San Bartolomé Hermitage and the Cueva Grande
1 h 30EveryoneAll year
The 13th-century Templar hermitage at the bottom of the canyon, opposite an enormous cave, a flat walk from the track car parks · 1–2 h · free
AccessBy car along the SO-920
Best timeApril – June · October
Minimum time1 day
Overall difficultyEasy
What to do
What to do in Río Lobos Canyon
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
Río Lobos Canyon Park House, in Ucero
45 minFamiliesWednesday to Sunday in autumn and spring; every day in summer
The park's interpretation centre in a former mill in Ucero, with a scale model, a wildlife room and the water exhibition · 45 min
Gullurías Trail (PRC-SO 67)
3 h · 8.5 kmWalkersAll year; best in spring and autumn
8.5 km circular from the Park House across the moorland and the canyon rim, with an old lime kiln at the start · 3 h · moderate
Itineraries
Itineraries that pass through
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Plan the trip
Río Lobos Canyon, 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 Río Lobos Canyon
In spring, with the river full and the meadow green, and in October, when the poplars turn yellow. In summer it is hot on the moorland and there are more people; in winter, dry cold and ice in the shade.
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
Río Lobos Canyon your way
Choose how you're travelling and we'll tell you where to stay, how to get around, where to eat and which services you'll need. We only show the ways of travelling that make sense here.
By Car to the Canyon Floor
The car is the only practical way to get there: Ucero is on the SO-920, between El Burgo de Osma and San Leonardo de Yagüe, and there is no public transport that works for a day in the canyon. Inside the park, the car stays in the car parks on the track and you continue on foot.
70–140 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepPosada Los Templarios, in Ucero…
- Getting aroundSoria – Ucero, around an…
- Where to eatVirrey Palafox, in El Burgo…
- ServicesPark House, in Ucero, with…
Where to sleep
- Posada Los Templarios, in Ucero, with spa and bikes for hire
- El Balcón del Cañón, six rooms in Ucero
- Hotel II Virrey, in El Burgo de Osma, with garage
Getting around
- Soria – Ucero, around an hour along the N-122 and El Burgo de Osma
- Burgos – Ucero, a little over an hour and a half along the N-234 and San Leonardo de Yagüe
- Ucero – El Burgo de Osma, about 15 km along the SO-920
Where to eat
- Virrey Palafox, in El Burgo de Osma, lunch from 13:15 to 15:45
- Los Templarios Restaurant, in Ucero, by reservation
Services
- Park House, in Ucero, with parking and charging point
- Car parks at Fuente Engómez (free), Cueva Fría and Valdecea (paid)
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights3
Who you're with
Río Lobos Canyon for whoever you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
A Hermitage Under the Rock and a Cave to Walk Into
The canyon is one of the best places in Castilla y León for a first long walk with children: the path to the San Bartolomé hermitage is flat, the Cueva Grande can be entered without a torch and the vultures can be seen without binoculars.
- What works bestThe walk to the San…
- Where to sleepPosada Los Templarios, in Ucero…
- Where to eatPicnic in the canyon: there…
- Good to knowBring water: there are no…
What works best
- The walk to the San Bartolomé hermitage, flat, beside the river
- The Park House, with a scale model, aquariums and a wildlife room
- The Castle Trail, an easy 6 km to the ruins
- Caving at Galiana Alta, with a child's price for ages 5 to 10
Where to sleep
- Posada Los Templarios, in Ucero, with a whole house for groups
- Hotel II Virrey, with triple and family rooms
Where to eat
- Picnic in the canyon: there are no bars on the canyon floor
- Virrey Palafox in El Burgo de Osma, on the way back
Good to know
- Bring water: there are no fountains on the river path
- The Park House closes on Mondays and Tuesdays outside summer
What to do as a family
Caves, Cliffs and Nine Kilometres of Moorland
The canyon gives teenagers what a city cannot: going into a cave with a helmet and light, doing an abseil and walking half a morning without a phone signal.
- What works bestCaving at Galiana Alta, with…
- Where to sleepPosada Los Templarios, with mountain…
- Where to eatLos Templarios Restaurant, meats grilled…
- Good to knowCaving must be booked in…
What works best
- Caving at Galiana Alta, with optional abseil
- The Gullurías route, 9 km and four hours along the canyon rim
- The Cueva Grande opposite the hermitage, to enter independently
Where to sleep
- Posada Los Templarios, with mountain and electric bikes for hire
Where to eat
- Los Templarios Restaurant, meats grilled over holm oak embers
Good to know
- Caving must be booked in advance and the price drops with the size of the group
- In summer, do the Gullurías route early: the moorland has no shade
What to do with teenagers
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're driving
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Posada Los Templarios
Why we like it: Inn with 12 rooms in the former 17th-century priest's house in Ucero, with a cave-shaped spa for guests, restaurant and bike hire.
Hotel II Virrey
Why we like it: Four-star hotel on calle Mayor in El Burgo de Osma, with 52 renovated rooms, a garage and the Virrey Palafox restaurant in the same building.
From €50
View details
Small hotel
El Balcón del Cañón
Why we like it: Rural hotel with six rooms and 11 beds on calle del Castillo de Ucero, with its own restaurant, at the entrance to the natural park.
