Hiking in Segovia
From the Camino de Santiago to a trail around the base of a castle, hiking trails are abundant in this small town! We have always talked about hiking the entire Camino for our 10th wedding anniversary (May 2023). While that’s not going to be part of this year’s plans, we are happy we got to walk along part of the route that goes through Segovia plus many more amazing hikes which are detailed below!
In many ways, Segovia is a lot like our hometown of Asheville, NC. Inside the city there is a castle, an amazing food and drink scene, and stunningly beautiful architecture anywhere you look. But perhaps the biggest reason why we chose to spend our first month abroad in Segovia is because, like Asheville, the town is surrounded by beautiful mountains that contain an abundance of trails to explore.
Founded as a Roman fort, and later fortified with a wall that encompassed its strategic location, this hill town is dense! While the population is about half that of Asheville’s at 50K, its density is next level! The streets are super narrow, blocks are small, and most residents live in multi-story apartments with shops and restaurants occupying the ground floor. This all leads to a high degree of walkability, as your destination is always within walking distance and car traffic is physically impeded from flowing too hard or too fast. As a transportation advocate, living in Segovia has been a dream… Did I mention there are tons of Pedestrian Priority Zones!?! (Installing Pedestrian Priority Zones in Asheville has been a personal advocacy project of mine for a number of years now). With all of this walkability in mind, I highly recommend your first hike in Segovia to be an uncharted urban hike through town. Simply hike in any direction… allow yourself to meander down mediaeval streets that will take you far away from the hustle and bustle of the main tourist drag. If you begin to feel lost, fight the urge to consult Google, and just keep going… you’ll either stumble across a major attraction like the Cathedral or part of the Aqueduct, reach the summit, or wind up along the edge of the wall. On this hike there’s literally no need to pack anything except maybe a camera and a few Euros to grab a couple of cañas and tapas along the way. There’s also not even a need to lug a water bottle around with you. One of my favorite features in this town are the abundance of free-flowing water fountains found on almost every corner. Drink up, the water here is great!
When you’re ready to venture into the great unknown beyond the wall, you’ll be blown away by just how the stark the contrast is between either side of the city gates. The density mentioned above immediately gives way to vast expanses of farmland and wild spaces.
To be sure, a month in Segovia was by no means enough time to see everything… but, if you find yourself there and would like to get a jump start, here are a few recommendations that you’re sure to enjoy!
Distance: 4.6 Miles
Type: Loop
Urban/Rural: Rural
Intensity: Moderate
Chances of seeing other people 1-10: 2
This was one of the first scenic hikes we explored outside of the city walls. The trail begins just outside of town near the hospital at the intersection of Calle 3 de Abril and Calle Real…just past Residencia Asistida De Segovia JCYL. From there you’ll walk down hill until you get to “Puente Romano Tejadilla”… From here go left and follow the trail along the river. Keep in mind that you will see a lot of other trails that veer off in other direction…follow the water (or simply the sound of flowing water) the whole time, and do not go up…you are following the lowest patch of the gorge the whole time. At the time none of this was clear to us, but we were fortunate enough to have encountered a trail Angel. The old man saw us pondering our directions and told us to turn left at the bridge… we headed his instruction and kept moving on only to find ourselves up the hill and again heading in the wrong direction. He kindly whistled and he and his dog shepherd us along the correct path the rest of the way. :)
As you go through the gorge make note of the many other trails and consider overmapping your way there on a future expedition… (some of the cliffside nooks and crannies are really spectacular).
Continue to follow the trail until you reach the edge of town again…When you hit your first solid row of apartments continue between them until you reach Carr. De Villacastin and head left up the street on the sidewalk. The old train line and station will be on your right. Stay left at the next big Y intersection, and be on the lookout for Bar Norte at the next roundabout. If you’ve made it this far you’ll certainly have earned a needed round of beers and tapas! Cheers!
Distance: 5.8
Type: Loop
Urban/Rural: hybrid (mostly rural)
Intensity: Easy
Chances of seeing other people 1-10: 6
I would describe this trail more as a greenway than a trail. With this in mind, you’re likely to encounter a few joggers, walkers, and perhaps a few mountain bikers enjoying the morning out. The main attraction on this suggested path is the abandoned train tunnel that stretches a few hundred yards through the hillside. In fact, the whole trail is a converted rails-to-trails path. Once you’re through the tunnel consider having a picknick at the pinpoint found in the map we provided. From here, you’ll be able to take in some stunning vistas of the mountains to the east, the vast plains to the west, and Segovia taking center stage between both!
Distance: 1.84
Type: out and back
Urban/Rural: Rural
Intensity: Dangerous
Chances of seeing other people 1-10: 1
Don’t ask me how me and my fellow study abroad mates found this place back in college. It’s seriously off the beaten path! If you make it, you’ll know. When you find yourself standing in the mouth of the high-ceilinged cavern, hundreds of feet above the river, and looking off into the horizon, you’ll be overcome with a gleeful sense of overmapping. The word “discovery” is not the correct word for what you will be feeling at this moment… Just remember that at some point in the prehistoric annals of time, there once lived the first king of Segovia…King of the Caveman….and you just walked through his front door!
4) Around the Wall and Secret entrance Bellow Cinderella’s Castle
Distance: 4.63
Type: loop
Urban/Rural: Urban
Intensity: Easy
Chances of seeing other people 1-10: 10
This is perhaps one of the best jogging routes I have ever taken. Consider listening to your most epic playlist and be sure to include the soundtrack from Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Braveheart and Last of the Mohicans. You’ll also want your requisite Beethoven and Mozart, and don’t forget to include In the Hall of the Mountain King. As you make your way below, around, and atop the castle walls you may find yourself overwhelmed with emotion… Taking in that much incredible scenery within a relatively short amount of time will definitely elicit the biggest runner’s high you’ve ever experienced.
