Stage: Cabrejas del Campo - Ciria

This stage of the Santander-Mediterranean Nature Trail begins very close to the town of Cabrejas del Campo, starting this adventure with the old railway station as a prominent feature.

As we continue into the Campos de Gómara countryside, some surprises await. The Campo de Gómara Lagoon Complex includes the Honda, Herrada and Herrera lagoons as well as many others. This area boasts a great diversity of fauna, mainly birds, which even use these lagoons as a stopover on their great migratory journeys, as seen with flocks of cranes (Grus grus) often visible.

Our route continues to the monumental village of Almenar de Soria on the left, with its castle and the Shrine of the Virgen de la Llana standing out. On our right, the Shrine of San Cristóbal, belonging to the nearby town of Aliud, stands on a hill. Next, we reach the large cereal storage silos located next to the old Gómara - Almenar - Albocabe station, which were of great importance in the past for the transport of this raw material.

We then reach the wooden footbridge over the Vega stream. The Aleza mountain range dominates the landscape, providing sharp contrast with the cereal crops. The route gradually curves to the left as we approach the hamlet of Portillo de Soria, where the traveller is welcomed by the beautiful Shrine of La Virgen de Silos. The old Portillo de Soria station is located slightly further on.

On a continuous but gentle ascent, the route continues to the right of the outline of the Sierra de Costanazo mountains and the villages of Torrubia de Soria and Tordesalas, where the old station is now a fully equipped rest area. It makes for an ideal spot recover strength, while enjoying the view of the Sierra del Costanazo mountains and the beautiful hilltop village of Sauquillo de Alcázar.

The Mediterranean scrubland starts to dominate the landscape as we approach Sierra de Bigornia mountains, as holm oak(Quercus ilex) and gall oak (Quercus faginea) formations emerge. We cross an old bridge, rebuilt in-keeping the original railway model, over the N-234 road. The bridge has a wooden surface to allow walkers and cyclists to pass. From here, the stage descends slightly and, after glimpsing the Shrine of Nuestra Señora de la Serna, vegetation formations emerge, with the Spanish juniper (Juniperus thurifera) particularly prominent.

The Castle of Ciria soon emerges on the horizon before we pass through the Ciria tunnel. The tunnel is 245 metres long and on a curve so it is equipped with lighting, although, because the surface is not completely level, it is recommended to carry a torch.

Upon emerging from the tunnel, Ciria rises in all its glory atop the hill, with the Church of Santa Maria la Mayor towering above the village. An interpretive panel in the village marks the end of this stage of the Santander-Mediterranean Nature Trail between Cabrejas del Campo and Ciria.