El Cid Campeador itinerary

Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, El Cid Campeador, is the national hero of medieval Spain: an 11th-century Castilian knight who, exiled by his king, fought for Christian and Muslim princes, won legendary battles and ended up conquering Valencia, where he ruled until his death. His story, turned into an epic in the Poem of the Cid, the first great work of Spanish literature, has inspired centuries of novels, plays and a famous film starring Charlton Heston. But behind the legend lies a fascinating historical figure, a frontiersman between two worlds, whom the Muslims called sidi, "lord".

This seven-day itinerary follows the Camino del Cid, the road of his exile: from Burgos, where he rests in the cathedral, and his home village of Vivar, through the Romanesque monasteries of Cardeña and Silos, the Duero castles such as Gormaz, the frontier towns of Medinaceli and Molina de Aragón, to the red towns of Albarracín and Teruel and the sea at Valencia. It is a journey through Spain's deep, little-known interior, a land of clifftop castles and near-empty villages.

The Cid between history and legend

Rodrigo was born around 1043 in Vivar, near Burgos, into a family of minor nobility. Raised at the court of King Sancho II of Castile, he became commander of his army. When Sancho died he served his brother Alfonso VI, but in 1081 he fell from favour and was exiled. He then entered the service of the Muslim king of Zaragoza, fighting both Christians and Muslims, and became the most famous commander of his age. In 1094 he conquered Valencia, which he ruled as an independent lord until his death in 1099. His wife Jimena defended the city for three years, then abandoned it, taking her husband's body to Cardeña. The Poem of the Cid, written about a century later, made him the loyal, brave hero everyone knows. See the legend of El Cid and the Reconquista.

Day 1: Burgos

The train takes you from Madrid to Burgos in about an hour and a half. Enter the city through the Arco de Santa María, the great monumental gate on the Arlanzón river, and go to the cathedral, a masterpiece of European Gothic and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, begun in 1221. Beneath the crossing, a simple marble slab marks the tomb of the Cid and Jimena. In the cathedral look for the Cid's chest, hanging on a wall, which legend says he filled with sand to trick two moneylenders, and the Papamoscas, an automaton that opens its mouth as the hours strike. Then walk to the equestrian statue of the Cid, cloak flying and sword raised, and the Solar del Cid, where tradition places his house. See Burgos.

Where to stay: in Burgos, for two nights.

Day 2: Vivar and San Pedro de Cardeña

Pick up the car and drive to Vivar del Cid (a quarter of an hour), the village where Rodrigo was born, with a monument, a small centre devoted to the Poem and the mill that tradition links to his family. Then go to the monastery of San Pedro de Cardeña (half an hour), where the Poem says the Cid left his wife and daughters when he set out into exile, and where he and Jimena were buried for centuries. The monastery, now home to Trappist monks who make wine, keeps the chapel of the tombs, and in front of the door a stone marks the spot where, according to legend, Babieca, his horse, was buried.

In the afternoon return to Burgos to visit the monastery of Las Huelgas, where the kings of Castile were crowned, and the Cartuja de Miraflores. In the evening try morcilla de Burgos, black pudding with rice, and roast lamb. See eating in Burgos.

Day 3: Covarrubias, Silos and the Duero

Head south-east to Covarrubias (about three quarters of an hour), a village of half-timbered houses linked to Count Fernán González, the founder of Castile, with its medieval keep. Then on to Santo Domingo de Silos (half an hour), whose Benedictine monastery has one of the finest Romanesque cloisters in the world, on two levels, with capitals carved with fantastic beasts and biblical scenes. The monks of Silos became famous in the 1990s for an album of Gregorian chant that sold millions of copies, and you can hear them at vespers. A few minutes away you can walk the Yecla gorge on walkways suspended between rock walls.

In the afternoon drive down to the Duero at San Esteban de Gormaz (about an hour and a quarter), with two Romanesque churches with porticoes. The Poem mentions many places along this river, which was for centuries the frontier between Christians and Muslims. See Romanesque Spain.

Where to stay: in San Esteban de Gormaz or El Burgo de Osma.

