# Atapuerca

How to visit the Atapuerca sites with the official booking, the Museo de la Evolución Humana in Burgos and the CAREX: hours, prices and how to get there.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/atapuerca · Revisado: 2026-11-12

The Sierra de Atapuerca is a limestone hill 15 km east of Burgos. At the end of the 19th century, a mining company cut a trench for a railway and exposed caves filled with sediment and bones. What has come out of them has changed the history of human evolution in Europe: the remains of Homo antecessor in the Gran Dolina and levels more than a million years old in the Sima del Elefante. It has been a World Heritage Site since 2000. Visiting it means three things: the Trench with a guide, the Museo de la Evolución Humana in Burgos and, if you come with children, the CAREX in the village of Atapuerca.

## How do you visit the sites?

Only with the official booking and on a compulsory guided itinerary. You cannot drive your own car up to the Trench: you leave the car at the CAYAC, the access centre at Ibeas de Juarros, or at the CAREX, in Atapuerca, and the visit sets out from there, lasting between an hour and a half and an hour and three quarters. You book by phone, on 947 421 000, or by email, at reservas@museoevolucionhumana.com; there are no online sales for the sites and the CAREX. Admission costs €8, reduced €7, and is free for under-8s and for everyone on Wednesdays, always with a booking.

Departures change by season. In November and December, except Christmas, there are visits from the CAYAC Tuesday to Friday at 10:00 and 11:00, and on Saturday and Sunday at 10:00, 11:00, 12:00 and 13:00. From April to June and in October, Saturday adds afternoon departures; in July and August there are afternoon departures Tuesday to Saturday. In January there are no visits. On Monday there are none.

## What do you see in the Trench?

A deep cut in the rock with the caves exposed. The Sima del Elefante, the oldest site being excavated on the peninsula, with levels more than a million years old. The Galería complex, a vertical shaft that trapped animals some 400,000 years ago. And the Gran Dolina, a cave more than 16 metres high with eleven levels; in the one called TD6 the remains of Homo antecessor appeared. The Sima de los Huesos and the Cueva Mayor are not visited: access is difficult and dangerous. In summer you can see the excavation teams at work.

## And the Museo de la Evolución Humana?

It is in Burgos, beside the river and five minutes' walk from the cathedral, and holds the original fossils. Visiting it before the Trench helps you understand what you are about to see; afterwards, it helps you put it in order. It opens Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 14:30 and from 16:30 to 20:00, Saturday from 10:00 to 20:00 and Sunday only from 10:00 to 15:00. It costs €6 and is free on Wednesdays. Allow two hours.

## How do you get there?

From Burgos, on the N-120 towards Logroño: Ibeas de Juarros is about 14 km away and the village of Atapuerca about 20, in a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes. From Palencia or Logroño, around an hour and a half; from Vitoria, a little more; from Valladolid, about two hours. The village of Atapuerca is on the French Way of the Camino de Santiago, between San Juan de Ortega and Burgos, and you will see it full of pilgrims in spring and autumn.

## How long do you need?

A day: the Trench in the morning and the museum in the afternoon, or the other way round on Sunday, because the museum closes at 15:00. With children, add the CAREX or Paleolítico Vivo, a reserve with bison and Przewalski's horses at Salgüero de Juarros. If you are going to sleep, the logical base is Burgos, half an hour away; in Ibeas, the Casa Rural Camino Blanco can be rented whole for groups.

## When to go

From April to October there are more departures and the weather is pleasant: the visit is outdoors and there is no shade in the Trench. July and August are the excavation months, with more people. In winter it is cold and windy in the sierra, but the morning visits continue from February to December. Book several days ahead for long weekends and weekends.

## Where do I eat and sleep?

In Ibeas de Juarros, next to the CAYAC, Los Claveles has been cooking olla podrida with Ibeas red beans since 1962, and its cafeteria, La Ventana, sorts you out with sandwiches and sharing plates. In the village of Atapuerca, near the CAREX, Comosapiens cooks daily dishes in a former hayloft, with many gluten-free options. None of the three publishes opening hours, so call beforehand.

To sleep, besides Camino Blanco, in Ibeas, El Pesebre de Atapuerca is a farmers' house for ten in the same village, and El Brocal, in Fresno de Rodilla, rents rooms with breakfast. Both houses offer to book the visits for you.