Services for this trip
Areas, for any way of travelling
| Area | Who it's for | Average night |
|---|---|---|
| Ucero | Casa del Parque, castle, inn | |
| El Burgo de Osma | Cathedral, hotel and classic restaurant, 15 km away | |
| Hontoria del Pinar | The Burgos stretch, less visited |
Where to eat
Where to eat in Río Lobos Canyon
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
Virrey Palafox Restaurant
What to order: in winter, the Jornadas de la Matanza menu; the rest of the year, the à la carte or the tasting menu.
Los Templarios Restaurant
What to order: something with fungi, which is the speciality, and a meat grilled over holm oak embers.
Map
Everything on the map
The places to stay and services on the map are the ones for the way you travel. Turn on the layers you want and tap a point to see its details.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Nearby
Near Río Lobos Canyon
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
42.00° N · 2.85° W
Laguna Negra and Picos de Urbión
By car
42.06° N · 3.52° W
Covarrubias and Santo Domingo de Silos
By car
42.33° N · 2.87° W
San Millán de la Cogolla
By carCar-free
42.35° N · 3.52° W
Atapuerca
By car
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Bring water and food
There are no fountains on the river path or bars at the bottom of the canyon.
- 2Go in early on Sundays
The track and the car parks closest to the hermitage are the first to fill up.
- 3Check the Casa del Parque's hours
It closes Mondays and Tuesdays outside summer, and its hours change every month.
- 4Look for the vultures at midday
With the heat they rise on the thermals above the cliffs.
Local tip
If the Ucero access is full on Sunday, go in by the Puente de los Siete Ojos and walk upriver: it is the quietest stretch.
The Río Lobos Canyon is a 25-kilometre limestone gorge between Soria and Burgos, with the river at the bottom, poplars, junipers and pines, and walls where griffon vultures, Egyptian vultures and golden eagles breed. It has been a natural park since 1985. Its emblem is the hermitage of San Bartolomé, a 13th-century church attributed to the Templars, wedged beneath the cliffs with an enormous cave opposite. You reach it by a flat walk, and that is why it is the Sunday plan for half of Soria and for many families from Burgos, Valladolid and Madrid.
How do you get there from Soria?
By car, in about an hour: along the N-122 to El Burgo de Osma and from there along the SO-920 northwards to Ucero, about 15 km. From Burgos, along the N-234 to San Leonardo de Yagüe and the SO-920 southwards, in a little over an hour and a half. From Madrid, along the A-1 to Aranda de Duero and from there to El Burgo de Osma, in about two and a half hours. There is no public transport that works for a day in the canyon.
Where to park?
The most used entrance is Ucero. Call in at the Casa del Parque, on the SO-920, km 16, which has its own car park, and continue a few kilometres north to the track that goes down to the bottom of the canyon. On it there are three car parks: Fuente Engómez, free, and Cueva Fría and Valdecea, paid. From there you continue on foot. The other entrances are the Puente de los Siete Ojos, on the SO-934, between San Leonardo and Santa María de las Hoyas, and Hontoria del Pinar, in Burgos.
How much time do you need?
Half a day for the hermitage, the Cueva Grande and the Casa del Parque. A whole day if you add the Ucero castle trail or the Gullurías route, or a guided activity such as caving in the Galiana cave. With a night in Ucero or El Burgo de Osma, you can do a long stretch of the river path the next day and see the cathedral of El Burgo.
When to go?
In spring the river carries water, the meadow is green and the raptors breed. In October the poplars turn yellow. In summer the bottom of the canyon is cool, but the moorland has no shade. In winter it is a dry cold and there is ice in the shaded places. The Casa del Parque is open every day in summer and from Wednesday to Sunday the rest of the year, with hours that change every month.
What to do
The essential walk is to the hermitage of San Bartolomé, from any of the car parks on the track, along a flat path beside the river; opposite the hermitage, the Cueva Grande can be visited freely. The Casa del Parque, in a former mill in Ucero, has the model of the park and the water exhibition. On foot, the Castle trail (6 km, easy) climbs to the ruins of Ucero castle and the Gullurías route (9 km, 4 h) crosses the moorland. The river path runs the whole canyon, 25 km, and is done in stretches. With a guide, Pedrete Guiados organises introductory caving in the Galiana Alta cave and a route from Hontoria del Pinar.
Where to eat and sleep
There are no bars at the bottom of the canyon: bring a picnic or eat in Ucero or El Burgo de Osma. The Virrey Palafox, in El Burgo, serves lunches from 13:15 to 15:45 and is famous for its matanza days. In Ucero, the restaurant of the Posada Los Templarios serves mushroom cooking. For sleeping, the Posada Los Templarios, in the former priest's house, with a cave spa; El Balcón del Cañón, small, on Calle del Castillo; or the Hotel II Virrey, four stars in El Burgo de Osma.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to walk to the hermitage of San Bartolomé?
From the car parks on the track it is a flat walk beside the river, of less than an hour there and back from the nearest.
Do you have to pay to enter the canyon?
No. You only pay for parking at Cueva Fría and Valdecea; Fuente Engómez is free.
Can you go with children?
Yes. The path to the hermitage is flat and the Cueva Grande is visited without difficulty. The Casa del Parque has aquariums and a wildlife room.
How long does it take from Soria?
About an hour by car, via El Burgo de Osma and Ucero.
Where can you eat near the Río Lobos Canyon?
In Ucero, at the Los Templarios restaurant, or in El Burgo de Osma, 15 minutes away, at the Virrey Palafox.
Can you go by bike?
Yes. The river path and the Gullurías path can be done by bike, and the Posada Los Templarios hires electric and mountain bikes.