Spain has a glorious history that every hiking enthusiast has the opportunity to discover. Beyond the Camino de Santiago, there are others incredible routes, which will help you remember the legends of our land and heroes like El Cid.
The Path of Cid This is a tourist and cultural route that crosses Spain from northeast to southeast and follows the historical and literary footsteps of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar. Discover the most important things on a route 2,000 kilometers and can be covered by car, on foot or by bicycle.
The itinerary that retraces the life of El Cid Campeador
The main travel guide for this route is the Sing of mine Cidthe great medieval Hispanic epic poem that tells the adventures of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, written in the late 12th or early 13th century.
The places, landscapes and castles that appear form the backbone of this itinerary. He also visits some places that do not appear, but are linked to the historical character of El Cid..
Overall, it is a mainly rural route and where you will be in direct contact with the land. It is made up of 1,400 kilometers of trails and 2,000 kilometers of roads.. For this reason, it is divided into stages ranging from 50 to 300 kilometers.
How to do the Camino del Cid?
Doing all the stages in one trip can take up to 90 days, so Most adventurers present it as a long-term personal challengeFor example, if you have 15 days of vacation, you can take advantage of them to complete one of the stages.
To certify that you have completed steps, There is a safe conduct in which your adventure will be sealed. It is a nice souvenir and the seal of each place is personalized. In addition, it allows you to obtain special discounts in more than 200 accommodations.
To not miss any sealing point or place of interest, El Camino del Cid has its own app available for iOS and Android. All routes and over 4,500 points of interest are included.
The journey through the life of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar
The Way of El Cid is divided into several stages, as recounted in the epic poem. Among the main stages are:
- Exile: begins in Vivar del Cid (Burgos), birthplace of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, and continues its path to Atienza (Guadalajara), passing through important enclaves such as Burgos, Santo Domingo de Silos and Covarrubias. This section reflects the beginning of the exile of El Cid, when he was exiled by King Alfonso VI.
- Borderlands: from Atienza, the route continues towards Medinaceli and continues towards the border territories between the Christian and Muslim kingdoms. This stage is distinguished by the diversity of landscapes and the historical richness of its villages, such as Sigüenza and Molina de Aragón.
- The three Taifas: from the province of Guadalajara to Teruel, passing through Zaragoza and Daroca. It is a stage that crosses the lands of the ancient Muslim taifas, where El Cid led numerous campaigns.
- The conquest of Valencia: one of the most emblematic stages, which follows the steps of the knight from Cella (Teruel) to Valencia, the city he conquered and where he established his lordship. Along this route, travelers can discover places such as Albarracín, Sagunto and finally Valencia, where the legacy of El Cid lives on.
- The Defense of the South: This stage enters the lands south of Valencia, in the region of Murcia, and passes through places linked to the defense of the lands conquered by El Cid. It is a section that offers a mixture of history, nature and the possibility of discovering lesser-known but charming towns.
