# Cerca de Soria

From Soria you head to the Urbión pine forests and the Laguna Negra, to the Río Lobos and the Ribera following the Duero, to the Moncayo and the Bardenas via Ágreda, to Sigüenza and Piedra via Medinaceli and to La Rioja via Piqueras.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/soria/getaways

## Planes de un día
- [Tarazona: cathedral and beech forest](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/aragon/tarazona-and-moncayo/itineraries/cathedral-kiborion-and-moncayo-beech-forest.md) (55 min en coche): The cathedral with a guide and its climb to the Kiborion, a stroll round the Jewish quarter, lunch at Saboya 21 and the Peña Roya beech forest on the Moncayo before heading home. An hour from Zaragoza.
- [Río Lobos: hermitage, cave and lunch in El Burgo](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/rio-lobos-canyon/itineraries/rio-lobos-canyon-hermitage-cave-and-el-burgo-de-osma.md) (1 h 1 en coche): The Casa del Parque in Ucero, the flat walk along the canyon floor to the hermitage of San Bartolomé and the Cueva Grande, and lunch at Virrey Palafox in El Burgo de Osma.
- [Sigüenza: castle, Doncel and Castilian roast](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castilla-la-mancha/siguenza/itineraries/siguenza-castle-doncel-and-roast-lunch.md) (1 h 5 en coche): You park by the castle and walk down: Parador courtyard, Santiago and the Casa del Doncel in the morning, a roast at midday and the cathedral with the Doncel's tomb in the afternoon.
- [The Bardenas by 4x4 and lunch in Tudela](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/navarre/bardenas-reales/itineraries/4x4-through-the-bardena-blanca.md) (1 h 35 en coche): You tour the Bardena Blanca by 4x4 with a guide, stop at Castildetierra and the Cortinas ravine, and eat Ribera vegetables in Tudela. An hour from Pamplona and Logroño.
- [Piedra in autumn and a thermal lake](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/aragon/piedra-monastery/itineraries/autumn-with-thermal-bath-in-alhama.md) (1 h 35 en coche): The waterfalls and caves of the Monasterio de Piedra with the park in autumn colours, lunch on site and, in the afternoon, a swim in the thermal lake at Termas Pallarés. An hour and twenty minutes from Zaragoza.
- [Monasterio de Piedra: waterfalls and birds of prey](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/aragon/piedra-monastery/itineraries/monasterio-de-piedra-waterfalls-birds-of-prey-and-monastery.md) (1 h 35 en coche): The waterfall park first thing, with the Iris Cave and the birds of prey display, lunch on the grounds and the 13th-century monastery before heading home.
- [Olite: palace, grill and Ujué](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/navarre/olite/itineraries/royal-palace-grill-house-and-ujue.md) (1 h 45 en coche): You climb the Royal Palace towers, walk the medieval rúas, eat chargrilled food on the Rúa Mayor and finish at Ujué, on top of its hill. 40 minutes from Pamplona.
- [San Millán: Yuso, winery and Cañas](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/la-rioja/san-millan-de-la-cogolla/itineraries/yuso-monastery-winery-and-canas.md) (1 h 45 en coche): Tastings at a family winery in Badarán, a visit to the Yuso monastery, lunch inside it and a finish at the monastery of Cañas. Three quarters of an hour from Logroño.
- [Covarrubias and Silos: olla and Gregorian chant](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/covarrubias-and-silos/itineraries/covarrubias-and-silos-keep-olla-podrida-and-gregorian-chant.md) (1 h 49 en coche): Covarrubias and its keep in the morning, olla podrida on the square, the La Yecla gorge and the Silos cloister in the afternoon, and the monks' vespers before heading home.
- [Carraovejas, castle and roast lamb](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/penafiel/itineraries/long-tasting-castle-and-roast-lamb.md) (1 h 55 en coche): You leave the car at the hotel, taste four wines at Pago de Carraovejas, climb up to the wine castle, have lamb beside the Duratón and dine and sleep in a 1922 flour mill. Wednesday to Sunday.
- [Peñafiel: castle, lamb and winery](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/penafiel/itineraries/penafiel-castle-roast-lamb-and-winery.md) (1 h 55 en coche): The ship-shaped castle and the Provincial Wine Museum in the morning, the Plaza del Coso, wood-fired roast lamb and a visit with tasting at a winery in the village.
- [Laguardia: tower, calado and Riscal](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/basque-country/laguardia-and-rioja-alavesa/itineraries/wine-cellars-tower-and-marques-de-riscal.md) (1 h 55 en coche): You walk Laguardia inside the wall, climb the Abbey Tower, go down into a winery dug beneath the streets, eat with a view of the vineyard and taste at Marqués de Riscal. 20 minutes from Logroño.
- [Haro: winery, grill house and Briñas](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/la-rioja/haro/itineraries/station-quarter-wineries-and-lamb.md) (2 h en coche): You stroll round the Barrio de la Estación, visit Muga with a tasting, eat lamb at a grill house from 1877 and finish at La Herradura and in Briñas, beside the Ebro. 40 minutes from Logroño and Vitoria.

