Within the province of Burgos there’s a municipality called Atapuerca waiting to be discovered that forms part of the region Alfoz de Burgos. It’s without a doubt one of the most visited destinations because of its ancient settlements.
This town is only 20 minutes from Burgos and is part of the Camino de Santiago, counting on not only a patrimony that’s worth getting to know but also a proud natural atmosphere to be admired.
In terms of the population, it has almost 200 habitants, having increased in the last few years thanks to a development in the tourism and service sectors.
If there’s a tourist lure we must talk about, it’s the Atapuerca Mountain range where lie some famous settlements that hold the oldest remains in the whole peninsula.
If we take a walk through history, we can make the following summary about these settlements that started to be explored in the 19th century although the cave was known years before. The works began in what is nowadays known as the Sima de los Huesos, where part of the skull of a man named Miguelón was found, which is what the archaeologists that were there doing their work named him.
Within all of the Sierra de Atapuerca they have carried out different works focusing a lot on the remains from ancient periods. Why is the cave of Atapuerca so famous? The reason why it’s so famous is because they have found different remains of up to five hominids from prehistoric times that are considered to be the oldest ever.
If you would like to enjoy these finds first hand, you should know there are several guided tours you can participate in, not only through the settlements but also through the museum. We recommend you doublecheck the timetables and pricing before going as they can vary from season to season. Each place takes a while to see lasting more than an hour.
But the map never fails to impress, and the complex is comprised of a few interesting galleries like the Galería del Sílex from the Bronze Age in where some 4,000-year-old cave paintings have been found.
However, going back to the town, there is a lot of patrimony and interesting things to be enjoyed. Are you aware of what took place here? In 1054 the battle of Atapuerca took place very near the mountain range where the two kings of León and Pamplona fought who were brothers.
Take a walk through the city centre and enjoy the tranquillity while you travel through the oldest time periods of history. You can even do so while relaxing in a holiday cottage in Atapuerca, a hotel or one of the nearby towns like Ibeas and Juarros. One thing that’s sure is you’ll find the best of the best charming rural houses in the whole of Burgos.
