Segovia Aqueduct from the Azoguejo

The Aqueduct of Segovia was built in the 2nd century AD and carried water to the city for almost 2,000 years. It has 167 granite arches made of blocks held in place by a balance of forces, without mortar, and forms part of a channel of more than 16 km, from the weir in the Sierra de Guadarrama to the Alcázar. UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site, together with the old city, in 1985. Its highest stretch, about 28 metres, crosses the Plaza del Azoguejo, and that is where almost any visit to Segovia begins.

Below, above and alongside

Look at it first from below, in the Azoguejo, and then go up the stairway that starts beside the arches to the viewpoint on the wall: from above you see the channel the water ran along and the new town on the other side. Then follow the aqueduct towards avenida de Fernández Ladreda, where it loses height, and you understand how it descends with the slope. At the top of the arches there are two niches; in one, from 1520 to 2015, stood the image of the Virgin, and in the other, Saint Sebastian, patron saint of purse-makers.

With a guide and the sand-trap

In the Azoguejo is the Segovia Tourism Visitor Reception Centre. From there leaves the guided tour "Get to Know the Aqueduct of Segovia and the Desarenador", for €10, which includes the desarenador, the tank where the water dropped its sand before entering the city. Ask there for the days and times of departure.

The interpretation centre, in the Mint

To understand how it was built, the Aqueduct Interpretation Centre, in the Royal Mint, has three dioramas: collecting the water, the granite quarry and the construction of the stretch between pillars 105 and 115 with nearly a hundred workers. It holds the original sculpture of the Virgin of the Aqueduct, 1.86 metres tall and about 800 kilos. Admission to the centre costs €2; with the Mint and the Jardín del Rey, €5. It is open Wednesday to Sunday (on Sundays, mornings only) and closed on Mondays and Tuesdays; on non-holiday Wednesdays it is free.

With children

The aqueduct is free, outdoors and has no compulsory steps. Children are impressed that it has no cement: look with them for the holes in the blocks, where the clamps fitted to lift the stones. If you are with a dog, keep it on a lead: it is a public street.

Onwards

From the Azoguejo, calle Real climbs towards the cathedral and the Plaza Mayor. For lunch nearby, the Mesón de Cándido is at the foot of the aqueduct.