NAT

URE

TRA

ILS

IN C

AST

ILE

AN

D

LEÓ

N

Cast

ile a

nd L

eón

is th

e la

rges

t Aut

onom

ous

Com

mun

ity, a

nd

for t

he m

ost p

art i

t coi

ncid

es w

ith th

e Sp

anish

sec

tion

of th

e D

ouro

bas

in. C

astil

e an

d Le

ón is

hos

t to

an e

xces

sive

rich

his-

toric

al, a

rchi

tect

ural

, art

istic

and

nat

ural

her

itage

; her

e, t

he

trav

elle

r will

find

Wor

ld H

erita

ge S

ites,

hist

oric

al s

ites,

cast

les,

cath

edra

ls, th

e w

orld

’s gr

eate

st c

once

ntra

tion

of R

oman

esqu

e ar

t, as

wel

l as u

niqu

e na

tura

l spa

ces,

and

Bios

pher

e Re

serv

es.

The

trav

elle

r may

enj

oy a

wid

e na

tura

l var

iety

: riv

ersid

e la

nds-

cape

s, ag

ricul

tura

l fiel

ds, m

ount

ains

and

woo

dlan

d, a

ll w

ith

thei

r cha

ract

erist

ic v

eget

atio

n an

d fa

una,

not

forg

ettin

g a

deli-

ciou

s cui

sine

and

a pe

rsist

ent w

ine

cultu

re.

Ther

e ar

e 20

Nat

ure

Trai

ls in

thi

s Au

tono

mou

s Co

mm

unity

, w

hich

eith

er r

un t

otal

ly t

houg

h Ca

stili

an t

errit

ory

or a

re s

ha-

red

with

oth

er A

uton

omou

s Com

mun

ities

.,

NIPO: 013-17-167-6

A L

AN

D W

ITH

TH

E TH

E D

OU

RO

VA

LLEY

AS

ITS

BA

CK

BO

NE

In the following pages, the N

ature Trails running through C

astile and León are briefly described. Am

ong them, there are

short trails such as Esla, Las Merindades, Sayago C

rop Fields or C

ampo A

zálvaro; other composed by several stages such as

Mirada C

ircular, Hayedos de Riaza, el A

gua Soriano, and some

longer trails, such as the Senda del Duero or D

ouro Way.

Mirada C

ircular: León Ancares from

Guim

ará to Balboa

(LE). This 70.3 km long trail runs along the A

ncares mountain

range, in the Bierzo County. This natural landscape has been gran-ted W

orld Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve status. Its oak and

chestnut woods are host to the w

ood grouse and brown bear. .

Cacabelos-Q

uilós (León). 4,3 km long route w

hich links the French W

ay of the Cam

ino de Santiago and the Mirada C

ircular N

ature Trail. It crosses the Bierzo plains, a fertile, wine-produ-

cing land since Roman tim

es and which now

adays boasts the D

enominación de O

rigen (Designation of O

rigin) El Bierzo.

Esla (León). The town of Valencia de D

on Juan, on the southern part of the province of León, is the starting point of this 11.5 km

trail. The tow

n origins date back to a Vaccaei settlement esta-

blished where the current ruined castle is now

.

Las Merindades (B

urgos). This 6.8 km trail runs through the

county of Las Merindades, in northern Burgos. For the m

ost part, it follow

s an old railway line w

hich was laid betw

een rocky w

alls between Santelices and the La Engaña tunnel.

Sierra de la Dem

anda (Burgos). This train turns am

ong lar-ge oak and beech w

oods which are the hom

e of many anim

al species, including the Iberian w

olf. The trail follows entirely the

layout of an old mining railw

ay line 52.4 km long.

Senda del Duero, or D

ouro Way (Soria, B

urgos, Valladolid,

Zamora, Salam

anca). This trail runs along the Douro river for

752 km, w

here the traveller may find them

selves in monum

ental

towns such as Soria or Zam

ora, natural enclaves such as the Sierra de U

rbión hill range or the Arribes del D

uero, a rich cultu-ral environm

ent and a delicious gastronomic tradition.

Sayagués agricultural landscape (Zamora). This 14.5 km

trail runs betw

een the Virgen de Gracia Shrine and the tow

n of Escuadro, in the province of Zam

ora, and allow the visitor to

enjoy the traditional architecture of the province of Sayago and the rich heritage associated to sheep breeding.

Palentinian R

omanesque (P

alencia). This 105.5 km is loca-

ted in northern Palencia and it is specially noteworthy for the

abundance of Romanesque architecture and the stunning beau-

ty of the Palencia mountains.

River Ebro G

R-99 (C

antabria, Burgos, A

raba/Álava, La

Rioja, N

avarra, Zaragoza, Huesca, Lérida, Tarragona). For

centuries, the Ebro valley has been occupied by many cultures, and

proof of its rich cultural past remain along its course. This 1,280 km

trail follow

s the course of the river from Reinosa to Tortosa, cros-

sing a large variety of landscapes, ecosystems and tow

ns.

Senda del Pastoreo (Burgos, Araba/Á

lava, Gipuzkoa, N

avarre).

A circle route w

hich leads the visitor to those places where she-

pherding has defined and shaped the cultural landscape, which

has been harmoniously hum

anised. Most of this path, w

hich spans over 400 km

, runs though spaces of environmental interest.

Riaza B

eech and oak woods (Segovia). This route is com

posed of seven circle paths, m

ainly forest trails running among oak trees

and mid-slope m

ountain tracks. The traveller will be able to adm

ire m

any shrines, red (arquitectura roja) and black (arquitectura negra) villages, w

oods and the beautiful views over the Sierra de Ayllón.

