Hikes in Atapuerca

After Pamplona and Logroño, Burgos is the next major metropolitan area we reach. Until then, however, we can still enjoy the peaceful, beautiful natural surroundings.> With the old monastery church 01 behind us, the road forks about 500 m further on. We take the path through the forest and enter pastureland. After a few minutes, the main path leads us across open countryside. The path down to the next little village may be uneven and rocky, but the pastoral landscape offers us a beautiful view into the distance. We quickly leave the picturesque village of Agés 02 behind us. On the main road (a small rest area past Agés), we reach nearby Atapuerca 03, a local landmark.Here, too, the Camino takes us straight through until the arrows on the left direct us onto a path leading up the mountain. The first third can be extremely muddy and slippery, especially after rain, but it can usually be bypassed. While to our left lies a rather haphazardly fenced-off (former) military zone, the second third of the trail is very rocky, uneven, and eroded. The last third, on the other hand, has far fewer inclines (it’s almost flat) and is very easy to navigate. The final meters to the summit cross 04 (1,069 m) are once again rocky and uneven—and especially slippery when wet! The descent across the plateau, along the disused barbed-wire fence, is also rocky and uneven. In the distance lies Burgos; to the right is a quarry, and to the left, endless fields. We come to a fork in the trail, where we turn right to follow the Camino. The trail is flat until the next T-intersection, but muddy after rain. We then follow the very good gravel path to the left down to the paved road. Passing the small, hidden village of Villalval, we reach Cardeñuela Riopico 05 after a few curves and, soon after, Orbanejo Riopico 06, both of which have hostels. Río Pico is the river that gives the area its name and flows past here. Less than a kilometer further on, we cross the highway bridge along the narrow road. Just beyond it, at the cluster of white houses, there is an option (Route 07) to reach Burgos. The Camino itself now continues straight ahead along the road, around the airfield, and over the roundabout and the railroad bridge to Villafría; the first town in the Burgos area and also the start of an approximately 4-km hike along the main road through a not particularly attractive industrial and commercial area. Immediately after we reach this main road, we stay on the left side of the road. Even though the arrows don’t appear for quite some time, we stay on course. We arrive in Burgos (town entrance sign) and eventually come to a large Telefónica building 08 in the middle of a fork in the road. In front of it is a small Repsol gas station. The arrows guide us along the road on the right. In general, signage is extremely sparse, so it’s easy to either miss it quickly or lose sight of it. However, our destination remains the Old Town. At the next roundabout, we turn left before the Alcampo shopping mall. We now use a large green building in the distance as our landmark. In front of it, on the right, is a playground surrounded by gray-yellow houses. We head toward the playground and walk through the underpass between those very houses. From there, we can already see one of the towers of the great cathedral in the distance. We head toward the tower, either to the left or right of the crosswalk. We also start to see a red sign more frequently, which guides us to the “Albergue Municipal.” Basically, we walk straight ahead for another 1.5 km until we cross a bridge into the old town and soon reach the cathedral. Just before that is the municipal hostel 09.

From picturesque Belorado, the route continues for quite a while through the same monotonous landscape as in the previous stage. Starting at Villafranca Montes de Oca, however, a mountain crossing through oak forests and heathland offers the long-awaited change of scenery—and, above all, peace and quiet once again! There is no supermarket at the destination.> From the center and the tourist information office on Belorado’s central square 01, we take the small street to the left of the supermarket. At the next intersection, we turn left and find ourselves back on the Camino and, at the same time, on the “Walk of Fame.” Continuing straight ahead, we cross a few streets and, glancing back, catch sight of two beautiful, large murals. After 20 meters, we continue on the middle of the three streets ahead of us. This takes us to the town’s outskirts, where we cross the N-120. There’s a nice rest area by the Río Tirón, but we cross the bridge and walk alongside the road for a few meters before soon following the gravel path into the countryside. Surrounded by fields, we soon reach Tosantos 02. Over the centuries, people have carved caves and churches into the easily workable mountain walls, as can already be seen from a distance on the other side of the road. After a short uphill stretch (we turn left onto more dirt roads), we can already see Villambistia ahead of us and, a little further on, Espinosa del Camino. On the horizon, we spot wind turbines; that’s where we’ll have to cross the mountain to reach San Juan de Ortega. But for now, we’ll stay on the path ahead of us. Villambistia 03 offers a must-visit bar as well as a hostel. From here, the route continues further into the countryside, but we’ll head toward the road to cross it just before Espinosa del Camino 04. Beyond the two hostels, the vastness of the farmland opens up before us. The path goes slightly uphill, though the incline isn’t particularly steep. When we reach the three cell towers, we can already see Villafranca to our left. We head downhill, pass a ruin (Ermita de San Felice), catch a glimpse of the mountains on the right on the horizon, and reach the plain. The wide gravel path leads to the noisy and heavily trafficked national highway. Our path now runs between farmland and the asphalt; when wet, it’s very prone to becoming muddy, uneven, and narrow. It’s more like a back road, but it’s not far to Villafranca Montes de Oca 05. Be careful, as the arrows pointing to the church lead us directly along the main road without passing through the pedestrian areas, some of which are quite wide. Between the hotel and the church is the last reliable water source before San Juan de Ortega, so fill up your water bottles one last time and set off up the steep hill. Finally, forests again; finally, nature again; finally, peace and quiet again! After about 1 km, we come to an excellent covered rest area 06. Although we haven’t reached the highest point yet, the climbs become significantly easier from here on. The trails through the oak and, later, pine forests vary greatly in condition. Sometimes we walk on very good sections, other times on eroded paths.When we reach a memorial (Monumento La Pedraja) 07 (commemorating the victims of the Spanish Civil War of 1936), we’ve also reached the highest point of the trail. For a while, the trail descends steeply alongside the road, crosses a bridge, and then climbs steeply again. After the final ascent, the trail remains at the same elevation, but the terrain varies greatly; especially when it rains, large puddles and extensive muddy sections can form on the very wide forest trails. About 5 km before our destination, we pass a rest area created by pilgrims. The trail is very monotonous, and it takes quite a while before we reach the hostel. After leaving the forest, we finally reach a landscape of pastures and fields, and soon after that, the small town of San Juan de Ortega 08.

Chemin de StJean Pied de Port à santiago de Compostella

Camino frances.  St Jean to Roncesvalles via Orisson with less steep descent alternative via chapel.  Camino Duro from Villafranca (well worth the extra effort!).  Don't just think about it; DO IT !! A fantastic break from pointless life in the UK and wasting your life staring at computers all day.  Ideally continue to Finisterre and/or Muxia.

Jakobsweg St. Jean Pied de Port - Kap FinisterreAus dem Projekt"2420km für rodania, 104 Tage für Schwerbehinderte"Weitere Infos zum Projekt unter:http://meinwegrodania.jimdo.com/

Spain: Camino de Santiago: Camino Frances: Stage 12: San Juan de Ortega-Burgos[ cami caminho cammino chemin compostela de itineraire jacob jacobsweg jacques james james’ jaume sant Santiago st ste saint san saint-jacques st-jacques path pilgrim’s pilgrims route ruta via voie way of weg ]

Spain: Camino de Santiago: Camino Frances: Stage 11: Belorado-San Juan de Ortega[ cami caminho cammino chemin compostela de itineraire jacob jacobsweg jacques james james’ jaume sant Santiago st ste saint san saint-jacques st-jacques path pilgrim’s pilgrims route ruta via voie way of weg ]

The Camino Frances from St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago de Compostella