The complete route consists of six sections. You can cover all of it or choose the stages that interest you most.
It’s perfect to explore by car, and each of the destinations along the route is well worth a visit. All of them share a common past and a closely intertwined history, as can be seen in their streets, full of palaces, temples, convents and castles from the Middle Ages. But each town has its own personality and offers its own attractions. You'll notice this as soon as the journey starts.
You can get under way in the Basque Country, in Hondarribia (Guipúzcoa), right on the Basque Coast. Amongst other things, you will love its maritime atmosphere, its nearby beaches and its internationally-renowned gastronomy. In the same Region, now inland in the province of Álava, you will find Laguardia. Make a stop to stroll around its old town and sample the local wine with the internationally prestigious Rioja Alavesa, included in the Controlled Designation of Origin.Just 60 kilometres away, another essential stop is in Estella o Lizarra. At this town in Navarre you will probably come across pilgrims, alone or in groups, with rucksacks on their backs. Don't be surprised. The Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route runs through here. It is the first European cultural route and also has the UNESCO World Heritage designation.
The route now enters Castilian lands. First to Almazán, in the province of Soria, in Castile and Leon, with the Duero River and its huge farmlands. One of the most outstanding features of this town is the medieval wall that surrounds the old quarter, built between the 12th and 13th centuries. The route continues on into the region of Castile-La Mancha. In Sigüenza (Guadalajara), you can discover what life was like for medieval knights. Almost one thousand years ago, El Cid Campeador, a legendary hero of Spanish history, passed through this town.
The route ends in Extremadura, in the municipality of Valencia de Alcántara (Cáceres), a few kilometres from the border with Portugal. Explore its Gothic-Jewish quarter, one of the most attractive and best-preserved in the country, and discover its dolmens, which form one of the most remarkable megalithic complexes in Europe. Moreover, its countryside is considered one of the region's most important natural green spaces. Less than 100 kilometres from this town, you can connect with another highly recommended route, the Vía de la Plata, which runs across Spain from south to north.There's loads to see, don't you think? Enjoy this cultural adventure in Spain. In each of these towns and cities you will take an exciting trip back to the Middle Ages, learning about their history and traditions, and admiring the countryside that surrounds them. And if you don’t get the chance to visit all of them, don’t worry, there’s always next time.