Campo A

zálvaro (Ávila). Right in the w

alls of the city of Ávila (W

orld Heritage Site) starts this 13.9 km

Nature Trails, w

hich follows

part of the layout of the Cañada Real Soriana Occidental drover’s w

ay.

Cam

ino del Agua Soriano. C

amino A

ntonino. (Soria, Zaragoza, N

avarre). Running from Tudela to Soria, this

Nature Trail joins the Ebro N

ature Trail, or GR-99, and the D

ouro N

atural Trail. A historical 113.5 km

route which leads us from

Celtiberians settlem

ents though Roman rem

ains and into the M

iddle Ages, under the w

atchful eye of the Moncayo.

Eresma (Segovia). Starting in Segovia’s paved streets, this 13

km rouge descends by the slopes of the Sierra de G

uadarrama

towards the Eresm

a river valley, until reaching its fertile riversi-de lands w

here Hontanares de Eresm

a is located.

Eresma V

alley Greenw

ay (Segovia). This Nature Trail follow

s the old Segovia - M

edina del Campo railw

ay line, which basically runs

along the Eresma river. This trail is great for fam

ily walks or bike rides.

Vía de la P

lata, the Silver Way (Salam

anca). This Nature Trail

runs the 22.7 km from

Alba de Torm

es to Carbajosa de la Sagrada,

following the old railw

ay line between M

onfragüe y Astorga,

which coincides w

ith the original Ruta de la Plata or Silver Way.

Cañada R

eal Soriana Occidental (Segovia). This 148 km

long trail crosses the Segovia slope of the Sierra de G

uadarrama

between El Espinar y Ayllón, crossing the counties of Tierras de

Segovia and Riaza-Ayllón.

The Conquest of B

embibre (León). This trail offers a route

across the Bierzo Alto, an area w

ith a significant tourist inter-est: landscapes and nature, rem

ains from the Rom

an tines and abundance of ecom

usems and them

atic Visitors’ centres.

Villablino M

ining Railw

ay (León). This trails follows the old railw

ay line of the M

inero Siderúrgica de Ponferrada (MSP) com

pany, which

linked Laciana with Ponferrada, and w

hich runs parallel to the Sil River.

Santander - Mediterranean (Soria). This trail is connected to the

historical link between the Cantabrian coast and the M

editerranean Sea and runs across the Pinares county, in the province of Soria.

NATU

RE TRAILS

IN C

ASTILE A

ND

LEÓN

NT Esla

NT V

ía de la PlataN

T Sierra de La Dem

anda

NT

Las

Mer

inda

des

NT

Send

a de

l Due

ro (D

ouro

Way

)

Sinc

e 19

93 t

he M

inis

try

for

Agric

ultu

re a

nd F

ishe

ries,

Food

an

d th

e En

viro

nmen

t’s N

atur

e Tr

ails

Pro

gram

aim

s to

rest

ore

form

er t

rans

port

infra

stru

ctur

es s

uch

as r

ailw

ay t

rack

s, ca

tt-

le tr

ails

and

trad

ition

al ro

utes

, for

pub

lic u

se a

nd e

njoy

men

t.

Thes

e ro

utes

take

us

to th

e co

untr

ysid

e to

dis

cove

r the

bio

-di

vers

ity a

nd b

eaut

y of

our

pre

ciou

s na

tura

l her

itage

, and

di

scov

er t

he v

illag

es, s

ight

s, tr

aditi

ons

and

peop

le t

hat

are

part

of t

he u

niqu

e cu

ltura

l lan

dsca

pe o

f our

cou

ntry

.

We

invi

te y

ou to

vis

it th

e N

atur

e Tr

ails

in C

astil

e an

d Le

ón

offer

you

the

keys

to e

njoy

the

trip

. We

only

ask

one

thin

g of

yo

u: d

o no

t for

get t

o le

ave

ever

ythi

ng a

s yo

u fo

und

it. T

he

cons

erva

tion

of th

ese

path

way

s is

als

o yo

ur re

spon

sibi

lity.

MO

RE

INFO

RM

ATI

ON

:

ww

w.m

apam

a.go

b.es

/en/

desa

rrol

lo-r

ural

/tem

as/c

amin

os-n

atur

ales

Gui

de t

o th

e Na

ture

Tr

ails

of S

pain

Riaza beechand oak forests NT

TOLEDO

ARANDADE DUERO

EL BURGODE OSMA

MEDINACELI

TORDESILLAS

BENAVENTE

TORO

PUEBLA DESANABRIA

ASTORGA

SAHAGÚN

MAYORGA

OSORNO

AGUILARDE CAMPOO

MIRANDA DE EBRO

CUÉLLAR

MEDINADEL CAMPO

SANCHIDRIÁN

ASTURIASZAMORA

ESGOS

XINZO DE LIMIA

CUENCA

LA RIOJA

MADRID

GUADALAJARA

ÁLAVA

GUIPÚZCOA

CANTABRIA

NAVARRA

VIZCAYA

CÁCERES

VALLADOLID

SALAMANCA

ÁVILA

BURGOS

SORIA

LEÓN

PALENCIA

SEGOVIA

ZAMORA

CN del río Barbantiño

Las Merindades NT

Eresma NT

Eresma Valley GW-NT

Cañada Real Soriana occidental NT

The Sierra de la Demanda NT

Santander- Mediterráneo NT

Esla NT

The Senda del Duero NT

Agua Soriano NT. Antonino Route

CN del Río Guadalaviar

The Mirada Circular NT: Ancares leoneses de

Guímara -Balboa Palentinian Romanesque NT

Mining railway of Villablino NT

Conquista de Bembibre NT

Cacabelos-Quirós NTThe Ebro NT

Vía de la Plata NT

Sayagués Agricultural Landscape NT

Campo Azálvaro NT

The Senda del Pastoreo NT

The Senda del Pastoreo NT