## Soria looks to Aragón, Navarre and La Rioja

Soria looks as much to Aragón, Navarre and La Rioja as to Castile, and its routes reflect it. To the north-west, the N-234, the Burgos road, passes beside the Urbión pine forests: via Vinuesa you climb to the [Laguna Negra](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/laguna-negra-and-urbion), and continuing along the road you reach [Covarrubias and Silos](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/covarrubias-and-silos). To the west, the N-122 follows the Duero to El Burgo de Osma, where the SO-920 leads to Ucero and the [Río Lobos canyon](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/rio-lobos-canyon), and continues via Aranda to [Peñafiel](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/penafiel).

To the east, the same N-122 crosses into Aragón via Ágreda and reaches [Tarazona](/en/spain/aragon/tarazona-and-moncayo) and the Moncayo in under an hour; from there, via Tudela, you enter the [Bardenas Reales](/en/spain/navarre/bardenas-reales), and further north is [Olite](/en/spain/navarre/olite). To the south, the A-15 drops to Medinaceli and the A-2: on one side, [Sigüenza](/en/spain/castilla-la-mancha/siguenza); on the other, the [Monasterio de Piedra](/en/spain/aragon/piedra-monastery). To the north, the N-111 climbs the Piqueras pass and drops to Logroño, the gateway to [San Millán de la Cogolla](/en/spain/la-rioja/san-millan-de-la-cogolla), [Haro](/en/spain/la-rioja/haro) and [Laguardia](/en/spain/basque-country/laguardia-and-rioja-alavesa).

From Soria you need a car for everything on this page. To the Laguna Negra, at Easter, on bank-holiday weekends and in summer, the last stretch is done on the shuttle bus from the Paso de la Serrá car park, or on foot.

## Río Lobos and El Burgo de Osma, the most characteristic of Soria

**Under an hour** is Tarazona, at 55 minutes: the cathedral with a guide and the climb to the Kiborion, the Jewish quarter and, in the afternoon, the Moncayo beech forest.

**Between one hour and an hour and a quarter** are the most characteristic plans of Soria: the [Río Lobos to the San Bartolomé hermitage](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/rio-lobos-canyon/itineraries/rio-lobos-canyon-hermitage-cave-and-el-burgo-de-osma), at 61 minutes, with lunch in El Burgo de Osma; [Sigüenza, from the castle to the Doncel](/en/spain/castilla-la-mancha/siguenza/itineraries/siguenza-castle-doncel-and-roast-lunch), at 65, and the Laguna Negra, at 73, which can be seen in a morning although it calls for a night.

