Peñaranda de Duero to Castillejo de Robledo

Thursday 29 September 2022

Distance: 18.5 km Time: 4:40 Ascent: 290m Descent: 180m – Wikiloc

From Peñaranda de Duero we walked south to La Vid following farm tracks, avoiding the tarmac and then east to pick up the published walking route from Langa de Duero to Castillejo de Robledo.

*Residencia Nuestra Señora del Carmen*, an old peoples home 500 meters south of Peñaranda on the way to La Vid

La Vid (pop 239) was built in the 1950s to house the residents of the old town of Linares del Arroyo which was flooded to build a reservoir. But the Monastery of Santa María de la Vid has been there since the 12th century. We had a very enjoyable stay in the hotel there when walking the Senda del Duero in May 2019 (click here).

16th century stone bridge across the Duero to La Vid

Monastery of Santa María de La Vid, founded 12th century
This building is from the 16th – 18th centuries

Deer bounding through an irrigated green field

Path between La Vid and Castillejo de Robledo

High altitude (~1000 meters), unirrigated on stoney ground and subject to extremes of temperature these grapes produce some very nice wine

It’s hard to imagine what could be planted in such rocky ground

Castillejo de Robledo (pop 109) is near where the two daughters of El Cid were dreadfully beaten and left for dead by their husbands in revenge for some offence by El Cid.
Today Castillejo de Robledo is a small attractive village located in a narrow valley. There are no stores, no bus service and only Movistar mobile coverage. But there’s 6 Casa Rurals, an excellent restaurant and a bar. Most of the houses are built into the side of the hill for insulation from the heat and cold.