San Olav
17.8 km, 137 m up and 59 m down, through 3 places. Where you stop is up to you.
Every place on the path in order, with the distance from Burgos. 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 way out of Burgos is waymarked along the Calle del Carmen: take right after the bridge and follow Calle del Carmen to the left; but I followed the Calle Madrid, which is simpler: When you have crossed the bridge, the Calle Madrid is straight ahead.
The Burgos bus station is in the building to the left. Follow the Calle Madrid straight on. This guide describes the route via Calle Madrid.
When you arrive at a large roundabout, take the right hand street, to the right of the the red building. After a short walk you will pass a small park to your left. Just go straight on. Soon you will find the first waymarker of San Olav. From this point, the way is well marked to Los Ausines (see details later). As you walk on out of Burgos, you will have a trafficked road out to your left (the BU-800). After a few 100 m. you will find the first marker of San Olav.
After the exit from Burgos, this is an easy walk on a plain stretch. Shortly after the namesign of Cardenadijo, you come to a small crossing. If you want a rest, take to the left and then take the first street to right to get to the only bar/cantina.
A simple walk through an open landscape. A 500m. dark tunnel may seem a bit frightening, but it is easy and safe walking. So far, the San Olav shares the path with the Vias Verdes, but at Modubar de Emparedada they separate. Pay close attention to the sign at the crossing: San Olav is down to the right.
After 100m. there is a working fountain for filling up your water.
Pay attention: As you enter town along the via verde, the camino leaves the path for the road. Almost immediately it turns right (see image), and here the signs are difficult to notice. If you miss it and have gone too far down the road, follow the road directions below.
Road Directions: Just follow the asphalt road. There are some ups and downs, but nothing difficult. 2 kms after Emparedada you come to an unmarked T crossing. Turn right. After 300 more m. another crossing, marked Modubar de la Cuesta/Los Ausines. Follow the sign and turn right. You are still on asphalt, but the traffic is insignificant. After a while you arrive at a church shorthly after the top. Leave the road and pass the church, walking down to the village. At the bottom, you will find a friendly bar with real beer from the tap, and food.
From the bar, you find the gravel road of the San Olav that leads straight to Modubar de San Cibrian, your stay for the first leg of your Camino San Olav. Just go out from the bar and turn left. This is an easy path. Shortly beyond Modubar de la Cuesta, you come to a crossing. Turn right.
From here, the road is well marked all the way to Covarubbias, with a few exeptions described in this guide.
On your way just out of San Cibrian there is a small sign that is easy to overlook, especially in the dark. Turn right. The same after ca. 1 km. more. So far, the way is wellmarked. Right before Los Ausines you pass a chapel, then it is down to Los Ausines. Upon arrival here, there are no markers. I have spoken about this to the Tourist Office in Covarrubias, who said they would notify the proper authorities to get it fixed. In Los Ausines, there is a non-functional fountain. And nothing more.
DO NOT follow the road out of town, it is signed as the Camino del Cid. At the sign shown in the image turn left, and keep an eye open for a right hand turn to parallel the road.
Distance, climb and descent are measured along the GPS track for this camino — 216 recorded points across this span, the same track the app carries. The town-to-town figures in my data put it at 17.9 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.