The bulk of the long Sundays is **between an hour and a half and two hours**: the Monasterio de Piedra and [the Bardenas by 4x4 with lunch in Tudela](/en/spain/navarre/bardenas-reales/itineraries/4x4-through-the-bardena-blanca), at 95 minutes; [Olite and Ujué](/en/spain/navarre/olite/itineraries/royal-palace-grill-house-and-ujue) and [San Millán, Yuso and Cañas](/en/spain/la-rioja/san-millan-de-la-cogolla/itineraries/yuso-monastery-winery-and-canas), at 105; [Covarrubias and Silos](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/covarrubias-and-silos/itineraries/covarrubias-and-silos-keep-olla-podrida-and-gregorian-chant), at 109, with [a night facing the monastery](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/covarrubias-and-silos/itineraries/covarrubias-silos-gregorian-chant-weekend) to hear vespers unhurried, and [Peñafiel with its wine castle](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/penafiel/itineraries/penafiel-castle-roast-lamb-and-winery) and Laguardia, at 115. Haro is exactly two hours away.

**From two hours** it is best to sleep away: [Sepúlveda and the Duratón](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/duraton-gorges/itineraries/duraton-gorges-weekend-sepulveda), at 122 minutes; [Burgos and Atapuerca](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/burgos/itineraries/night-with-atapuerca-from-valladolid), at 133; [Patones, the Hayedo de Montejo and Buitrago](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/sierra-norte/itineraries/sierra-norte-patones-beech-forest-buitrago), at 150, and [Segovia with a balloon at dawn](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/segovia/itineraries/segovia-balloon-at-dawn-weekend), at 169.

## Piedra, the Iris Cave and the birds of prey, even in the cold

In winter the plans are stone and indoors. Sigüenza is at over a thousand metres and cold, but the cathedral does not close at midday at weekends. The [Monasterio de Piedra](/en/spain/aragon/piedra-monastery/itineraries/monasterio-de-piedra-waterfalls-birds-of-prey-and-monastery) opens every day of the year, with its waterfalls, the Iris Cave and the birds of prey display. With snow or ice on the Moncayo, the Tarazona plan stays in the city.

In spring, the Río Lobos has the river full and the Bardenas are at their best: in July and August they have no shade. It is also the season for the Riojan monasteries of Yuso and Cañas.

In summer the sierra rules. The [Laguna Negra with a night in Vinuesa](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/laguna-negra-and-urbion/itineraries/night-in-soria-pine-forests-laguna-negra) lets you go up early, with the water still, and do the glacial lagoons route to Pico de Urbión: 13 kilometres and about four hours. The floor of the Río Lobos canyon is cool even when the plateau burns.

Autumn is the best season around Soria. In October and November the Moncayo beech forest turns red, the Piedra park changes colour and the Río Lobos poplars turn yellow; in September and October, the grape harvest arrives at [Laguardia and its cellars](/en/spain/basque-country/laguardia-and-rioja-alavesa/itineraries/wine-cellars-tower-and-marques-de-riscal) and for [a night in the Rioja Alavesa](/en/spain/basque-country/laguardia-and-rioja-alavesa/itineraries/rioja-alavesa-wine-weekend-laguardia).

## Tarazona in the morning and the Peña Roya beech forest before heading back

- **A short Sunday:** [Tarazona, the cathedral and the beech forest](/en/spain/aragon/tarazona-and-moncayo/itineraries/cathedral-kiborion-and-moncayo-beech-forest). 55 minutes along the N-122: the cathedral with a guide in the morning, lunch in the city and the Peña Roya beech forest before heading back.
- **In autumn:** [Piedra and the thermal lake](/en/spain/aragon/piedra-monastery/itineraries/autumn-with-thermal-bath-in-alhama). 95 minutes away: the park in its October and November colours and, in the afternoon, a dip in the thermal lake at Termas Pallarés, in Alhama.
- **With two nights:** [Alquézar, canyons and Somontano](/en/spain/aragon/alquezar/itineraries/alquezar-canyoning-walkways-somontano-wine). Three and a half hours away: the Vero with a guide, the walkways over the river, the rock art of Colungo and a Somontano winery.