## Dónde está
- Cerca: Burgos (a 15.2 km), Covarrubias and Santo Domingo de Silos (a 32.5 km), San Millán de la Cogolla (a 53.9 km), Haro (a 60.6 km)

## Qué hacer
- **Guided Visit to the Atapuerca Sierra Sites** (1 h 45 · Families and teenagers; outdoor route · €8 · reduced €7 · under 8s free · free on Wednesdays with booking): The sites of the Sierra de Atapuerca, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 30 November 2000, hold information about the last million and a half years of human evolution, and have been systematically excavated since 1978. They can only be visited with an official booking and on a compulsory guided route: you cannot reach them by private car. Visits leave from the CAYAC, in Ibeas de Juarros, or from the CAREX, in Atapuerca, and last between an hour and a half and an hour and three quarters.
What you see in the Trinchera
At the end of the 19th century, an English mining company opened a trench in the limestone more than 500 metres long and up to 20 high for a railway. By cutting through the sierra it exposed caves filled with sediment, which are the sites you visit:

Sima del Elefante: the oldest cave site under excavation on the peninsula, with levels more than a million years old. In 2022 it yielded part of a face about 1.2 million years old.
Galería complex: a vertical shaft that trapped animals about 400,000 years ago; in the Covacha de los Zarpazos you can see claw marks from bears that hibernated there.
Gran Dolina: a cave more than 16 metres high with eleven levels. In level TD6, about 850,000 years old, more than 170 remains of at least eleven individuals appeared, which led to the definition of the species Homo antecessor.

