Camino de Invierno
26.3 km, 372 m up and 409 m down, through 7 places, 4 of which have somewhere to sleep. Where you stop is up to you.
Every place on the path in order, with the distance from Villafranca Montes de Oca. Most are too small to sleep in — a fountain, a chapel, a bar that may or may not be open — but they are what the day is actually made of.
The climb out of Villafranca into the Montes de Oca is the first real forest walking since the Pyrenees. Turn right uphill toward the church to follow the camino — don't continue along the main road.
The path gains elevation steadily through oak, pine, and beech woodland. The beginning is steep and should be taken at a measured pace. You'll cross a small ravine at the Carratón river with two steep ramps before continuing through forest.
At the Alto de la Pedraja, there are picnic tables for a rest. En route to the alto you'll pass a monument dedicated to men from Burgos whose bodies were dumped here after execution during the Civil War — a sobering reminder amid the forest quiet.
The path intersects with several ATV trails on the descent. It's well-marked but requires attention at junctions. The dense scrubland was notorious bandit territory in the medieval period, and the pilgrim guides of the era warned walkers accordingly.
San Juan de Ortega lies at the bottom of the descent. There are no shops, but two bars serve food.
From Villafranca there are 12 km of camino without a water supply. There is a source called Mojapán along the route, but its reliability varies. Fill your bottles here and carry enough for the full stretch to San Juan de Ortega.
The descent from the alto continues through forest toward San Juan de Ortega. The path intersects with ATV trails at several points — follow the yellow arrows carefully. Like the river valleys of Navarra, this dense woodland was once a favorite haunt of bandits preying on pilgrims.
From San Juan de Ortega, the camino continues through forest before emerging at Agés (about 4 km), a small village with albergues and restaurants. Just outside Agés, look for one of San Juan de Ortega's smaller engineering works — a single-span bridge over the diminutive río Vena, likely hidden by tall grass.
From Agés it's another 3 km to Atapuerca, with the terrain gradually opening up as you leave the forest behind.
Ignore the information board when leaving San Juan de Ortega — it's incorrect and may direct you toward the wrong road. Continue straight on the camino that heads back into the forest toward Agés.
Just outside Agés on the left, likely obscured by tall grass, sits a small single-span bridge over the Río Vena — one of San Juan de Ortega's lesser-known engineering works. It takes only one arch to cross the diminutive river.
From Atapuerca, the camino climbs into the Sierra de Atapuerca — in reality a modest hill, gaining no more than about 100 m. The views from the top look back toward the Montes de Oca and ahead toward the plains around Burgos. The descent leads to Cardeñuela Riopico and Orbaneja Riopico, neither of which is remarkable, but after Orbaneja you'll face the decision of how to enter Burgos: the river route through Castañares (more pleasant, along the Arlanzón) or the road route through Villafría (longer, industrial). The river route is the strong favorite.
The Sierra de Atapuerca is a modest ridge — the climb from the village gains about 100 m and the views from the top stretch across the meseta toward Burgos. On a clear day the spires of the cathedral are visible in the d…
A tiny hamlet on the road between the Sierra de Atapuerca and Cardeñuela Riopico. No services. The landscape here is open farmland, and Burgos is beginning to make its presence felt on the horizon.
A small village along the Río Pico with a bar and basic facilities. The Iglesia de Santa Eulalia has some Romanesque elements. It's a functional stop rather than a destination — most pilgrims are focused on reaching Burg…
Neither Cardeñuela nor Orbaneja Riopico is remarkable for much beyond their position on the approach to Burgos. Pay attention when leaving Orbaneja — shortly outside town you'll face your first decision about how to ente…
Distance, climb and descent are measured along the GPS track for this camino — 265 recorded points across this span, the same track the app carries. The town-to-town figures in my data put it at 26.3 km.
Esta entidad ha sido beneficiaria de una ayuda del Programa de incentivos a la movilidad eficiente y sostenible (MOVES III), gestionado por la Xunta de Galicia a través del Instituto Enerxético de Galicia (INEGA) en el marco del Real Decreto 266/2021, y cofinanciada por la Unión Europea — NextGenerationEU, dentro del Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia.