Campervan weekend in Soria: Río Lobos Canyon, Laguna Negra and Sierra Cebollera. Nature, silence and quiet routes off the tourist track.
Key Points
- Río Lobos Canyon, an unmissable protected landscape
- Laguna Negra, Machado's mythical setting
- Sierra Cebollera, quiet nature off the tourist track
- An ideal itinerary for a campervan weekend
The province of Soria is one of the most sparsely populated in Spain, and that makes it a paradise for those of us who love escaping in a van and sleeping in nature. There are several places we can visit in this province, but on this weekend outing we present three destinations that make it a great option for two or three days.
You can easily reach it toll-free via the A1 from Madrid. We recommend leaving early — in two hours we'll be in Burgo de Osma taking the turn-off towards Ucero, which is one of the entrances to the Natural Park. There are some campsites in the town of Ucero, plus parking areas where overnight stays in a campervan are allowed.
From the San Bartolomé Hermitage car park (https://goo.gl/maps/koV8sDUKho37s1FK6) starts a very beautiful route that runs under the canyon itself, where you can see a multitude of birds and plants typical of the area.
We continue along the SO-920 towards San Leonardo de Yagüe, then on the N-234 and after taking the Abejar turn-off towards Vinuesa, we can stop at the Playa Pita reservoir. Here there are good car parks and a beach to take a swim in the hotter months. Although it's worth remembering that in Soria temperatures are not always high, so the water will be quite cold.
Vinuesa is worth a visit and a good place to refill the van's fridge before driving up to the Laguna Negra car park. It is a glacial lake surrounded by routes of spectacular beauty. If you have the energy and time, you can climb up to the Urbión Peaks, but bear in mind the demanding nature of the route, as you gain a fair number of metres in a short distance. Here is the route we did.
↗ Ascent to the Urbión Peaks on Wikiloc
For sleeping, the best option is to go down to Camping El Cobijo in Vinuesa, or sleep in the municipal swimming pool car park of the village, as long as there is no signage forbidding it.
From Vinuesa, heading towards Sierra Cebollera Natural Park, you can take several routes, but the most beautiful is the SO-830 road, which connects the northern side of the range and is a delight (if there's no snow). This makes us briefly change province as we enter La Rioja.
Arriving at Villoslada de Cameros, a village worth a walk, we find the Sierra Cebollera Interpretation Centre. In the centre's car park you can spend the night without issue, and from there starts a circular route — see below — well worth doing through pure wild sierra. We'll be able to see the Birch of La Dehesa, a tree more than 300 years old, and enjoy excellent views.
Route to Mojón Alto via Dehesa del Rebollar on Wikiloc
On the way back to Madrid you can take the chance to visit the city of Soria, and from there it's all motorway back to Madrid in around 3 hours.
We hope you enjoy the weekend plan and that your Vanyou camper in Madrid sees you again soon for the next adventure.
