Itinerary Expand all Fly to Madrid; transfer to Covarrubias. Fly to Madrid and transfer to Covarrubias (approx. 2½ hours transfer), a small village and municipality in the province of Burgos located approximately 200 km north of Madrid. Covarrubias is considered to be one of the most beautiful villages in Spain with its half-timbered houses and cobblestone squares. Meals included: Dinner Day 1 Start Covarrubias. Our trips starts in Covarrubias, a small village and municipality in the province of Burgos located approximately 200 km north of Madrid. Covarrubias is considered to be one of the most beautiful villages in Spain with its half-timbered houses and cobblestone squares. Meals included: Dinner Day 2 Circular walk in the Valles de Ura, home to numerous species of local flora and fauna. We set out from Covarrubias and walk by the Arlanza river to the village of Puentedura and then down into the gorge of Mataviejas. After lunch we climb out of the gorge and make our way to a hermitage, Ermita de Redonda, and then back to Covarrubias. Meals included: Breakfast Dinner Day 3 Walk the GR82 from Retuerta to Santo Domingo, stopping at an iconic filming location from "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly". We will be transferred to the village of Retuerta to start our day on the GR82 of Sierra de la Demanda, walking along easy tracks through crop fields and forests. Along the way we pass the 18th-century Tenadas del Valcárcel buildings and pass through the peaceful village of Contreras. Then, get ready for an unexpected sprinkle of Hollywood magic as we visit the site of the fictional cemetery from the famous Western "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly", where the final sequence of the film was shot. We continue walking towards Santo Domingo de Silos with time to visit the cloister museum (optional) before being collected by our private transport for the return journey to Covarrubias, with a short visit to La Yecla gorge on the way back. Meals included: Breakfast Dinner Day 4 Walk from San Juan de Ortega to Burgos on the world-renowned Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route. We will take a morning transfer to the traditional village of San Juan de Ortega, starting our walk at Stage 12 of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route. Taking countryside tracks, we will arrive at the village of Ages, where we will follow the camino along the road to the town of Atapuerca. From there, we rejoin tracks all the way to the village of Villafría on the outskirts of Burgos. From there, we will be collected by our private vehicle and transferred to the historical centre of Burgos, where there is free time to visit the city's magnificent cathedral (optional) or simply wander around the picturesque centre. Our private vehicle will transfer us back to Covarrubias in the early evening. Meals included: Breakfast Dinner Day 5 Walk through vineyards and beautiful valleys to 'The Three Villages', three remote and primitive settlements. We leave Covarrubias by the Arlanza river on the Camino del Cid and climb through vineyards on the way to the first village of Retuerta. We then leave this Camino and climb over the ridge, descending to the second village of Castroceniza. Lunch will be taken in this beautiful valley on the way to the third village of Ura. Another climb out of the valley takes us through forest and farmland to a highpoint overlooking Covarrubias, before descending back to the hotel. Meals included: Breakfast Dinner Day 6 Free day to relax or visit the cathedral city of Burgos and its many attractions. A suggested day is to take the 9:00 public bus to visit Burgos and see more of its many attractions. Return on the 13:00 bus to Covarrubias, where you could take a siesta or a short afternoon walk. Alternatively, you may like to take the public bus to Burgos' Museum of Human Evolution then take the museum bus to the archaeological site of Atapuerca (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) to see the oldest human fossils in western Europe. In the early evening, there is an optional visit to Silos for a vespers prayer service. Meals included: Breakfast Dinner Day 7 Walk along the crest of the Sierra de las Mamblas for stunning panoramic views. Another steady climb out of Covarrubias brings us through the dense forest to a limestone edge. After lunch, we ascend along the edge with wonderful views to the Sierra de la Demanda, before descending back to Covarrubias. An optional visit to a bodega (winery) is possible before dinner. Meals included: Breakfast Dinner To Madrid; fly to London. To Madrid; fly to London. Meals included: Breakfast Day 8 End Covarrubias. Out trip ends today in Covarrubias after breakfast. Meals included: Breakfast
Spain No visa required for British passport holders. For further Brexit travel advice please visit https://www.abta.com/tips-and-advice/brexit-advice-for-travellers
Hotel Rey Chindasvinto This is a centre-based tour, spending 7 nights in the 3-star family-run Hotel Rural Rey Chindasvinto based in the picturesque village of Covarrubias. The hotel is an elegant conversion of a traditional village house, set in a quiet square within the town walls. The hotel offers comfortable accommodation whilst retaining a mediaeval feel, with each of the rooms named after a local king or queen. Twin bedded and single rooms have a shower and WC, TV and telephone. Free Wi-Fi is also available in the hotel. The excellent dinners are accompanied by complimentary wine and include a good choice of regional and vegetarian dishes. There are a limited number of single rooms which can be requested at the time of booking. Single supplements are subject to availability.
