Two Rivers Path from Sepúlveda

It is the route for getting to know the town of Sepúlveda and the start of the canyon at the same time. The Two Rivers Paths are a network of trails marked with waymarks that leave from the town, and the itinerary recommended by the Castilla y León Natural Heritage Foundation makes a circular loop that starts and ends at the Park Centre, in the old church of Santiago. Castilla y León Tourism gives it about 5.6 km and medium-low difficulty; allow about two hours with stops.

The route

From the Park Centre you go to the Plaza Mayor and along calle de la Barbacana to the medieval Ecce Homo gate. You climb calle de los Santos Justo y Pastor to the church of the Virgen de la Peña, patron saint of the town, with its viewpoint. From there the path continues along the top of the rock slabs to the Puerta de la Fuerza and descends to the river along the remains of the old Roman road.

At the Picazos bridge you cross the Duratón and go up the river on the left. After a short climb, the ICONA footbridge offers one of the best views in the area, according to the park leaflet. The path passes the dam of the old Fábrica de la Luz and reaches the Roman bridge of Talcano, where it joins the trail that continues to the Villaseca bridge. The return passes the Talcano car park; stone steps skirt the Silla de Montar a Caballo, a striking rock formation, and you go down to the Caslilla, which you cross by the Palmarejos bridge. To finish, a gentle climb up the hillside leads to the Puerta del Castro and the Puerta de Duruelo, through which you enter the walled enclosure again and the Plaza Mayor.

What to see along the way

Up on the plateau there are hardly any trees: the odd juniper standing alone among lavender, thyme and marjoram, and brown birds that camouflage themselves on the ground, such as pipits, larks and crested larks; the Dupont's lark lives here too. Down by the river, shade is provided by poplars, ash, willows and alders, and you hear nightingales, finches, robins and golden orioles. Griffon vultures nest on the limestone walls of the canyon: look at the rock and you will see their perches.

When and how

It can be done all year, except when the river is in spate. It has some ups and downs, above all on the descent along the road and on the climbs back to the town, so wear walking shoes. Leave the car in the signposted car parks; inside the park you cannot climb, collect rocks, plants or animals, or camp or spend the night.