What to see in Sepúlveda and its region, one of the most beautiful towns in Segovia

If there is a town that is worth visiting for its beauty, its gastronomy, its heritage and its history, that is Sepúlveda, located about 62km from Segovia. In Sepúlveda we can find vestiges of the 3 main religions, Christian, Muslim and Jewish, and it also has truly spectacular surroundings.

Visiting Sepúlveda is one of the best excursions you can do whether you are traveling in Segovia or Madrid, but in addition to the beautiful town in its region, we also have spectacular surroundings such as the Hoces del Río Duratón and other very interesting towns.

Here we are going to tell you what to see in Sepúlveda in 1 day and what route to take by car through its region so that you do not miss anything.

What to see in Sepúlveda in 1 day

To the Plaza Mayor of Sepúvelda

To start visiting Sepúlveda, we recommend leaving your car in the large parking lot located in the northern part of the town and starting to walk towards its Historic Quarter. The first point of interest you will come across will be the Fueros Museum, located in the Iglesia de los Santos Justo y Pastor, in the Romanesque style. In the museum you can discover the history of Sepúlveda and its Fuero.

The next point of interest on the way to the Plaza de España and entering the beautiful streets of the historic center is the Casa de los Proaño, and its Plateresque façade, and the Puerta del Azogue, one of the emblematic gates of the town also called Arco del Ecce Homo.

Just after is the Plaza Mayor, where markets and fairs were originally held. It is a typical Castilian arcaded square, the nerve center of Sepúlveda, where we can highlight its three towers belonging to the Arab wall of the 10th century, under which is the « Clock of the Square » forming one of the most typical images to see in Sepulveda in 1 day.

From the Church of San Bartolomé to the Arcos de la Judería

At the end of the Plaza Mayor, there is a small staircase that leads to the Church of San Bartolomé, one of the churches to visit in Sepúlveda. It is a 12th century Romanesque church of which we can highlight its baroque chapels and the entrance porch.

Retracing our steps and leaving aside the three towers of the castle, we head down one of the most interesting streets of Sepúlveda, Calle de los Fueros, from where we can have one of the best images of the town and its surroundings.

There we find the Cárcel de la Villa, which today is the Tourist Office, built in the 16th century and which fulfilled its function until the 20th century. There is also the Casa del Parque, where we can learn more about the Hoces del Río Duratón and finally the Arcos de la Judería, three stone arches that formerly represented the access to the Sepúlveda Jewish quarter.

The Church of El Salvador and the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Peña

There is still much to see in Sepúlveda in one day, such as the Iglesia del Salvador, located a few meters from Calle de los Fueros. It is an 11th-century Romanesque church that is one of the best examples of Castilian Romanesque and is a must-see.

From there, retracing our steps, we will head down a long street admiring its beautiful stone buildings to another of the Sepúlveda churches, in this case Nuestra Señora de la Peña, also Romanesque like the other churches in the town and which we must highlight its entrance portico with the Vision of the Apocalypse, its Tower and the Image of the Virgen de la Peña

Just behind is the Mirador de la Virgen de la Peña, from where you can see the first Hoces del Río Duratón, the great natural jewel of the region and which will be our next destination.

Other places to visit in the Comarca de la Villa and Tierra de Sepúlveda

Hoces del Río Duratón

You cannot visit Sepúlveda without also enjoying the Hoces del Río Duratón, which you have already been able to enjoy at the Casa del Parque de Sepúlveda and also from the Mirador de la Virgen de la Peña. But now it’s time to enjoy them in the first person.

It is a Natural Park where the Duratón River runs embedded in a spectacular canyon, home to griffon vultures, hawks and eagles, and where there are various paths to enjoy it and get to know it in depth.

Of all the paths, the most famous is that of the Hermitage of San Frutos. To get there, you have to go by car along a dirt road to the car park from where you can walk admiring the gorges and arriving in a very short time on a pleasant walk to the Ermita de San Frutos, the remains of an old convent located on one of the the meanders of the Duratón River.

But it is also worth doing the Senda de la Glorieta or the Senda de los Dos Ríos, which start in the town of Sepúlveda itself and are of low difficulty, ideal to go with children. If you want something more complete, you have the Long Path that joins the Puente de Talcano with the Puente de Vilaseca, in a walk of about 23km, round trip.

The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption of Duratón

Not far from Sepulveda, about 7 km away, is the town of Duratón, a very small town of only 30 inhabitants but with a great history behind it that makes it one of the essential visits in the area.

And it is there that the impressive Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción is located, a Romanesque church with arcades from 1203. Without a doubt, we can say that its portico is one of the best in Spain. It has 10 arches and 2 doors and is undoubtedly the main attraction of this church. The capitals are an authentic Romanesque work of art and they represent different scenes of the Nativity

Next to the church is the Visigoth Necropolis and Los Mercados Roman Site, belonging to the ancient Roman city of Confluenta. The necropolis is one of the most outstanding in Spain.

The Cave of the Enebralejos of Prádena

Our visit by car to the region of Villa y Tierras de Sepúlveda must end in Prádena, where the Cueva de los Enebralejos is located, the most important cave in the province of Segovia and well worth a visit.

The cave has a series of galleries and rooms where stalactites and stalagmites abound that we can admire as we enter it. The cave was also a necropolis from approximately 2500 BC and proof of this are the paintings and engravings that can be found there.

The visit to the cave is completed with the reproduction of a prehistoric settlement from the metal age where we can learn about the life of our ancestors who lived there 4,500 years ago.

You can find more information on the official Sepulveda tourism page.