The Roman Aqueduct of Segovia, Spain, can be visited as an amazing day trip from Madrid.
I stayed 5 nights in Madrid during the summer of 2024. On the first day, I day-tripped to Ávila; on the next day, Segovia; and on the third day, Toledo. The fourth day was spent exploring Madrid, the capital of Spain.
The Roman Segovia Aqueduct is just incredible. It dates back to the second century and was used to supply Segovia with water until the mid-1970s.
5 Mind-Blowing Facts About The Segovia Aqueduct
- Total length from its origin in the Sierra de Guadarrama Mountains: 14,965 km
- Length of the arches: 958 metres
- Total Number of Arches: 167
- Declared a national monument in 1884
- Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985
Segovia is easy to get to by train or bus. I travelled from Madrid to Segovia on an Avanza bus. I would highly recommend booking your ticket ahead of time.
The Aqueduct of Segovia
From its source high in the mountains, the water supplying the City of Segovia travels underground for 13 km. It rises at a point on the edge of the city (Inicio Acueducto de Segovia):
Then it reaches the Segundo desarenador del acueducto, the second of two water towers where the water was treated to remove impurities:
There are 75 simple arches, then 44 double arches, followed by another four simple arches.
The Estatua del Diablo, taking a selfie with the Aqueduct in the background in Segovia, was meant to attract tourists, but locals got angry, saying that it violated religious sentiment:
The water is then channelled underground again, before re-emerging on the far side of the Alcázar de Segovia:
Through the old town of Segovia, you can follow the water course, which is marked by these little plaques:
Of course, there is more to Segovia than just the Roman Aqueduct. The old town of Segovia is pretty interesting too. The Plaza Mayor is awesome with the Catedral de Segovia:
Iglesia de San Miguel:
Backpacking in the heat is exhausting. I just had to end the suffering. So I stopped at the Bar Socorro (Puerta de San Andrés) in the Jewish Quarter:
