What to see

As we gain altitude, the landscape begins to transform, and one of the most emblematic plant formations of the Central System appears: the piornal

We are at one of Ávila’s spiritual, cultural, and scenic landmarks, with great devotional value and privileged views of the rural landscape and the walled city rising on the horizon

A single-nave church, attached to the Franciscan convent of the same name, built to the east of the city between 1579 and 1583 under the patronage of Rodrigo del Águila

We are in an area of great natural richness: to the north, holm oak groves with Mediterranean scrub species and mushrooms such as Ganoderma lucidum; to the south, riparian forest and biodiverse pastures.

As we advance, we find a construction of possibly medieval origin, built upon a traditional ford already used since earlier times.

Within the suburb, outside the walls, of Ajates, it is built in the Gothic style of the 13th century

Attributed to Francisco de Mora, it was built, attached to the outer face of the wall, in 1590-1591

The Chapel of Our Lady of the Snows, on Reyes Católicos Street, formerly called Andrín Street, was erected in the 16th century, as the last will, of the former vicereine of Sicily, Doña María Dávila, on the site that was occupied by one of the most significant synagogues in the city, called Belforad.

Erected in the Cathedral square, its construction is very heterogeneous, dating from the late 15th to early 16th century.

Founded in 1552 by the Poor Clares, the convent features a Renaissance-style stone portal with columns and coats of arms.

On the left bank of the Adaja River, overlooking the city from the west, stands the shrine (small hermitage on the outskirts of the town) of San Sebastián, popularly known as Los Cuatro Postes.

This structure is one of the most remarkable Neolithic remains on the central plateau. It consists of a polygonal funerary chamber, delimited by large granite slabs that formed the walls of the tomb

At the end of the route, a stand of stone pines stands out, once exploited and now partly deteriorated, hosting various bird species, especially nests of booted eagles.

This ecosystem arises as a result of the modification of the environment after years of livestock exploitation and is characterized by the interspersed presence of open pasture areas with other plots of old crops.

Located on the current Marqués de Santo Domingo street, formerly Cucadero street

At the end of the route, a berrocal stands out: a set of large rounded rocks shaped by erosion. A singular landscape, unchanged for centuries, ideal for observation and imagination.

Built by Alderman Don Juan de Henao and later owned by the Marquis of Benavites

Declared a National Monument in 1992

Facing north, it is located on Lope Núñez street, a road that leads into the walled city from the San Vicente Gate.

This rural environment has been shaped over the centuries by human activity, yet it preserves features characteristic of Mediterranean ecosystems.

Built in the late Romanesque style of the late 12th century, it stands outside the city walls, opposite the keep of the city wall. It is now the church of the Franciscan nuns of the Conception.

Built outside the walls, to the north of the walled enclosure, it has a Romanesque origin, a fact corroborated by the latest archaeological investigations.

These granite formations, increasingly present since the beginning of the route, are called berrocales and are an example of granite relief shaped by long-term geological processes

Attached to the eastern wall of the wall, it is a rectangular room on two levels, the lower one vaulted, and the upper one with a wooden roof.

The wall would have, towards the interior, a second defensive belt made up of the palaces of the nobility and clergy which, attached to the inner walls, would allow the defense against possible popular revolts and/or incursions of the enemy into the city.

This section of the route crosses extensive areas of natural grassland, traditionally used as grazing areas for livestock, mainly cattle and to a lesser extent sheep

We come across a series of constructions intended to serve the agricultural and livestock uses that have developed in this area for decades.

It was commissioned in the 16th century by Miguel del Águila.

A unique center in Europe, which aims to introduce visitors to the mystical phenomenon

We begin this route near Urraca Miguel, a small village located at the foot of the first slopes of the Sierra de Ojos Albos

The church was built on the house in which Teresa de Cepeda y Ahumada was born and is part of the Carmelite convent

The church of Santiago is of Romanesque origin, although it was enlarged and renovated in the 14th and 16th centuries.

The Monastery of the Incarnation was founded in 1478 inside the walled city

The Adaja River is the backbone of this space, and around it one of the most biodiverse ecosystems found in the city and its surroundings thrives.

The old railway halt, a vestige of a network once key for transporting goods and people, reminds us of the importance of the railway in rural areas

This ash grove has a low density of trees, allowing the presence of various species on the edges and clearings of the stand such as hawthorns, blackthorns or brambles.

Located on the banks of the Adaja River, it was built in "Caleño" granite between 1130 and 1160.

Attached to the northern wall of the city wall, it was commissioned in the early 16th century by the descendants of Álvaro Dávila and Juana de Bracamonte, on the site of their old medieval manor house.

In the square of the same name, there stands an original architectural ensemble consisting of the Hospital of the Annunciation (from 1872 onwards a Dominican convent) and the chapel of Mosén Rubí, whose architecture reflects the coexistence of the late Gothic and Renaissance.

We begin the route on the outskirts of Aldeagordillo, a small rural settlement that still preserves its traditional essence, representative of Ávila’s rural heritage

This environment is made up of traditional crops such as barley and wheat, alternated with grazing lands, along with fallow or uncultivated fields, which are very interesting for the biological communities they host.

It is located in the Vacas neighborhood, a traditional neighborhood in the capital that still retains the charm of single-story mill houses.

