The Way of El Cid

El Camino del Cid

A journey into medieval and natural Spain

Cycle tourism Hiking

Cultural tourismGastronomic tourism

HistoryNature and landscapesPeaceful rural settings

Signposted trailsPersonalised products

Ongoing support

Camino del Cid ConsortiumC/ Madrid, 24

09002 Burgos - SPAINPhone: 00 34 947 256 240

Mail: gerencia@caminodelcid.orgWeb: www.caminodelcid.org

Get More information

The Way of El Cid (El Camino del Cid) is a tourist and cultural trail that crosses Spain from the North-west to the South-east, retracing the footsteps of the legendary Cid Campeador (‘the Champion’), a famous medieval knight who lived in Spain in the 11th century.

The Way starts in the city of Burgos in northern Spain, and ends in the region of Valencia, in the Mediterranean, taking us through lands of exceptional historic, cultural and natural wealth.

Due to its considerable length (almost 1,400 kilometres of paths and around 2,000 km of roadways), the Way is divided into stretches of no more than 300 km that can be combined to suit travellers’ needs.

What isthe Way of El Cid?

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Bilbao

Burgos

F R A N C E

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GuadalajaraMadrid

Soria

Zaragoza

Teruel

Barcelona

Castellón

PalmaValencia

Alicante

The Way of El Cid can be followed either by road or paths:

By roadThe majority are secondary roads and are clearly signposted. There is very little traffic and they are generally ideal for cycle tourism. Indeed, the Way of El Cid is attracting growing numbers of international cycle tourists.

By pathsSuitable for walkers and mountain bike users. They are signposted and partially certified as GR footpa-ths (GR 160) .

The degree of difficulty of each stretch of the way has been calcula-ted in accordance with Spanish IBP Index and MIDE criteria.

Howto follow

The Way of El Cid?

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Following this way is an immensely relaxing, gratifying and enriching experience. The stret-ches that make up the Way of El Cid take trave-llers through territories where they will have the chance to enjoy direct, first-hand contact with a vast natural and historical heritage.

The Way of El Cid includes trails that are ideal for cycle tourism and hiking, set against delightful countryside landscapes in total contact with nature.

Nature. The Way of El Cid goes through 70 natural spaces protected by the Natura 2000 Network. It boasts an endless diversity: plains and steppes of great ornithological interest, large juniper forests, mountain landscapes, river valleys, wetlands and eventually the warm beaches of the Mediterranean.

Artistic and historical heritage. Travellers following this Way will have the chance to see 6 medieval marvels, declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO; 39 towns and villages declared historic and artistic sites by the Spanish government, as well as over a hundred castles, towers and walls, and countless outstanding examples of Romanes-que, Gothic and Islamic art, etc.

A rural backdrop for guaranteed tranquillity. Although the Way of El Cid goes through cosmopo-litan cities such as Valencia, 90% of the towns and villages on the way have fewer than 5,000 inhabi-tants, and 40% fewer than 100.

Tourist infrastructures, gastronomy. There is a wide range of accommodation options at value for money prices. The way is also a magnificent showcase for Spain’s delicious and varied gastronomy.

Whychoose the Way

of El Cid?

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Photo: M

anuel Ricardo G

onzález

The Camino del Cid Consortium is a not-for-profit public institution set up for the creation of new infrastructures and the conservation of existing ones, as well as the active promotion of the Way of El Cid.

The Consortium deals with queries and requests from all interested parties: indivi-duals, professionals and businesses. All our services are free of charge:

We provide full details (currently only available in Spanish) of the various stretches of the Way: topo-guides, maps, tracks, general tourist information inclu-ding details of accommodation options and restaurants; the characteristics of each stage of the Way for hikers, moun-tain bikers, cycle tourists, etc.

We provide travel advice and help inclu-ding itineraries for groups as well as personalised options in accordance with

the travellers’ profiles, including age, preferences, hobbies, trip length and budget; we help to create bespoke products tailored to each customer.

We answer any queries from tourism companies interested in this Way or organising a trip.

More Information:the Camino del Cid Consortium

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El Destierro (The Exile)

Path: 275 km | road: 340 km.Provinces: Burgos, Soria, GuadalajaraThis route runs through medieval Castile. Steppes and mountain landscapes; natural, historical and medieval area of the River Duero. Juniper forests. Rural Romanes-que architecture. The Gothic Burgos Cathedral, Roma-nesque Cloister of Santo Domingo de Silos, the Islamic Gormaz Castle.

Tierras de Frontera (The Border Lands)

Path: 270 km | road: 270 km.Provinces: Guadalajara, Soria, ZaragozaThis stretch takes us through the border lands of the Middle Ages. Mountain ranges and moors. Castles. Picturesque towns and villages. Mudejar (Islamic) architecture declared a World Heritage Site.

Las Tres Taifas (The Three Petty Kingdoms)

Path: 290 | road: 300 kmProvinces: Zaragoza, Guadalajara, TeruelThis route travels through the ancient Muslim kingdoms of the 11th to 13th centuries. Wetlands, mixed forests and mountain ranges of immense environmental value. Mudejar architecture. Historic towns and villages with a medieval air such as Daroca, Molina de Aragón or Albarracín.

The Way of El Cid is essentially a series of inter-connected routes. Below you will find details of the

most characteristic of these routes.

The Waysof El Cid

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La Conquista de Valencia(The Conquest of Valencia)

Path: 250 km | road: 220 km.Provinces: Teruel, Castellón, Valencia.Mountain landscapes, wetlands and Medite-rranean beaches. Picturesque towns and villages. This route ends in the city of Valencia.

La Defensa del Sur(Defending the South)

Path: 230 | road: 250 km.Provinces: Valencia, Alicante.Mountain ranges of immense environmental wealth, flats and marshes, beaches, orchards and palm groves. A defensive line of 13th century Islamic castles. The city of Valencia. Picturesque towns such as Xàtiva or Elche.

Road cycle tourism onlyThe routes below follow secondary roads and are suitable for road cycle tourism only:El Anillo de Montalbán(Montalbán Circular Route)160 km. Province: Teruel. Vast open spaces. Unspoilt nature. Small towns and villages. Castles.El Anillo del Maestrazgo(Maestrazgo Circular Route)200 km. For experienced cycle tourists. Steep climbs. Mountain landscapes. Narrow valleys. Picturesque towns and villages of outstanding beauty. Examples of stone constructions. Cave art.El Anillo de Morella(Morella Circular Route)100 km. For experienced cycle tourists. Steep climbs. Mountain landscapes. Narrow valleys. Picturesque towns and villages of outstanding beauty such as Morella.

The Waysof El Cid

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Photo: G

abriel Garcia Villam

il

Our offices:

Consorcio Camino del Cid

C/ Madrid 24

09002 Burgos - SPAIN

Phone: 00 34 947 256 240

Mail: gerencia@caminodelcid.org

Web: www.caminodelcid.org

The way of el Cid - Camino del CidSpain as you never imagined it