🎵 Audio guide
The Santo Tomé Trail is a circular route which forms part of the local walking trail denominated SL-CC-206. It starts at the river Árrago and heads upstream, climbing the hillside. It returns to he river where we start the return leg on an old roman road.
It passes through a variety of natural environments. From riverside forest to chestnut woods, stands of oak trees and pine forest. As the trail climbs higher, we leave the river at the bottom of the valley but we are accompanied by the sounds of water and birdsong, the scents of nature and spectacular views - all of which delight the senses.
The trail starts just before the Árrago river is dammed to form Robledillo's natural swimming pool. A small path leads us downhill and across the river through vegetable gardens and the lush riverside vegetation. We continue up the path and leave the river behind.
Suddenly, the trail darkens under a green canopy which marks the beginning of an area of old olive orchards where we can admire the spectacular stone terraces - vestiges of times gone by. As man abandoned these lands, nature has reclaimed them and they are now filled with Mediterranean vegetation and chestnut trees. A little further up the trail we reach an area of pine forest where we can better observe the stone structures.
We take the path which leads us out of the pine forest, towards the Ermita de Santo Toméwhich sits in a small clearing in Mediterranean forest. The ruins of this small building bear witness to the quality of its construction. Long since abandoned, these magnificent walls of slate slabs have survived the passage of time. Looking back, we are rewarded with beautiful panoramic views of the valley.
We return to the main trail and, little by little, leave the pine forest to, once again, enjoy walking through riverside vegetation. We pass a small stream which flows down the hillside, enclosed between old stone walls. After we reach the storage tank of the old power station, the trail continues on the ruins of the canal which formerly filled it.
We follow the trail which takes us back to the Árrago river at the point where the Pardal stream meets it and there is a small pool with a water channel. This is a perfect moment for a well-deserved rest before beginning the descent.
The return leg follows the Camino del Puerto, an old, stone roman road. The highlights are the vegetation which surrounds it and the magnificent views of the valley, made possible by this incredible feat of ancient engineering - the track which embraces the mountainside, supported by large walls of slate slabs.
The trail meets the CC-7.2, the main road to Salamanca province, at a viewpoint where there is a water storage tank for forest fires. Although the old track continues past this point, a better option is to follow the road past the LagarteraandYedramayorstreams then take the track which heads down to the natural swimming pool access road in the village.