Coke Coal Route. Stage 1. Alar del Rey - Cozuelos de Ojeda

This first stage of the Coke Coal Route starts near the docks of the Canal de Castilla, where coal was once loaded in order to be carried to other regions. A few metres from the panel marking the beginning of the trail, there is a bridge allowing the traveller to stand straight over the canal and see the docks and, in the distance, the very beginning of the Canal de Castilla.

This nature trail goes north-west, leaving Alar del Rey behind, crossing the railway tracks and then leaving a branch that goes to the beginning of the Canal de Castilla on the right. It then crosses the Pisuerga river over the “Puente de las Monjas” and continues along the N-611 road for a few metres before crossing it near some farming buildings. Later on, the paved route is replaced by a dirt road, which is also used to access private properties. This kind of road will be the most frequent one along this route, except when the trail goes through towns and areas with gravel paths.

After a couple of well-indicated intersections, the route reaches the passage under the A-67 motorway among crop fields. It then goes through a similar landscape up to the P-223 road, which must be crossed in order to enter the town of Prádanos de Ojeda. Although the trail follows a clear route in Alar del Rey, there are other towns which are full of winding streets, so the traveller must pay special attention to the signals showing the direction of the nature trail.

The trail barely enters Prádanos de Ojeda, as it goes down Pozo Street and then leaves the town. However, the Corazón de Jesús Square and the parochial church of San Cristóbal are worth visiting, even though the trail must be left behind for a few metres. This Romanesque and Renaissance church, started in the 12th century and finished between the 15thand 17th centuries, is located on the highest place in the town.

When leaving the town, the landscape is still dominated by crops, but the path soon ventures into an area of gentle hills covered with a dense mass of black pine (Pinus nigra subsp. Salzmannii). Later on, the trail goes through a holm oak forest (Quercus ilex). Further ahead, crops appear again, announcing the proximity of Santibáñez de Ecla.

The Coke Coal Route briefly goes through Santibáñez, arriving through Camino Escuelas and leaving the town before reaching Calle Real. However, the church of San Juan is worth leaving the trail for a while in order to admire it. One of the other routes complementing the Palentinian Romanesque Nature Trail starts at this town: the route going from Santibáñez de Ecla to Payo de Ojeda. Having passed by Santibáñez, the path turns right and arrives at a gully in the heart of a holm oak forest. Later on, this landscape alternates with pastures and crops up to the point where the route crosses San Andrés stream, in the outskirts of Villaescusa de Ecla

From the moment the P-255 road is reached and up to the point this town is left behind (crossing the San Andrés stream again), this stretch of the trail is shared with vehicles, so the traveller must be cautious. If you want to continue discovering the Romanesque heritage of this area, you can visit the church of Santa Elena.

Villaescusa de Ecla is left behind, leaving the path that goes to the Desfiladero del Diablo and the Cascada de Cervigona aside. However, both of these places are worth visiting if you have extra time. The trail then continues running among pastures and bushes and goes up to enter a pine forest.

Later on, it goes downhill, and a cross on top of some rocks (Peñatorrecilla) announces that Cozuelos de Ojeda is near, just around the hill. This town will be end point of the first stage of the Coke Coal Route.

Although this stage ends after crossing the Cozuelos stream, a visit to the church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, on the outskirts of the town, is highly recommended. This is a Renaissance building with interesting heritage inside. There, the remains of a possible “conjuradero de nublos” are preserved - a peculiar and very interesting building from an ethnographic and historical perspective.