The Canal is a river of human design that has influenced the natural landscape of Castile for two hundred years. These beautiful brown, yellow or green lands - depending on the season - which are carried away by the light to transform into landscapes full of movement and meaning, have been crossed by the waters of the Canal, which have introduced a continuous line of greenery and trees.
The engineering and construction works along the riverbed are, curiously, works full of beauty and harmony, worth visiting. The history of the construction of the Canal is the story of a Great Project that sought, first, to unite Segovia with Santander, to create a network of canals in Castile that would facilitate the transportation of grain and all types of merchandise, and, second, place, bring water to irrigate the always thirsty fields. It is the story of some crazy people who managed to open new, more efficient, cheaper, more comfortable trade routes.
The works of the Canal de Castilla began in 1753 in Calahorra de Ribas. After continuous stops and numerous vicissitudes, they were completed in Medina de Rioseco in 1849. Almost a century of work for another century of navigation, since as a transport route it stopped being used in 1959. Today its towpaths offer us a very desirable route. for our bike travel.
