Castroserna de Abajo: River, trails and September traditions

Castroserna de Abajo brings together the Río San Juan, a striking rocky landscape, trails for hiking and mountain biking, and two September traditions. This offers several ways to plan a stay: a walking route, a longer mountain bike route, the riverside landscape, or local religious and cultural events. The town lies along the banks of the Río San Juan.

Hiking and mountain biking along the Río San Juan

The Ruta senderista por el Río San Juan is 8.54 kilometers long. Along it, you can experience the canyon formed by the river as it passes through Castroserna de Abajo. Its length and connection to the riverside landscape help give a sense of the hiking route. If you are planning your stay around an activity on foot, this route is a clearly identified option.

The Ruta en BTT por el Río San Juan is a different proposition: the mountain bike route is 62.4 kilometers long and passes, among other places, through the limestone gorges between Castroserna de Arriba and Castroserna de Abajo. The two routes differ in both mode of travel and length: 8.54 kilometers on foot compared with 62.4 kilometers by mountain bike. This makes it easy to choose between a hike through the local canyon and a longer mountain bike route.

Riverside landscape and wildlife

Beyond Castroserna de Abajo, the Río San Juan forms an impressive vertical cliff face where a large colony of griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) breeds. The river, cliff face, and breeding colony are closely connected features of the landscape and natural environment here. Wildlife sightings may vary by season. For travelers interested in the landscape as well as their choice of route, the cliff face is one of the area’s distinctive features.

Hermitage and historical interpretations

The Ermita de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios stands on the slope in the Río San Juan valley. Its building was enlarged in the 19th century. The hermitage can therefore be understood both in terms of its location in the valley and its architectural history.

Cueva Labrada may once have served as a rock hermitage; the surrounding caves may have been used as hermitages by early medieval monks. Unlike the 19th-century enlargement of the hermitage, these earlier uses remain historical possibilities. Different cultural themes therefore come together here: an architectural alteration to a named hermitage and possible earlier uses of caves.

September traditions

Two recurring events take place in September. Paloteo dances are held in Castroserna de Abajo on the last weekend of September. A large romería in honor of the Virgen de los Remedios takes place on the last Sunday in September. The events have different focuses: the dances are tied to a weekend, while the romería takes place on a specific Sunday and has a religious purpose. If you want to plan your stay around an event, check the dates in advance.

Discover more destinations: Aguilafuente, Migueláñez, Domingo García, Torre Val De San Pedro, Valdevarnés, La Pradera De Navalhorno, Fuentemilanos, Otero De Herreros.

For the broader travel overview: Segovia.