Canyon Of The Rio Lobos
The Cañón del Río Lobos Nature Park, situated in the provinces of Soria and Burgos, is considered to be one of the most beautiful landscapes in Spain, renowned for its spectacular relief, formed by a deep ravine surrounded by sheer walls rising up to rocky peaks.
It is home to a dense forest with masses of junipers and cluster pines as well as a wealth of fauna, including pairs of griffon vultures. It is also an important reserve for golden eagles, Egyptian eagles and falcons. The mammals include large numbers of deer, boars, squirrels, otters, badgers and wildcats.
St Bartholomew’s Chapel
St Bartholomew’s Chapel sits on a bend in the river, nestled under breathtakingly beautiful rock walls, flanked by pretty Lilly ponds, and guarded by a legion of Griffon Vultures whose nests pack the narrow rock ledges, it is no surprise that this enigmatic chapel has long been associated as an absolutely magical setting.
The chapel was built in the 12th century in Romanesque style. It is noted for its decorated stone corbels depicting enigmatic figures and symbols, and above all for its two identical rose windows with fine tracery forming five overlapping heart shapes, now adopted as the park’s logo. The chapel is open to visitors at certain times (not for us though) On the 24th August, the festivity of Saint Bartholomew, plays host to a popular procession and noisy fiesta. Weddings are also occasionally held in the chapel.
The Great Cave and the Balcony
Beyond the chapel and below the vultures’ nests, the mouth of a vast cave invites you to enter and enjoy the view from the reverse side, framed in stone. Prehistoric engravings on the roof of the cave bear witness to the presence of man in this special place since time immemorial. Standing high above the chapel esplanade, there is another great mound of rock shaped by the elements which draws you to climb up and explore. This feature is known as the ‘balconcillo’ (balcony), and is also riddled with caves, rock canopies and a window in the rock wall that allows you to look out over the next section of the canyon, round the bend.
Ken Davies, This is a vey informative and useful blog. Are you receiving a commission from the Municipalities in the province of Burgos or Soria? Just kidding. I will certainly be adding this area of Spain to next year’s travel plans.
Karl Rogers, thanks for your comment…they actually sent me a cheque for five pence…but the cheque bounced! Glad you liked the view I also put up a clip of the Aquaduct at Segovia which I think is itself worth a trip to Spain just for itself. You can find that in my travel blog page I’m sure that will also blow you away. Thanks for your input, I appreciate comments from viewers, it makes me feel that the effort has been worth while. Ken
Karl Rogers. Thanks for your reply, it was good to hear from you, I know a lot of people go on my website but because I didn’t know about blogs I was getting no feedback, now I hopefully will thanks for your input. Yes its a spectacular place to visit. Thanks again Ken Davies
Caminamos mucho en esta área en otoño, es el mejor momento para visitar ya que las temperaturas son ideales.