Day 4: Gormaz, Medinaceli and Molina de Aragón

In the morning climb to Gormaz castle (a quarter of an hour), a fortress built by the Caliphate of Córdoba in the 10th century, over four hundred metres long with 28 towers: the largest caliphal fortress in Europe, and the Cid was once its lord. From the walls you can see the whole Duero valley. Then drive to Medinaceli (about an hour), the town on the plateau through which, according to the Poem, the Cid passed in exile, with its triple-arched Roman arch and arcaded square. See Soria.

In the afternoon continue south-east to Molina de Aragón (about an hour and a quarter), dominated by a huge red-stone castle with walls and the Tower of Aragón: in the Poem the Muslim lord of Molina, Abengalbón, is a loyal friend of the Cid. The castle is one of the largest and least known in Spain.

Where to stay: in Molina de Aragón.

Day 5: Albarracín

Cross the sierra to Albarracín (about an hour and a half), considered one of the most beautiful villages in Spain: a town of pinkish-red houses above a meander of the Guadalaviar river, encircled by medieval walls that climb the mountain. In the 11th century it was the capital of a small Muslim kingdom with ties to the Cid. Wander the lanes among houses with wooden balconies and wrought-iron windows, climb the walls and visit the cathedral. Nearby, in the Rodeno pine forest, there are UNESCO-listed prehistoric rock paintings. See Aragon.

Where to stay: in Albarracín.

Day 6: Teruel

In Teruel (about three quarters of an hour) visit the Mudéjar towers of San Martín, El Salvador and the cathedral, decorated with brick and green and white ceramics and listed by UNESCO, and the painted ceiling of the cathedral, one of the great works of medieval Spanish art. In the Mausoleum of the Lovers lie Isabel and Diego, the protagonists of a 13th-century legend: he left to make his fortune and returned a day too late, when she was already married; he died of grief, and she died kissing him at his funeral. Their alabaster statues almost touch hands. See Teruel.

In the afternoon drive down to the sea at Valencia (about two hours).

Where to stay: in Valencia.

Day 7: Valencia

The Cid conquered Valencia in 1094 after a long siege and ruled it for five years. Little remains of the city of his day, but in the historic centre you can visit the cathedral, with the Holy Grail, the Micalet bell tower, the Lonja de la Seda, the UNESCO-listed silk exchange, and the Mercado Central. In the gardens near Plaza de España stands an equestrian statue of the Cid. In the afternoon walk through the Turia gardens to the City of Arts and Sciences, and in the evening eat a real paella valenciana, with chicken, rabbit and beans. See Valencia.

How much it costs

To save money: inland Spain, in Soria, Guadalajara and Teruel, is among the cheapest parts of the country, with excellent menús del día for €12-15; Gormaz castle is always open and free.

Practical information

• The Camino del Cid: an official tourist route of about 1,400 kilometres, with a "safe-conduct" to have stamped in the villages; it can also be done by bike.
• Opening hours: in many villages monuments close in the middle of the day and on Mondays; the Silos cloister has reduced hours on Sunday mornings.
• Climate: Soria and Teruel are among the coldest parts of Spain; bring a sweater for the evenings even in summer.
• Car: one-way drop-off in Valencia carries a fee; compare prices before booking.
• Documents: EU citizens only need a valid identity card. See getting around Spain.

Variations

• Zaragoza: the Aljafería palace, residence of the Muslim kings for whom the Cid fought; see Zaragoza.
• Atienza and Sigüenza: the clifftop castle described in the Poem and the town of the Doncel; see the castles of Castile itinerary.
• Peñíscola: the seaside castle of the antipope Benedict XIII, north of Valencia; see Peñíscola.

What to read before you go

The Poem of the Cid itself, ideally in a bilingual edition; for history, a good biography of El Cid; and for the myth, Corneille's play Le Cid. See also Spanish literature and the Spanish classics.

Final tips

• Pace: the Spain of the Cid is a land of distances and silences; give yourself time to stop in the villages along the way.
• Combinations: from Burgos you can link up with the Rioja itinerary; from Medinaceli with the castles of Castile itinerary.
• A tip: reach Gormaz at sunset, when the light sets the castle's stones aglow and the Duero valley spreads out below you as the sentries saw it a thousand years ago.

See also our other itineraries in Spain.

Burgos on the map

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