual and a recreation of a group of vultures feeding on a carcass. For children there is a shelf of jars of aromatic herbs to smell and guess, and a panel with the wingspan of the birds of prey, next to a sample nest. The church itself is part of the visit: in the apse, a glass floor shows gravestones that appeared during the restoration, and in the crypt, under a barrel vault, there are about twenty anthropomorphic tombs cut into the rock, all facing west. The reconstructed choir explains the traditions of Sepúlveda, such as the Diablillo festival.

2026 hours

From 1 November to 31 December: Monday and Thursday from 10:00 to 15:00; Friday, Saturday and the eves of public holidays from 10:00 to 15:00 and from 16:00 to 18:00; Sundays and public holidays from 10:00 to 15:00. From 23 March to 31 October, the Friday and Saturday afternoon was extended until 19:00. It is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, on 24, 25 and 31 December and on 1 and 6 January. Groups can book a guided visit on any day of the week. Phone: 921 540 322; email: [email protected]. The Castilla y León Tourism page gives an admission price of €1, and €0.50 reduced; confirm it on arrival. There is an audioguide, also in an accessible version.

After the visit

From the door starts the Two Rivers Path, a loop of about 5 km around the town and the bridges over the Duratón and the Caslilla. If you would rather stroll without going down to the river, the town of Sepúlveda can be walked in an hour and a half. For the big canyon, the path to the hermitage of San Frutos or the canoe route.