Discover Arcos de Jalón: Trails, History and Landscape

With its MTB centre, Arcos de Jalón offers six signposted mountain biking routes with varying levels of difficulty. All routes are circular and can be started in any of the towns belonging to the centre. For planning purposes, different types of routes and levels of difficulty can be considered as separate options.

When choosing a holiday apartment in Arcos de Jalón, you can compare travel dates, accommodation types and cancellation policies on the respective listing pages and take into account your preferred combination of cycling routes, nature trails, history and local traditions.

Trails and connections

In Alto Jalón, roads and railway lines connect the Aragonese Ebro Valley with the Castilian Meseta. This connection is also reflected in the Camino del Cid stage from Atienza to Calatayud, which passes through Somaén, Arcos de Jalón and Aguilar de Montuenga; for Arcos de Jalón, the distance to Somaén is given as 4.93 km.

The Cortados del Jalón section between Medinaceli and Arcos de Jalón offers the disused N-II as a route for motor vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists. The Ruta de la Chorronera adds a fully accessible 2.8 km circular route designed for walking or cycling.

Nature and landscape

The route through the Barranco de Avenales follows the small limestone gorge of the Arroyo del Salobral de Avenales stream. It runs between the abandoned settlement of Avenales and the Río Jalón near Somaén.

The Barranco de la Cerrada Cascos features dense holm oak forests extending between Arcos de Jalón and Jubera. The El Barranco de la Sima hiking trail begins in Judes and ends in Alconchel in the province of Zaragoza.

Laguna de Judes is the only karst lagoon in the province of Soria. It can be reached via a path approximately 3.5 km long. Laguna de Judes lies within the ZEC protected area “Sabinares del Jalón” (ES4170057); the protected area covers 19,068 hectares.

History and architecture

Castillo de Arcos de Jalón rises on a hill above the town. The narrow streets on the slope below Castillo de Arcos bear witness to the area’s Muslim settlement.

At the end of the 19th century, Arcos de Jalón became an important transport hub and locomotive depot on the Madrid–Barcelona railway line. A restored Mikado locomotive has been preserved in the station district.

The Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción dates from the 16th century and was rebuilt in the 18th century. It is a single-nave building in the Gothic-Renaissance style. The service schedule should be checked before visiting.

Traditions and confectionery

The traditional Rompida de la Hora takes place during Semana Santa at 23:59 in the Plaza Mayor of Arcos de Jalón. The event links the festive calendar with a specific location in the town.

El Abuelo José Luis in Arcos de Jalón continues a confectionery tradition dating back to 1850 and passed down through more than five generations. Pastelería Ramiro makes turrón by hand using selected ingredients and following a production method from before the use of machinery.

Other places: Somaén, Calatañazor, Valdeavellano De Tera, Castillejo de Robledo, Retortillo De Soria, Alcubilla De Avellaneda, Buitrago, La Losilla

Back to the main travel overview: Soria.