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Reviewed May 2019 John Pritchard Trip: Secret Trails of Medieval Spain Deep Spain I've been on walking holidays in Spain before but I don't think I've ever felt the country's essence quite as much as I did here. The base is a wonderful medieval village full of half-timbered houses where even the tourists are mostly Spanish, and the local saint's day is celebrated with bonfires, barbecues and dancing in the streets. The walks mostly leave from the hotel, are well-paced and lead to spectacular views. The hotel overlooks a leafy square next to the church: the owners don't speak English but are very generous with food and drink and always ready to help. It all added up to an excellent holiday. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The walk to Santo Domingo de Silos takes you along a ridge overlooking the recently-restored Sad Hill Cemetery, scene of the final showdown from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Alexis our leader kindly let me take a detour to explore it, which was a wonderful experience, but you could also hike there on your free day, via Retuerta and Contreras. What did you think of your group leader? Alexis was a great leader: energetic, well-organised, good-humoured and knowledgeable. He made sure we were all looked after. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? I don't normally suffer from hay fever but found my eyes and nose streaming for the first few days of a week in May, so it may be worth bringing some anti-histamine tablets with you.
Reviewed October 2018 Susan Wroe Trip: Secret Trails of Medieval Spain Secret trails of Medieval Spain A very enjoyable trip because all the walks were excellent and because so much was arranged for us to do after the walks that informed us of the area we were in. I did not know rural Spain and this trip made me want to know more. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Our leader was a keen bird watcher. He took us to the head and top of a gorge where we could see griffon vultures feeding their young. What did you think of your group leader? Excellent. Well informed about the area and keen for everyone to have a good holiday. The walks were exceedingly well planned, timed perfectly, and we always walked through very interesting areas and had beautiful views. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? A good trip to go on. Is there anything else you would like to add? No
Reviewed October 2018 M B Trip: Secret Trails of Medieval Spain Quiet walks in Spanish countryside Gentle walks in extremely quiet Spanish countryside with fantastic views from some of the ridges. Mostly flat with occasional climbs that varied between long but gentle or a few minutes ascent and then flat again . What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Seeing some of the views from ridges, the flat countryside with no construction for miles ( as far as the eye could see) What did you think of your group leader? Xavier was very helpful and passionate about the birdlife. Always explained various species and also flora and fauna. Personally I like to be advised of distance completed / distance outstanding at breaks/lunch but when asked , Xavier always provided the information . Do you have any advice for potential travellers? If you choose not to have hotel packed lunch ( and many of us made that choice ) it can be a bit of an adventure finding which shop ( tiny supermarket , bakers ) is open before setting off for the walks daily at 09.45. The cafe/ baker in main square opposite Bar Tiki opens at 08.30 and has a range of empanadas , not obvious when peering through the window , in addition to sweet biscuits and cakes . Their hot chocolates were indulgingly rich and thick . Is there anything else you would like to add? Try to visit the College/seminary near to hotel ( opposite Princess Kristina statue) . Its compact but quite interesting and is comparable to the numerous individual chapels in Burgos cathedral.
