Ucero – Nature, Caves and Culture

In Ucero, the Cañón del Río Lobos Natural Park, impressive karst formations, historic buildings and varied trails come together. The natural park includes, among other areas, the municipality of Ucero. The dissolution of the limestone created a karst landscape there with a labyrinth of caves on different levels; some of these cavities are connected by deep shafts.

Nature and Trails

Vertical, vegetation-free rock walls rise above the Río Lobos. Deciduous vegetation contrasts there with conifers and bare rock. The PR-SO-BU-65 Senda del Río follows the Río Lobos through the park and crosses the river several times. It begins at the junction with the SO-920 road next to the Fuente Engómez recreation area in the municipality of Ucero.

The Senda de las Gullurías is an 8.55-kilometre circular trail. It begins and ends at the car park of the Casa del Parque del Cañón del Río Lobos in Ucero and reaches the Mirador de las Gullurías, which is considered a good birdwatching spot. The Senda del Castillo is an easy circular trail along the Río Ucero and passes through a 130-metre section of the Roman canal that carried water to the city of Uxama.

Other trail connections extend beyond the town: the PR SO3 Ruta de las Sabinas connects Ucero and Calatañazor. Guided visits to the Cueva de la Galiana Baja are available through Soria Cavernaria. The cave tour in the Cueva de la Galiana visits wide galleries and also includes short climbing sections and simple rope passages. The different formats – riverside trail, circular trail, connection between towns and guided cave tour – can be compared according to the desired activity.

Culture and History

The Ermita de San Bartolomé was built in the first decades of the 13th century in a transitional Romanesque style influenced by Cistercian architecture. It is a Romanesque-Protogothic chapel and was part of the former Templar monastery of San Juan de Otero. Until further notice, the Ermita de San Bartolomé is closed.

The Castillo de Ucero and its surroundings form a 2.3-hectare archaeological site with remains dating from the Iron Age to the Middle Ages. There are paintings in the Cueva Conejos. The Iglesia Parroquial of Ucero dates from the 18th century. Another historic site is the Cueva la Zorra: it forms a 133-metre-long, vaulted section of the Roman canal that supplied the city of Uxama with water.

Visitor Sites in the Natural Park

The Casa del Parque del Cañón del Río Lobos is located in Ucero at kilometre 16 of the SO-920 road. It is housed in a 19th-century building that was formerly used as a chocolate factory and paper mill. As a point of orientation, the Casa del Parque helps organise visits to the natural park.

The Centro de Interpretación de la Naturaleza is located in Ucero in a former fish farm. Both sites complement the trails and landscape areas with fixed points of contact within the natural park theme.

Festivals in Ucero

During the Día de la Cruz on 3 May, the Santo Cristo del Castillo is carried in a procession to the fields, which are then blessed. From 24 to 26 August, Ucero holds its patron saint festivals in honour of the Virgen de la Salud and San Bartolomé.

Other destinations: Monteagudo de las Vicarías, Oncala, Cubo De La Solana, Carbonera De Frentes, Arcos De Jalón, Rejas de San Esteban, Valdeavellano De Tera, Navaleno

To the overarching travel overview: Soria.