Anaya offers three distinct highlights: the long Río Moros–Valle de los Fresnos hiking route, the landscape along the Río Moros, and architectural heritage ranging from Mudéjar buildings to the Baroque parish church. When planning your trip, you can first decide which highlight you want to shape your stay.
Hiking route: length, course and access
The Río Moros–Valle de los Fresnos hiking route is 40.09 kilometres long in total and follows a linear course. It runs over firm ground and asphalt. The difficulty is rated low, with the length expressly excluded from this rating. When deciding whether to take the route, it is worth considering these details together: the rating does not mean that the route is short. Its length, surfaces and linear format each offer different indications of whether it suits your hiking interests.
One access point to the route is at kilometre 4.9 in Anaya, via the SG-V-3143. This specific point may help you orient yourself if you are considering including the hike in your travel plans. As path conditions can change, it is best to check them before setting out.
The landscape along the Río Moros and the Ermita de Oñez
At Puente Oñez in Anaya, the landscape along the Río Moros combines century-old trees with pine forests. Here, the focus is on specific features of the landscape, whereas for the hiking route the main considerations are its length, surface and linear format. This makes it possible to distinguish an interest in nature from an interest in hiking without treating them as the same thing.
The Ermita de Ntra. Sra. de Oñez is 1,400 metres from Anaya, on the right bank of the Río Moros, near the CL-605. Within the walled grounds of the ermita is a spring with spring water. This brings together architectural heritage, a riverside location and a specific water source. The distance, riverside location and nearby road describe different aspects of the site.
Mudéjar architecture and the Baroque parish church
The Ermita de Ntra. Sra. de Oñez is an 18th-century Mudéjar building with a single-nave floor plan. “Single-nave” describes a building with one nave and adds to the information about its style and period. The parish church of Iglesia de Santiago Apóstol in Anaya offers a different architectural accent: it is dedicated to Santiago Apóstol and was built during the Baroque period, while its bell gable is older.
The main altar of the parish church is also distinguished by specific imagery. Its reliefs depict Saint James on horseback, the Evangelists, the Church Fathers and the Annunciation. By comparison, the ermita is notable for its Mudéjar style, 18th-century date and floor plan; Santiago Apóstol adds an older bell gable and sculpted altar decoration to its Baroque construction period. These differences offer two distinct points of interest for anyone interested in architecture and religious art.
Legends and Santa Águeda
Several legends said to be set in Anaya are collected in the two volumes of “Leyendas Segovianas.” The volumes were compiled by Ignacio Sanz and published by the Obra Social de Caja Segovia. The legends were originally passed on by residents of the places concerned. The collection was published in 2017 and adds a storytelling perspective to the history of the buildings: here, the connection to the place is found in the stories passed down, not in a building.
A description published on 11 February 2025 records a traditional celebration in honour of Santa Águeda, at which residents and visitors came together for planned activities. The image of the saint was carried through the town, accompanied by dulzaina and tamboril; residents were offered bollo and lemonade. The procession, musical accompaniment and the named foods are all part of this account of the celebration. Together with the legends, they offer a cultural perspective different from exploring the two churches.
Discover more destinations: Migueláñez, Castro de Fuentidueña, Zarzuela del Pinar, Gallegos, Collado Hermoso, Cabanillas, Torreiglesias, Domingo García.
For an overview of the wider area: Segovia.
