The Sendero de Las Chorreras starts in San Martín Del Pimpollar; the Iglesia de San Martín Obispo and traditional architectural styles draw attention to the town’s history. A specific hiking option and various architectural details thus sit side by side. When planning your trip, you can decide whether nature or architectural history should take centre stage.
The Sierra de Gredos landscape
San Martín Del Pimpollar is one of the municipalities in the Sierra de Gredos Regional Park. The regional landscape has been shaped by erosion during past ice ages. Features of the Sierra de Gredos include lagoons, cirques, gorges, ridges, rocky cliffs, Galayos rock formations and moraine deposits. The natural landscape therefore encompasses both glacially formed hollows and striking rocky and gorge landscapes. If the mountain setting is a particular consideration when choosing a destination, you can weigh this broader perspective alongside the local buildings: the park setting and local architectural details offer different yet compatible points of interest.
The church and traditional architectural styles
The Iglesia de San Martín Obispo was built in the late 15th or early 16th century. It has a single apse, a transept and a three-aisled nave. Baroque vaults and domes cover the apse and transept. The church can therefore be considered from two angles: its place within a period of construction and the layout of its interior. The information about its construction date and floor plan answers different questions: when the church was built and how its interior is arranged.
Smaller architectural features are also part of the local scene. A restored chozo, once used by shepherds, stands alongside the potro de herrar. Traditional houses feature covered portalillos at their entrances, formed by side walls. These examples move from church architecture to two other scales: the connection between shepherds’ shelters and the potro de herrar, and the detail of the house entrance. For a historical and cultural perspective, this brings into focus the differences between church architecture, pastoral use and residential design.
Hiking from San Martín Del Pimpollar
The Sendero de Las Chorreras de San Martín Del Pimpollar starts in San Martín Del Pimpollar. At the Puente de la Cacera, it crosses the watercourse known as the Río Bohorno or Arroyo de las Canales. With the start in town and the crossing at the Puente de la Cacera, the trail’s starting point and one named location along its route are clear; trail conditions may vary seasonally. Check them before setting out.
When planning your trip, you can distinguish between the different options: the Sendero is a named hiking route that starts in town, while the church, chozo and portalillos represent different aspects of local architectural history. The Sierra de Gredos adds a regional landscape setting to the local themes. This makes it possible to decide whether hiking, architecture or a combination of both will shape your trip.
Discover more destinations: Vega De Santa María, Manjabálago, Piedralaves, Mediana De Voltoya, Narros De Saldueña, Horcajo de las Torres, Arenas De San Pedro, Navarredonda De Gredos.
For the broader travel overview: Avila.
