Barrios de Colina walks

Fifty-sixth stage of the Camino de Santiago. This stage towards Burgos passes through Atapuerca and takes you over the day’s only small hill through a rural area. There is an alternative route at the entrance to Burgos to avoid the tarmac after Orbaneja Riopico. This alternative, well signposted from Castañares, is more pleasant. It avoids the tarmac as much as possible and is shaded all the way along the river.

Fifty-fifth stage of the Camino de Santiago. This stage towards Burgos takes you through several villages along a path that climbs imperceptibly, leading you first towards the Montes de Oca through wooded landscapes, and finally to the convent of San Juan de Ortega, a convent perched in the mountains, which appears like an oasis (remember to stock up on supplies before setting off).

Fifty-seventh stage of the Camino de Santiago. After an urban interlude in Burgos, this stage takes you into the heart of the scorching landscapes of Castile. After Rabé de las Calzadas , you step straight onto a desert-like high plateau, dotted with villages nestled amidst the fields. Here, it is a desert of ploughed fields along a path that is often flat and straight, exposed to the wind or the beating sun! Protect yourself before you turn into a lobster.

The sheer number of things to do in Burgos is impressive: religious and secular monuments, parks, museums, fountains, statues and so on. Among the places to visit, perhaps the most important is the Cathedral of Santa María, a Gothic-style Catholic church converted into a museum. Inside, it houses numerous chapels, each of which is a small museum in its own right. Not far from the altar, on the floor, lies the tombstone of El Cid and Chimène. Also not to be missed are the Monastery of Santa María la Real de Las Huelgas, Burgos Castle, the historic centre, the Miraflores Charterhouse, and so on. I spent a day visiting Burgos, at the end of the fifty-sixth stage of my Camino de Santiago.

A short circular route, best done in summer or autumn to avoid the skiers. The road up from the village of Valdezcaray is pleasant enough and well-maintained for the skiing activity in the winter months.