The trail begins at the base of the city and snakes through the deep and seemingly enchanted ravine below the castle. When you cross the bridge over the creek look up through the trees and find the castle high above. Continue on to the other side along the river until you get a clear view. At this point you should be standing immediately below the castle with your head craned straight up to see the top of the spires hundreds of feet above you. In my opinion this is the most magical view of the castle. If I had to guess, this surely had to be the vantage point that Walt Disney admired the castle from when he was inspired to create Cinderella’s castle. Give your neck a rest and pan lower to the bottom of the cliff just along the other side of the river. From here notice a secret door into the castle’s basement that’s guarded by nothing less than a flock of peacocks!
Continue along the trail as you parallel the river. Eventually you’ll pass the Royal Mint and take the stairs up to the top of the stone arched bridge. Cross the street and continue to follow the greenway. After a few hundred yards through the beautiful and regal park scene you’ll cross the river once again. At this point you can choose to take the creek trail or take the road. I suggest taking the creek side trail. However, depending on the water level of the river, the path may or may not be there as the final portion leading to the bridge is made of stones that must be hopped from one to the next... If it's been raining within the past few days, these stones will not be visible. Take extra caution if you decide to go this way because the rocks are super slick. If you make it under the bridge, you'll find that the trail continues into the ruins of an old mill, and then hits a set of steel stairs up and out back to the street.
Once your back to the street, make your way back to the aqueduct and climb the stairs Rocky Balboa style. From there head toward the castle gates. When you’ve made it there, look for the set of steep stairs that descend from the wall to the left that takes you to the base of the wall... Follow the path and enjoy the perspective as if you were an invader surveying your best point of attack! Enjoy the decent to the bottom.
Distance: 3.1 Miles
Type: out and back
Urban/Rural: Rural
Intensity: Moderate
Chances of seeing other people 1-10: 3
We decided to pursue this trail when we were standing on the ramparts of the castle grounds. When you’re standing in the castle’s courtyard, one cannot help but imagine what the inhabitants of the property wondered as they looked off toward the horizon nearly 2000 years ago! For us the question was simple…what on Earth is that chimney out in the distance!?! Luckily enough there seemed to be a number of observable trails in the distance that led to the structure. The next day we decided to go explore the area. Here’s what we found….
From the Plaza Mayor head towards the Alcazar (the castle). When you get there take a right at the gate and take the road down the hill until you come across a steep staircase and this sign to your left…
Go down the stairs and pass this now sealed off cave…
(*** Back story….When I had the opportunity to spend my study abroad here in 2010 this trail had no stairs and was a simple goat path leading down the cliffside to the valley with no signage….At one point a couple of my fellow study abroad buddies and I found ourselves on this trail and stumbled upon this cave. It was not sealed at the time so of course we took a few minutes to explore. Today, you can peer through the barred opening and see a rather large opening that is now held up with a significant number of steel support beams. At the time that we were exploring, neither the steel cage door nor the support beams were there. We wondered into the cave and were immediately captivated by the idea of what the purpose of the cave directly beneath the castle may have been for. Upon initial investigation, it seemed that the space was just a simple cavern with no purpose whatsoever…but as we poked and prodded around with our primitive cell phone lights, one of us realized there was a small shaft that led down and below the room we were currently in…. the small hole was about 3’x3’ and extended about six to eight feet straight down. Of course, we crawled through, and ultimately found ourselves in a much larger chamber…about twice the size of the first! It was at this time that we realized the purpose of the space. Located in the center of the 2nd chamber was the remnants of a number of simi intact pillars… As it turns out these were not support pillars, but in fact vertical stone cylinders that had ben cut from the rock to make grist stones! Unfortunately, this space is inaccessible today…but take my word for it, the caves in Segovia have a rich and vibrant history!)
Keep following the stone stairs down until you reach the river at the Royal Mint…pass the mint along it’s west side on the Calle de Moneda, cross the bridge and continue straight up the hill towards Monastery of Santa María del Parral. From here, find the trail that climbs further up the hill and begin to gain some altitude. Use the map we’ve provided and make your way toward the structure that looks like a chimney.
When you’re nearly there, look to your left for a small depression in the ground leading into the cliffside. There you’ll find a door that’s actually the mouth of a cave. Above the door you’ll see the words in graffiti that read “No Love”. When we stopped in there were no current inhabitants, but it's probably best to still shout "Hola???" before entering.
While there are a number of caves across the area, this one in particular was quite intriguing. It seemed that sometime within the recent history, perhaphs within the last century someone had walled in the large openings of the cave with bricks, added windows, and doors and made the space a habitation. It’s definitely worth a look, however I can make no representation on whether or not this is private property…That said, I did not see any “keep out signs”.
After you’ve checked out the cave, continue up toward the structure. You’ll know you’re at the right place when you find the giant “chimney” in the middle of nowhere, and the “Three Amigos” there to welcome you :)
This area is an ideal spot to stop and grab a picnic while you admire Segovia from a distance. In fact, it’s probably the best place to see just how big the cathedral is in relation to the castle.
Follow the map west and make your way down the hill to Iglesia de la Vera Cruz. Built by the Knight’s Templars, this church is one of Segovia’s oldest and most iconic.
From here head back to the base of the castle, cross the bridge and make your way back to town following the map’s instruction.