Burgos – Cathedrals, Countryside And Cycling

Day 25 – A Dash of City, A River of Peace

Wednesday 28 October 2026

Riaza, Segovia to Burgos, Castilla y León, Spain

Before hitting the road this morning, we decided to get out for a walk around Riaza. It was a lovely opportunity to see the town coming to life, something we often miss when we’re busy getting ready for the day’s activities and waiting for the temperature to improve.

There were dog walkers, friends stopping for a chat and people simply going about their daily lives.

We wandered through the streets, discovering that Riaza was much bigger than we’d expected. There were some stunning houses, particularly on the outskirts, but also quite a few in various stages of disrepair.

Finding ourselves back in the main square, a spot of breakfast seemed in order. Nothing fancy, just toast with olive oil and tomato paste, but surprisingly tasty.

Then it was back to Matilda and on the road to Burgos, our next stopover.

It was an easy journey, and we arrived at a good campsite with spacious pitches, not far from the city. It’s quite a busy site, with plenty of British and Dutch motorhomes, probably because it’s so handy for Santander.

With the sunshine too good to waste, it wasn’t long before I’d planned myself a cycling route. Solo today, heading out into the countryside.

What fabulous cycle paths! Smooth, wide and most are divided into three lanes, two for cyclists and one for walkers. The route climbed steadily up into the hills, following a relatively quiet main road, with wide-open views across the plains and mountains in the distance.

Eventually, I passed through a modern village, where I came across something I’d never seen before — speed bumps on the cycle paths! That’s a new one for me.

After a mainly straight ride out, the return journey was glorious. Still on dedicated cycle paths, but now meandering their way downhill towards the city, with plenty of lovely little twists and turns.

A short stretch through Burgos brought me to the river, and the final ride through the park was the icing on the cake.

There were lots of people enjoying the sunshine, and a large weir with birds gathered around it. So peaceful, despite being so close to the city.

It wasn’t a particularly long ride, but I thoroughly enjoyed every minute.

A lovely morning exploring Riaza, an easy journey to Burgos and a cracking afternoon on the bike. What more could I ask for?

Day 26 – A Bit Of This, That And The Other

Thursday 29 October 2026

Burgos, Castilla y León, Spain

Today’s plan was to cycle into Burgos, do a little sightseeing and then pick up yesterday’s cycling route, but in reverse.

Our main reason for visiting the city was to see its famous cathedral, which we’d heard was a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We found our way into the historic centre quite easily, and there it was, dominating the square with its magnificent towers and intricate stonework.

And goodness me, what a cathedral it is!

There was so much to see that it was difficult to know where to look first. Intricate carvings covered the walls and ceilings, while enormous gilded altarpieces were filled with sculptures and scenes, each one more elaborate than the last.

There were hundreds of figures, all with their own individual faces and expressions. Then there were the chapels, tucked away behind decorative iron gates, each one lavishly decorated with beautiful artwork, carvings and gold.

It’s almost impossible to describe the sheer amount of detail.

We thoroughly enjoyed wandering around, trying to take it all in. I kept thinking about the craftspeople who had created these masterpieces, the hours of painstaking work involved and the extraordinary heights they must have worked at. It really was mind-blowing.

But I also couldn’t help thinking about the sheer cost of it all. So much gold, wealth and labour poured into these enormous buildings, while ordinary people were struggling to survive. It does make you wonder what it was all for. Magnificent though it is, the extravagance is quite extraordinary.

After our visit, we both agreed we’d seen what we’d come to Burgos to see. The city certainly has plenty more to offer, but we were quite happy to leave the rest for another time.

We made our way back towards the bikes, stopping for a well-earned coffee and snack in the sunshine.

We had some entertainment while we sat there, watching the gardeners pruning the plane trees. They were high up in cherry pickers, working their way through the branches. Judging by the number of trees, it looked as though they had quite a job ahead of them!

Leaving the city behind, we weaved our way back onto the cycle route, and almost immediately everything felt wonderfully peaceful again. As much as I’d enjoyed the cathedral, give me a quiet cycle path, open countryside and a few birds to watch, and I’m in my element.

Today’s climb was gentler than yesterday’s, and travelling the route in reverse gave us a completely different perspective on the landscape.

We spotted a small bird of prey, possibly a merlin, flying low and straight across a field. Its wings were beating rapidly before it retreated to a tall tree. I’m not certain what it was, but it was fascinating to watch.

The red kites were out again too, some flying low enough for us to appreciate their incredible colours. Their reddish-brown feathers looked magnificent in the light.

Eventually, we reached the wind turbines, and after all that climbing, it was time to enjoy our reward — a lovely long, fast downhill stretch. Flying downhill has to be one of the greatest pleasures of cycling. All that effort going up, then the sheer enjoyment of picking up speed and sweeping down towards the park. Wonderful!

Unknown to me, we’d actually sailed straight past the campsite!

Thankfully, we stopped to admire some beautiful white geese on the weir. It was only then that I realised we’d overshot our turning. Lucky we stopped, or we might have ended up all the way back in Burgos!

A bit of this, that and the other. A magnificent cathedral, a lovely countryside ride and a few unexpected moments along the way. Just my sort of day.

Day 27 – Hills, Tapas And A Few Beers

Friday 30 October 2026

Burgos, Castilla y León, Spain

Our cycling plans didn’t quite work out as intended today. After a fair bit of head-scratching over the route, we eventually set off, although where we ended up wasn’t entirely what we’d planned! Never mind, it all worked out well in the end.

Once out into the countryside, we enjoyed some fabulous cycling through the villages around Burgos, including Cardeñajimeno, Carcedo de Burgos and Quinta de Cardeña.

There were some awesome hills, both up and down. The climbs got the legs working, but the descents were great fun. Nothing quite beats flying downhill on a bike!

The trees are really starting to shed their leaves now, a noticeable change from earlier in our trip. With the sunshine still with us, the views across the countryside were fabulous.

We were definitely playing trippers today, taking our time and enjoying a few stops along the way. After six miles, we found somewhere for coffee and tapas, then another ten miles down the road we stopped for a beer each. By the time we’d completed our 25-mile ride, a post-ride beer seemed only right!

I’m really getting used to the Spanish tapas. A little something to eat with a drink suits me perfectly, and it’s a habit I could quite happily bring home.

We’re certainly getting the hang of this Spanish lifestyle. Good cycling, lovely countryside and plenty of opportunities to stop and enjoy ourselves. What more could we ask for?