Suseia01
San Juan → Atapuerca
km 0 – 6.1 · 6.1 km
A path through oaks and meadows to Agés and Atapuerca. The visitor centre for the archaeological sites is in the village.
Home › Camino Francés › San Juan de Ortega – Burgos
Camino Francés · Stage 12 of 33
Through Agés and Atapuerca, home of the prehistoric sites, you climb to the Cruz de Matagrande with Burgos in sight. Then a long walk into the city, best done along the river Arlanzón to the cathedral.
Profile
The only climb is over the Atapuerca hills, short and stony. The rest is flat or gently downhill to Burgos.
Town by town
Every town with services along the way. Out of season some bars and albergues close; the app shows you which ones are open near you as you walk.
Prehistoric sites
About 1,080 m, with views of Burgos
Turn-off along the river to Burgos
Gothic cathedral
The route
A path through oaks and meadows to Agés and Atapuerca. The visitor centre for the archaeological sites is in the village.
A stony climb over the hills to the Cruz de Matagrande and down to Cardeñuela and Orbaneja.
Best to take the river variant: past Castañares, a riverside walk along the Arlanzón leads to the cathedral without crossing the industrial estate.
Tips
The Castañares variant and the Arlanzón riverside walk avoid several kilometres of industrial estate and pavements.
It is a World Heritage Site and pilgrims with a credential get reduced entry.
Many pilgrims take a day off here before the meseta.
Choose how many kilometres you want to walk each day and Suseia splits the route from San Juan de Ortega to Santiago into stages based on the albergues in each town. Free and without signing up.
Common questions
About 25.8 km to the cathedral. It takes about 6 hours.
Follow the variant towards Castañares and the walk along the river Arlanzón, well marked with arrows.
Yes, on a guided tour booked in advance. Tours leave from the village of Atapuerca or from the Museum of Human Evolution in Burgos.