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The Cañada Real Soriana

The Cañada Real Soriana is one of the nine great livestock trail or pastoral routes that for centuries gave life to transhumance in Spain. At least 75 m wide, these "natural highways" allowed tens of thousands of sheep to pass through in search of seasonal grazing and refuge from the harsh climate. Although today transhumance is disappearing, these livestock trails are a natural and cultural treasure that deserves to be explored and protected.

Historically, this trail connected Soria with Badajoz, passing through Segovia, Ávila, Salamanca and Cáceres, extending for some 700 kilometres. Although today some sections have become fragmented, it remains almost fully intact in the sections through Segovia and Ávila.

The cañadas reales were born with the rise of livestock farming in the Christian kingdoms during the Middle Ages. At a time of sparse population and unstable territories, livestock offered an advantage: they were easier to manage and move than agriculture. With the conquest of lands to the south, cattle movements became more extensive, giving rise to the great transhumant routes.

In 1273, King Alfonso X the Wise created the Council of the Mesta, a powerful institution that organised the shepherds of León and Castile, granting them privileges and consolidating the livestock trails, granting them "royal" status. This guild, one of the most influential in Europe in the Middle Ages, turned livestock farming into an economic pillar of the kingdom.

The cañadas reales began to lose their importance during the second half of the 20th century. Some cities saw asphalting and construction on the trails as populations grew, one example being Calle Atocha in Madrid. This was compounded by a massive rural exodus, resulting in the loss of traditional practices and knowledge, and an increase in livestock production, with new feeds and mechanised practices. All these factors were decisive in the abandonment of transhumance in Spain and caused many of these livestock trails, essential in the past, to be abandoned or fall into disuse.

Today, the Cañada Real Soriana Occidental has recovered in part thanks to its recognition as a protected livestock trail and ecological corridor of great importance. In addition to its cultural legacy, it fulfils an essential environmental function: it acts as a natural corridor for wildlife, connecting fragmented ecosystems and promoting the genetic diversity of species by allowing them to move between different habitats. These former livestock routes also help regulate the local climate, water infiltration in the soil and erosion prevention, as well as providing spaces for leisure, hiking and environmental education. Today, the cañadas reales, and especially the Soriana Occidental, are a living symbol of the coexistence between culture, nature and sustainability, and a reminder of the importance of conserving the landscapes that for centuries shaped Spain.