Reviewed June 2018 Alexandra Owen Trip: Secret Trails of Medieval Spain A beautiful place full of little treasures A week of great walks, in a beautiful, and fabulously quiet place, what more could you want! Lets face it, it's always exciting, but also a little nerve wracking, setting off on a trip to meet a random group of people you've never met before, in a place you've never been. But this trip was absolutely lovely, a great group of ten people and an excellent tour leader. The walks were really beautiful (even the couple in the rain), and thanks to our very dedicated tour leader we had lots of additional activities and opportunities, allowing us all to get the most from our trip. The hotel was in one of the traditional buildings and the rooms were great and added to the atmosphere of staying in the beautiful village of Covarrubias. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Going to Vespers at Silos was very special and rather like being taken to another world. However both the history and nature of this area were both inspiring throughout the week. What did you think of your group leader? Our trip was lead by Xavier who was lovely and really dedicated to his role. He was always ahead of the game with information about the walks the evening before, and arranged lots of other optional visits to museums, hermitages and local tours. His genuine love for nature and the environment came across and added to the walks. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Just relax and enjoy!
Reviewed June 2018 Andrew Dann Trip: Secret Trails of Medieval Spain Relaxing walking holiday in scenic hilly countryside It is not a "thrills and excitement" sort of adventure holiday. Nor is it wildly exotic or spectacular. If you want to avoid tourism and spend some slow time walking and staying in scenic deepest Spain with a group of (probably) like-minded people, this may work well for you. Lots of small details to enjoy, rather than big wow factor stuff. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Slow time in the riverside village of Covarrubias - full of history and birdlife (but not nightlife). Burgos cathedral. The company of an interesting group of people. The gorge leading to Ora village. What did you think of your group leader? Xavier's knowledge and enthusiasm for birds was a great bonus. He is not fluent in English, but good enough to act as guide and to translate on excursions. All the walks and excursions were organised well and we rarely spent any time hanging around waiting for things to happen. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Buy provisions from the small shops in the village to make packed lunches. In May, the weather was colder than in London, so bring warm clothing. Is there anything else you would like to add? Don't expect to be walking romantic pilgrims' roads with historic gems at every corner. It's more nice country walks with the occasional dilapidated ancient village.
Reviewed May 2018 Anna Kulisa Trip: Secret Trails of Medieval Spain TSR Secret trails of medieval Spain This was a very pleasant trip and I thought the guide Xavier was nice but his English was very poor. You had to repeat a simple question several times and he could not engage at meal times etc. His lack of speaking English easily meant that the walks were not described well and we got a poor grasp of the area and it’s fascinating history. He has a brilliant knowledge of birds but this wasn’t a birding trip. Lovely food and v good breakfasts but too much of it- we hoped the hotel staff ate what was left. Excellent value - unlimited wine included. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The architecture and age of the ancient villages. Excellent trip for birds - especially eagles and vultures. What did you think of your group leader? See above. Local guides normally have excellent English. We had other guides for post walk tours whose English was excellent. Our guide was not all that fit and was trying hard to diet. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? €100 cash is the most you’ll need for the weeks spending . Unlimited wine is included - so very good value. Is there anything else you would like to add? The walks weren’t quite as interesting as I hoped. I expected tougher walks for a moderate grade. (3) I would rate it as easy compared to say Kinabalu (a 4) ) and Tour of Mont Blanca only a 4 and some Nepal treks which are a 4 - all of which I’ve done. I think this should be looked at . Difficult though to get a lot of variety as well with circular walks. There were tops we could have climbed within the grade I thought.
