There are few landscapes in Spain that are as beautiful as that of the Río Lobos Canyon. Located in the heart of Castilla y León, the Cañón del Río Lobos Natural Park constitutes a unique space structured on a deep canyon of steep rocky promontories.
Inside, in addition to extensive juniper and black pine forests, a wide variety of animal species meet, from a hundred pairs of griffon vultures to golden eagles, roe deer, otters and wild cats.
The Lobos River canyon, declared a Natural Park in 1985, was one of the first protected areas in Castilla y León. The protection covers more than 20 kilometers of the canyon and its entire area of influence. Due to the spectacular nature of its relief, it is considered one of the most beautiful landscapes in Spain. Inside and around it, a valuable set of artistic remains, towns and villages with a strong traditional flavor are also preserved: the hermitage of San Bartolomé, Ucero, San Leonardo and El Burgo de Osma.
Hike through the Lobos River Canyon
From the Park Interpretation Center to the road traffic limit you can travel a few kilometers along a dirt track. In this place you take a path that heads towards the hermitage of San Bartolomé, one of the most important enclaves of the Knights Templar order and which can be visited.
The path then runs between old specimens of sessile juniper. The Soria forests of this scaly evergreen tree are among the best preserved on the planet. You have to ford the river a couple of times and overcome a small topographical difficulty, using a rustic wooden ladder. After continuing for several kilometers along the bottom of the canyon and finding a new area of pine forests, you reach the so-called Seven Eyes Bridge. From this place the canyon becomes narrower and steeper and very soon enters the province of Burgos.
The most enthusiastic visitors can reach Hontoria del Pinar without much effort, where a Roman bridge marks the end of the route. To return, it is best to retrace what you have done. Another solution is to have a support vehicle and return by road.
From here you can fully appreciate the grandeur of this canyon of karst origin (due to the action of water). Its limestone walls, nearly 200 meters high, have been shaped by erosion phenomena, giving rise to beautiful and capricious relief forms.
Three towns near the Lobos River Canyon
We encourage you to visit three locations located around the Lobos River Canyon. There you can make a stop to regain strength, while enjoying its extensive heritage and history:
- Ucero: It is a municipality known for being the gateway to the Lobos River Canyon, so it may be interesting to visit it before this Natural Heritage. 72 kilometers away, you can reach Ucero from this Castilian-Leonese capital by taking the N-122 to Burgo de Osma and from there turn right to take the regional road SO-920. Its castle, to which tradition attributes Templar origin, is worth a visit. From where it is located we will have an excellent viewpoint to contemplate the town of Ucero itself as well as part of the Cañón del Río Lobos Natural Park.
- Hontoria del Pinar: It is a town in the southeast of Burgos that became famous in 1884 for installing the first resin factory in Spain. Framed in the Demanda mountain range, it also has old flour mills and the Navas del Pinar kaolin washers. In addition, its visitors enjoy visiting the Roman bridge or bell tower over the Lobos River, two of whose three arches rest on a rock from a mountain fall, and the parish church, with a Romanesque plan and in which the main altarpiece stands out. from the 17th century. The hermitage of San Juan, the roll and the Fuentona are also important. The Black and White caves, of karst type, are highly appreciated by speleologists.
- San Leonardo de Yagüe: This town is located at the crossroads between the roads that connect Burgos and Soria. At its entrance the Arch awaits you, the only vestige of the existence of walls that protected the town. Equally important are the remains of the Romanesque church, from the 11th and 12th centuries, which can be visited in Arganza. Stroll along Calle de la Fuente if you want to appreciate two houses from the 18th and 19th centuries with totally Basque architecture. The church dedicated to San Leonardo Abad is another important point. It was rebuilt in the 17th century in Herrerian style, but with a touch of Gothic. You just have to enter to appreciate the wooden torso of Ecce Homo attributed to Gregorio Fernández, one of the most talented image makers.
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