Hiking in Hoces del Río Riaza Natural Park
The Riaza River rises at the Puerto de la Quesera in Riofrío de Riaza in Castile and León, near the Castile-La Mancha border. After more than 100 kilometers the Riaza flows into the Douro at Roa. Between Maderuelo, Montejo de la Vega de la Serrezuela and Valdevacas de Montejo, the river and the stream Arroyo de los Pozos that flows into the river have carved deep fissures in the calcareous rocks. The Hoces del Río Riaza Natural Park was established here in 2004 to better protect nature. The area is best known for the large colony of griffon vultures that have settled here. The village of Linares del Arroyo was located five kilometers NNE of Maderuelo, but after the construction of a dam in 1951, it disappeared under the Linares reservoir. Near the dam, remnants of the village, including the church, are still visible on the edge of the lake.
