What to do · Duratón River Gorges and Sepúlveda
Path to the Hermitage of San Frutos
Information
- Price
- Independent visit · free
- Duration
- 1 h
- Distance
- 1.9 km
- Season
- All year; in summer, first thing
- Who it's for
- Everyone; no difficulty
- With a dog
- Under control at all times, as throughout the Natural Park
It is the shortest and easiest visit in the Duratón Gorges: a 925-metre path from the San Frutos car park to the old priory, built on top of one of the canyon's meanders. You return the same way. In all, an hour's unhurried walk and 80 metres of climb, with low difficulty. It needs no permit at any time of year, not even from January to July, the breeding season for many birds, when the park is most vulnerable.
From Villaseca to the car park
You drive from Sepúlveda along the Villaseca road, following the signs to the hermitage as far as the San Frutos car park, on the moorland plateau. There is no fountain or facilities: set out with water.
Downhill on the way out, uphill on the way back
The path starts at the car park, at about 1,025 metres above sea level, and descends gently across the plateau to the bridge, about 75 metres lower; from there it climbs a little to the hermitage. In other words, the tiring part is the return, a slight climb with no shade. It is walkable along its whole length, including with small children.
The viewpoint, the vultures and the juniper
About three hundred metres from the car park the turning to the viewpoint over the river branches off. From it you see the Burgomillodo reservoir, which closes the park at one end, and the cliffs the Duratón has opened up over millions of years. Around you grow Spanish junipers, prickly junipers and aromatic plants, and on the walls live rock-dwelling plants such as the zapatitos de la Virgen. Overhead you can easily see griffon vultures, Egyptian vultures and red-billed choughs, and on the plateau live steppe birds such as the Dupont's lark.
San Frutos and the Cuchillada
Saint Frutos, patron saint of Segovia, was born in the year 642 and retired to this place, then called the Duratón desert, with his siblings Valentín and Engracia. Today you see the hermitage surrounded by the remains of the priory and, next to the apse, a Visigothic necropolis. The site is entered by an 18th-century stone bridge that spans a crack called the Cuchillada, which recalls one of the saint's miracles. From the bridge you see the tightest meanders of the river.
Park rules
Do not leave the path, do not light fires, do not make noise, do not fly drones without authorisation and do not take away plants, stones or remains. Dogs must be under control at all times. Picnics only in the designated recreation areas. There is no phone signal at the bottom of the canyon.
To see the canyon from the water, the canoe trip leaves from Sebúlcor; for lunch, El Panadero, in Sepúlveda, is about twenty minutes away.
Tips
- Go at sunset The light falls sideways on the meander and the heat has dropped.
- In summer, go early There is no shade along the whole path: avoid the middle of the day.
- Stop by the Park Centre At the church of Santiago in Sepúlveda they report on the state of the trails and the restricted areas (921 540 322).
Frequently asked questions
Is a permit needed?
No, this path is open all year without a permit.
How long does it take?
An hour there and back, with stops at the viewpoint and the hermitage.
Is it suitable for children?
Yes: it is short and of low difficulty; take care at the edges of the canyon.
Can you take a dog on the San Frutos path?
Yes, under control at all times.
Do you have to pay?
No, the path is freely accessible.
Are there toilets or a fountain?
No: bring water.
With young childrenAs a familyWith teenagersWith a dog
