Arévalo de la Sierra lies in a valley at the foot of the Sierra de Alba. The municipal area is home to the Reserva Natural del Acebal de Garagüeta and other traces of regional history. You can plan your stay around the holly landscape, trails through the surrounding area, or the archaeological and architectural features of the town.
The Acebal de Garagüeta
The Reserva Natural del Acebal de Garagüeta covers 406.4 hectares in the municipal area of Arévalo de la Sierra in the Sierra de Montes Claros. It was designated by Law 11/2008 of 9 December. The holly (Ilex aquifolium) is also protected in Castilla y León. Today, the Acebal is the only forest type found in Garagüeta and is dominated almost entirely by holly. This botanical character gives the nature theme a specific focus.
The Casa del Parque del Acebal de Garagüeta is located in Arévalo de la Sierra’s former teachers’ residence. The three-storey building was recently reconstructed. The Casa del Parque is intended to serve as a reference centre for the holly forests of these sierras; sensory and audiovisual features are planned.
Trails through the landscape
The SO10 – Senda del Acebal circular trail passes through the Acebal and includes La Choza del Vaquero, the Sestiles and rocky scree slopes. A guided walk through the pastureland is also available in the morning. The telephone number given for this walk is 975 18 01 67. While SO10 is described as a circular trail with specific landmarks and terrain features, the guided walk focuses on the pastureland.
The marked Ruta de los Castros also runs between Castilfrío de la Sierra and Gallinero and leads to archaeological sites in Ventosa and Arévalo de la Sierra. The Ruta de los Castros Célticos del Norte Soriano is listed as 26.2 kilometres long, with an estimated duration of seven hours. These figures help you gauge the scope of this route when planning your trip.
Castros and townscape
The Castro de El Castellar, also known as El Castillo, lies southeast of the town between Arévalo de la Sierra and Ventosa de la Sierra. The settlement dates from the 4th to the 2nd century BC and is considered the largest of the castros surveyed in the province. The site and the marked Ruta de los Castros offer different ways to explore the archaeological history: the castro is a specific named site, while the route takes in several sites in Ventosa and Arévalo.
The townscape includes solid stone houses. Carefully dressed stone blocks can be seen on door and window lintels and frames. The Iglesia de la Asunción dates from the 18th to 19th century. The Ermita del Santo Cristo contains a chalice-shaped, truncated-cone baptismal font with three decorated registers: interlacing stems at the top, arcades with crosses in the spandrels in the middle, and Saint Andrew’s crosses in panels at the bottom. These details provide a different focus from the landscape and castro routes.
Getting there and finding accommodation
The N-122 is one of the main access roads to Arévalo de la Sierra. The town is also served by a public transport service run by the Junta de Castilla y León, for which a seat reservation is required. Check the service and reservation information before travelling. If you are looking for a holiday apartment, your preferred focus can help with planning: are you more interested in the Acebal and its trails, or the castros and the stone-built townscape?
Discover more destinations: Cidones, Villar Del Río, Vinuesa, Castillejo de Robledo, Medinaceli, Barriomartín, Quintanas De Gormaz, Oncala.
For the overview of the wider region: Soria.