Reviewed May 2018 Rose Lennard Trip: Secret Trails of Medieval Spain Very enjoyable walking in interesting part of Spain Very enjoyable walking in beautiful and varied landscapes. The terrain was generally not very rugged or challenging, so the 10-12 mile hilly walks felt easily doable, but with a sense of achievement. The hotel was run by very helpful and friendly people, the town was full of historic interest and beautifully situated with a river running through. The hotel location was peaceful, away from traffic, and in good weather it was lovely sitting out on the square. There was a good mix of walking and visiting places of historic interest. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? As a keen naturalist, the bird life was a real bonus - hearing and seeing nightingales regularly, swifts, martins and swallows filling the skies above the town, huge flocks of griffon vultures, as well as many other less easily spotted species. We were a bit early for the wildflowers due to a late Spring, but still saw lots of lovely orchids. Also plenty of good photo opportunities in the landscape and villages. What did you think of your group leader? Xavier was very helpful, cheerful and friendly. His knowledge of local history was very good and he is an expert ornithologist with good local plant knowledge as well. At times there was a bit of a language barrier but we usually managed to understand each other! Do you have any advice for potential travellers? We found the weather surprisingly cold - there was snow on nearby mountains and the winds were really chilly - so travel with plenty of layers even in mid May! It wasn't an expensive holiday - nearly all meals provided and the opportunity to make your own picnics. The hotel catered pretty well for a non-meat eater who prefers to avoid wheat - if you eat fish and eggs you'll be OK, though complete veggies or vegans might not be so happy. Is there anything else you would like to add? A relaxing holiday with plenty of exercise and fresh air!
Reviewed May 2018 Paul Newell Trip: Secret Trails of Medieval Spain walking in rural reas of northern Spain The guide Xavier Martin was very knowledgeable both on the places visited and on the local birds. If he was leading a walk at the front he continually ensured that walkers at the rear were managing OK and came down a slope to check on me when I lost my footing and fell backwards onto a rock ( I was OK ! ). The hotel was excellent ; the staff could not do enough for us and the food provided was excellent with a varied choice of dishes. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Watching the eagles and vultures flying over the hills and admiring the views from the high points. What did you think of your group leader? Excellent ( see above ) Do you have any advice for potential travellers? If travelling at the beginning or end of the season to take some warm clothes in case the weather is inclement. Is there anything else you would like to add? The holiday gave a good impression of typical Spanish rural life, a world away from the Costas ! I would recommend this trip to any walkers who like to experience the traditional ways of life. in a pleasant climate.
Reviewed June 2017 Mike Bond Trip: Secret Trails of Medieval Spain secret Trails of Mediaeval Spain Good, varied, moderate grade walking in a very attractive area of rural Spain. An opportunity to see a wide variety of wild flowers and hear and see a very wide variety of birdlife and to walk in unspoilt countryside some of which appears to have changed little over the centuries. You will also stay in the charming village of Covarrubias which must be quite unique in preserving so many buildings from mediaeval times. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Varied walking through ancient woodland, alongside cultivated fields, along ridges and through unexpected gorges. Great views across the Sierra de las Mamblas. The hotel is very comfortable and it offers really tasy regional dishes every night for dinner; you will eat well. What did you think of your group leader? Xavier is a walking encyclopedia of birdsong and he was a great leader and host. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Take a range of clothing, but when we were there in June we had beautiful weather with temperatures ranging from 18C at night up to 36C during the day, but this was extremely unusual and temperatures will normally be ten degrees less than this. Walking poles are useful for the steeper sections of some of the walks.
Reviewed November 2016 James Elder Trip: Secret Trails of Medieval Spain TSR161015: Secret Trails of Medieval Spain The trip did not get off to a good start as contrary to the joining instructions, there was no one to meet us at Madrid airport. (Flights had been booked through Exodus). Eventually we had to telephone the Exodus office in the UK and the guide who had been waiting at a different terminal did meet us. Covarrubias is a pretty medieval town which was unfortunately mostly closed as the season appeared over. The hotel was pleasant, the staff very friendly and the evening meals very good. The packed lunches were at best average. The first two days walks were disappointing and returned early afternoon. The last three days walks were much better, covering a variety of terrain and offering lovely views. The guide was enthusiastic but it was the first time she had led this trip. The 2+ hour return trip by bus to the airport was not accompanied by an Exodus representative (or English and Spanish speaker) but fortunately no problems were encountered. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The last two walking days were good. What did you think of your group leader? She was enthusiastic and made an effort to find the answers to questions. She kindly organised a bus for us all to go to Burgos on our day off. As experienced walkers, she did not appear to us to be an experienced walking guide. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? At this time of year the town was very quiet with most things closed.
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