The Dominican Monastery of Santo Tomás was built under the patronage of Hernando Núñez de Arnalt

The works of the original Cistercian construction were completed around 1350.

It was built outside the city walls in the mid-12th century, opposite the gate of the Peso de la Harina (Flour Weighing Gate).

We are in an environment of great ecological value: an important colony of storks and grey herons, which have found refuge in this stone pine grove and which currently holds the maximum possible number of nests.

In this section, we cross a denser and better-preserved holm oak forest, a true refuge of biodiversity and a living example of the Mediterranean ecosystem in its most mature state

The Jewish presence in Ávila dates back to the first settlers of the 11th century, living alongside Christians and Muslims.

Located opposite the San Vicente gate on the eastern section of the wall, near the Basilica of the Holy Martyrs Vincent, Sabina and Cristeta

In this convent, Alonso de Cepeda placed his daughter Teresa against her will in 1531, with the idea that she would mature and be educated.

Declared a National Monument in 1914

The complex consists of the Contreras or Polentinos palace, as the original core, and a series of buildings that have been added over time (from the installation of the Academy of Intendancy in 1875, until its conversion into the Military Historical Archive in 1993).

It stands in the extramural neighborhood of the same name, a medieval suburb inhabited by Christians, dedicated to agriculture and shepherding.

It stands on the southern edge of the Amblés Valley, with a wide visual command of the city and the valley, of which it is the patron saint.

Ávila Cathedral stands as both church and fortress and its apse, known locally as the cimorro and set in the walls, is the most imposing turret of the east wall

Currently occupied by the community of the Servants of Mary, it was built in granite masonry in the 16th century.

Outside the walls, the Basilica of San Vicente was built in Caleno granite in a way that was greatly conditioned by the lie of the land and in the place where tradition situates the martyrdom and burial of Vincent, Sabina and Cristeta

In this final stretch, the holm oak forest regains prominence, with large specimens that have stood for centuries. Some serve as vantage points for birds to watch over their hunting grounds or build their nests.

At this point, we leave the path slightly to reach a natural balcony that allows us to contemplate the dehesas of Gansino and Aldeagordillo and the rest of the valley

This group of buildings located near the Vaquerizos stream forms part of a farming estate, including constructions clearly intended as housing for owners or workers

Declared a National Monument in 1968

We are now in the surroundings of the Caserío de las Encinas, a group of rural buildings that reflects the traditional way of life linked to agriculture and livestock

Built in the mid-12th century, it is the only Romanesque church that remains within the city walls.

The Adaja River is the backbone of this space, and around it one of the most biodiverse ecosystems found in the city and its surroundings thrives.

Extensive livestock farming, especially cattle, has shaped the landscape for centuries with low-impact systems that use natural resources sustainably

Within the Ajates neighborhood (a suburb of medieval origin dedicated to stonemasonry), it was erected in the second quarter of the 12th century

Built outside the city walls, to the north of the walled city, it was consecrated in 1210, representing the last Romanesque style in Ávila.

This area stands out as the only one with accumulated water along almost the entire route, making it a key refuge for wildlife, especially in summer.

In this area near the river, green, fresh, and sometimes flooded environments thrive, offering a perfect habitat for birds in search of food

Located in the Plaza de la Catedral, it is also known as the house of Gonzalo Dávila

Although they may appear poor spaces, dry-farming fields and pastures host valuable steppe fauna. With respectful agricultural practices, they harbor species that are discreetly adapted but with striking songs

At this starting point, the Mediterranean woodland takes center stage, with the holm oak as the main actor, but with an important presence of aromatic undergrowth species

Attached to the intramural wall, next to what is currently known as the Carmen arch, and on the former site of the Romanesque church of San Silvestre, the monastery of the Discalced Carmelites was founded in the 15th century.

These stands of Scots pine, the result of reforestations in the 1980s, lack forest management but add uniqueness to the landscape and host diverse fauna such as raptors, birds, and mammals

Besides the archaeological evidence that suggests an original wall from the late-antiquity period (fifth century), set around a small area, the walls date from the Middle Ages

El Soto is the great green lung of the city. In this initial area, a great mix of tree species stands out, with the native species that we will find throughout the entire space combining.

Built in the Renaissance style in 1557, it belonged to councilman Pedro Álvarez Serrano. Constructed of granite ashlar, it has three stories, an unusual feature in the city.

We are surrounded by rocky outcrops shaped by the action of wind, rain, ice, and temperature changes over millennia, creating peculiar structures that stand out in the landscape.

Manor house built in the 16th century in Renaissance style, as a residence for the Dean of the cathedral

They are consolidated after a recent restoration and enhancement project, currently declared as a Site of Cultural Interest with the category of Archaeological Site.

Attached to the southern wall of the city wall, it was commissioned in the Renaissance style by Blasco Núñez Vela, the first viceroy of Peru, around 1541.

A temple of Romanesque origin, which would be profoundly transformed at the beginning of the 16th century in Gothic style, with evident Renaissance influences.

Presiding over the Plaza del Mercado Chico, the history of the Town Hall will be linked to this public space.

The route culminates at Pico Valdihuelo, one of the highest points in the area and a true natural balcony overlooking a vast landscape of valleys, dehesas, villages, and mountains