Burgos and the Ribera del Duero

Route description

Begin in Burgos, on the Camino de Santiago, with its Gothic cathedral and the Museum of Human Evolution, which presents the finds from the nearby Atapuerca caves; the excavation sites themselves can be visited on guided tours. Burgos sits at about 860 m, so winters are cold and summers mild. Leave south on the N-234 and minor roads to Covarrubias, about 40 km away.

Covarrubias is a village of half-timbered houses on the Arlanza river with a collegiate church and a Romanesque tower. From here a quiet road leads 20 km south-east to Santo Domingo de Silos. The monastery’s two-storey cloister is one of the great works of Romanesque sculpture, and you can hear the monks sing Gregorian chant at vespers. The small Yecla gorge, just south of the village, has a short walkway.

Return west through the Arlanza valley to Lerma, a planned town of the early 17th century built by the Duke of Lerma, with a huge palace and a large square. From Lerma the A-1 leads south to Aranda de Duero, where old wine cellars run under the streets. Then follow the N-122 west along the Duero valley, the heart of the Ribera del Duero wine region.

Peñafiel castle stands on a long ridge above the town and houses the provincial wine museum. Below it, the Plaza del Coso is an old square with wooden balconies used for festivals. Many wineries in the valley offer tours by appointment. The N-122 continues 60 km to Valladolid, with its national sculpture museum. The route is about 250 km, all on easy roads suitable for any vehicle.