Canon del Rio Lobos

The Rio Lobos has cut a canyon about twenty-five kilometres long through the limestone of the Soria and Burgos border, with walls up to two hundred metres and a river that runs underground for much of the summer, leaving a dry bed and a chain of pools. Around the canyon nests one of the larger griffon vulture colonies in Spain, several hundred pairs, and they are visible almost constantly overhead. At a widening near Ucero stands the hermitage of San Bartolome, a small thirteenth-century church associated with the Templars, with a rose window carved as a Seal of Solomon and a position that has generated a large body of geometric and esoteric speculation. Caves in the walls, including the Cueva Grande, can be reached on foot.

What you actually see

• The griffon vultures - several hundred pairs nesting on the canyon walls.
• San Bartolome hermitage - a thirteenth-century Templar-linked chapel.
• The dry riverbed - the Lobos running underground through the summer.
• The wall caves - openings in the limestone reachable on marked paths.

When to go

April to June for water in the river and vultures at the nest, September to November for autumn colour and comfortable walking. Summer is hot and the river usually dry. Parking at the visitor centre fills at weekends.

Honest expectations

The river is dry for much of the year, which disappoints visitors expecting water. Parking is charged and limited, with overflow far from the trailhead. The main path is easy but long, and there is little shade.

Nearby

El Burgo de Osma lies south; the Laguna Negra and Urbion forests are northeast.