Santo Domingo de Silos walks

This very short round trip hike takes you through an extremely narrow gorge. A small stream has cut through the mountain at an impressive height (100 metres), carving out a very narrow passage: you have to bend down to get through in some places. You will see vultures on the cliffs and a metal sculpture of a vulture by the side of the path.

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.

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.

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.