El Camino del Cid: Tips and Itinerary

The Camino del Cid follows the places of the Cantar de mio Cid from Vivar del Cid (Burgos) to Orihuela (Alicante). We tell you about its five main walking sections, with their distances and stages, and how it crosses the Camino de Santiago.

You have surely heard of the Cantar de mio Cid and of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, the Cid Campeador, the eleventh-century Castilian knight whose adventures are told in this medieval epic poem. The Camino del Cid was born by following the places that appear in the Cantar: a cultural itinerary that crosses Spain from northwest to southeast and can be walked in stages, just like the Camino de Santiago routes.

The route starts in Vivar del Cid (Burgos), the birthplace of the Campeador, and ends in Orihuela (Alicante), the southern edge of the lands where the Cid held influence. Along the way it crosses eight provinces: Burgos, Soria, Guadalajara, Zaragoza, Teruel, Castellón, Valencia and Alicante.

What the Camino del Cid is

It is a tourist itinerary run by a public consortium made up of the provincial councils of those eight provinces. According to its official website, it adds up to about 1,400 km of trails and about 2,000 km of roads, divided into themed routes of between 50 and 300 km that link up one after another. The walking network is waymarked as the GR 160 trail.

You can do it on foot, by bike (mountain bike, gravel or road), by car or by motorbike. Besides the main routes, there are "branches", detours that lead to places linked to the history of the Cid, and "rings", circular routes that start and finish at the same point.

The five main walking sections

The backbone of the Camino del Cid is five routes that follow the order of the episodes in the Cantar. These are the distances and number of days the official website gives for walking them:

Section 1. The Exile

About 286 km in 15 stages, from Vivar del Cid to Atienza (Guadalajara). It recalls the exile that King Alfonso VI imposed on the Cid, who had to leave Castile with a handful of knights. It passes through Burgos, through the monastery of San Pedro de Cardeña, where the Cid left his wife and daughters before departing, and through towns such as Covarrubias, Santo Domingo de Silos, San Esteban de Gormaz and El Burgo de Osma.

This section also includes Castillejo de Robledo, where the Affront of Corpes is traditionally set, the episode in which the Cid's daughters are mistreated and abandoned by their husbands.

Section 2. Frontier Lands

About 282 km in 13 stages, from Atienza to Calatayud (Zaragoza). It follows the old frontier between the Christian and Muslim domains, with the fortress of Medinaceli as its great highlight. It passes through Sigüenza, the monastery of Santa María de Huerta and Ateca.

The Álvar Fáñez branch starts from this section, about 73 km in 3 stages, running from Villaseca de Henares to Guadalajara and following the raid of the Cid's lieutenant.

Section 3. The Three Taifas

About 308 km in 14 stages, from Calatayud to Cella (Teruel). It runs through the lands of the Muslim taifa kingdoms across the provinces of Zaragoza, Guadalajara and Teruel. It is the section of the great walled towns: Calatayud, Daroca, Molina de Aragón and Albarracín. It also passes through El Poyo del Cid, where the Cid turned a fortification into his base of operations.

According to the Cantar, in Cella the Cid gathered everyone who wanted to join him to conquer Valencia. Near this section is the Gallocanta ring, of 2 days, next to the lagoon of the same name.

Section 4. The Conquest of Valencia

About 248 km in 12 stages, from Cella to Valencia. It heads south through Teruel, Mora de Rubielos, Rubielos de Mora and Montanejos, and follows the Palancia valley to Sagunto and the coast. It is the road of his best-known feat: the capture of Valencia, which surrendered to the Cid in June 1094 after a long siege.

Section 5. The Defence of the South

About 248 km in 11 stages, from Valencia to Orihuela. The Cantar does not end with the conquest: Valencia and its surroundings remain the setting of battles to defend the city. The route passes through Alzira, Xàtiva, Ontinyent, Villena and Elche. The Cid died in Valencia in 1099, as lord of the city.

In the Valencia area there are also two other walking routes, the Olocau branch and the Taifa of Valencia ring. For bikes and vehicles, other rings are added, such as those of Montalbán, Morella and the Maestrazgo.

The salvoconducto, the Cid's pilgrim credential

Just as you carry the credential on the Camino de Santiago, on the Camino del Cid there is the salvoconducto (safe-conduct), a free document that gets stamped in the towns along the route. You can request it from the consortium or pick it up at the tourist offices of the Camino del Cid and in Vivar del Cid. If you collect four stamps from each of the eight provinces, you can apply for a free certificate.

The Camino del Cid and the Camino de Santiago

The two routes cross in Burgos, one stage from Vivar del Cid: there you can leave the Cid's waymarks behind and follow the yellow arrows of the French Way towards Santiago. According to legend, Rodrigo Díaz himself made the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.

If what you really fancy is the Camino de Santiago experience, you can also start closer to Santiago, for example with the Portuguese Way from Tui, one of the most popular choices for a first time.

Whichever route you choose, we organise your accommodation and luggage transfer so you only have to worry about walking. Calculate the price of your Camino de Santiago here.