The guides reconstruct the history of the excavations and how the people who lived in the sierra lived. The Sima de los Huesos, with more than 6,500 remains of pre-Neanderthals, is inside the Cueva Mayor, which is not visited because access is difficult and dangerous. According to the museum, the Trinchera is closed to visits during the excavation campaign; if you go in summer, confirm when you book what can be seen that day.
Times and departures
In November and December, outside Christmas, there are departures Tuesday to Friday at 10:00 and 11:00, and at weekends at 10:00, 11:00, 12:00 and 13:00. At Christmas, on 22, 23, 26, 27, 29 and 30 December, at 10:00, 11:00, 12:00 and 13:00. In January there are no visits. In spring and autumn afternoon sessions are added on Saturdays, and in August there are departures until 18:00. On Mondays there are no visits, with some exceptions.
Price and booking
It costs €8; reduced, €7, for students, young people aged 8 to 18 and pilgrims. It is free for under-8s, large families, the unemployed and people with disabilities, with proof, and for everyone on Wednesdays, always with booking. There are combined visits: site and Cueva Peluda, €22, and site and botany, €16.
There is no online sale: book by phone, on 947 421 000, by email, at reservas@museoevolucionhumana.com, or at the ticket offices of the museum, the CAREX and the CAYAC. In November and December the line is open until 14:00.
Tips
It is an outdoor walk through the sierra: wear comfortable shoes, warm clothing in winter and water in summer. The order that works best is to see the Museum of Human Evolution in Burgos first, where the original fossils are, and then the Trinchera. With children, combine the visit with the CAREX, which is more hands-on, and in the afternoon with the Mina Esperanza in Olmos. To stay next to the CAYAC, the Casa Rural Camino Blanco.
- **Museum of Human Evolution, in Burgos** (2 h · Everyone · €6 · reduced €4 · under 8s free · free on Wednesdays and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 19:00): The Museum of Human Evolution, the MEH, is on Paseo Sierra de Atapuerca in Burgos, across the Arlanzón from the cathedral. It holds the original fossils from the sites in the sierra and explains human evolution with life-size reconstructions. It is the best way to understand what you later see at the Trinchera del Ferrocarril, and it is also worth a visit on its own if you do not have time to go to the sierra.
The building
It was designed by the architect Juan Navarro Baldeweg as a great box of light: a double-skinned glass prism 30 metres high, 60 wide and 90 deep, with almost 15,000 m² and the permanent exhibition spread over four floors. From the entrance ramp you see the city reflected in the facade, and from the top floor you look out over the Atapuerca ecosystems recreated inside. It is the central building of the Human Evolution complex, next to the CENIEH and the Fórum Evolución.
What not to miss
The museum itself highlights ten pieces and spaces. The fossils of Homo antecessor, about 850,000 years old, found at the Gran Dolina, and the reconstruction of that excavation, where much of the story begins. Miguelón, a Homo heidelbergensis from around half a million years ago, named in honour of Miguel Induráin. Excalibur, a quartzite hand axe that has been interpreted as a possible first symbolic gesture. The hominid gallery, with ten realistically reconstructed ancestors, and Carletto, a feathered Neanderthal by the palaeo-artist Fabio Fogliazza. There is also a replica of the brig Beagle, in which Darwin sailed to the Galápagos; Daniel Canogar's brain installation; and, on the ground floor, a tribute to Santiago Ramón y Cajal with his drawings of neurons at large scale. On the second floor, an augmented reality system fills the four landscapes of the sierra with hominids and animals.
Opening hours and tickets
It is open Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 14:30 and from 16:30 to 20:00, Saturday from 10:00 to 20:00 and Sunday from 10:00 to 15:00; it is closed on Mondays. The last admission is half an hour before closing. General admission costs €6; reduced, €4, for young people aged 8 to 18, schoolchildren, university students, pilgrims and groups of more than eight with a booking. It is free for under-8s and over-65s, large and single-parent families, the unemployed and teachers, among others, and for everyone on Wednesday, on Tuesday and Thursday from 19:00, and on 23 April, 12 October and 6 December. General admission is bought online; discounted tickets at the ticket office. Signs are in Spanish and English, there is an official app and the education team gives short explanations in the galleries.
Getting there and what to combine
Burgos bus station is about 300 metres away. The train station, Burgos-Rosa de Lima, is about 5 km to the north, with city buses and taxis to the centre.
Allow two hours. If you are heading to the sierra, the ideal order is museum first and sites afterwards, leaving from the CAYAC in Ibeas de Juarros, 14 km away, or from the CAREX in Atapuerca, 20 km away. If you only have one afternoon in Burgos, go on a Tuesday or Thursday after 19:00, when admission is free.
- **CAREX, Atapuerca Experimental Archaeology Centre** (1 h 30 · Families · €7 · reduced €5.50 · under 8s free): The CAREX, the Experimental Archaeology Centre, is on the outskirts of the village of Atapuerca, 1 km from the village centre and about 20 km from Burgos. It explains, with demonstrations, how prehistoric groups lived: how fire was lit, how a stone tool was knapped, how a wall was painted or how hunting was done. It is the most hands-on part of the Atapuerca system and the one that works best with children, because here you touch and try things.
What you do
The building is a big metal-clad box, with large windows that frame the village, the Camino de Santiago, the wetlands and the foot of the sierra. Downstairs are the reception, the experimental archaeology centre, a vending-machine café and the shop; upstairs, a room with views for workshops. The permanent exhibition explains how experimental archaeology has helped to understand the making of tools, the spaces where people lived and art, and there are temporary exhibitions on archaeology and human evolution.
The best part is outside. The outdoor area is organised in chronological order and there the archaeologist guides give demonstrations and activities: cave painting, spear hunting, spear-throwers and bow, fire lighting and stone tool knapping. Around it, almost a hectare reproduces scenes from the world's great sites, which you can see on your own for free or with a guide. The CAREX belongs to EXARC, the international association of experimental archaeology. Allow an hour and a half.
Opening hours and tickets
The visit is guided, in a group, and you must book: there is no online sale. Book on 947 421 000, at reservas@museoevolucionhumana.com or at the ticket offices of the Museum of Human Evolution, the CAREX and the CAYAC. In November and December the booking line is open from 9:00 to 14:00.
In November and December, outside Christmas, the CAREX sessions are Tuesday to Friday at 12:30 and 13:30, and at weekends at 10:00, 11:15, 12:30 and 13:30. At Christmas, on 22, 23, 26, 27, 29 and 30 December there are sessions at 10:15, 11:15, 12:30 and 13:30. In spring, summer and autumn sessions are added; in August there can be as many as eight a day. It is closed on Mondays, with some exceptions. January does not appear in the published calendar: ask beforehand.
Admission costs €7; reduced, €5.50, for students, young people aged 8 to 18, pilgrims and the unemployed. It is free for under-8s, large families and people with disabilities, among others, with proof. Booked groups of more than 30 people pay €5.50 per person; smaller ones, €160 per group.
Getting there and what to combine
The practical way is to go by car: there is a large car park at the entrance. From Burgos, take the N-I towards Vitoria to the Olmos de Atapuerca turn-off and from there to Atapuerca; or by the N-120, turning towards Santovenia, Agés and Atapuerca.
Some visits to the sites also leave from the CAREX, so you can do both in the same morning. Very close, in Olmos, is the Mina Esperanza, and in the village, the Atapuerca information centre. To see the original fossils, the Museum of Human Evolution is in Burgos.
- **Paleolítico Vivo, Prehistoric Safari in Salgüero de Juarros** (2 h · Families · €19 adults · €16 ages 4 to 12 · VIP €190 per vehicle): Paleolítico Vivo is a wildlife reserve in Salgüero de Juarros, 20 km from Burgos and 12 km from Atapuerca, linked to a project to reintroduce European bison and Przewalski's horse. The idea is to show, in the countryside and not in a display case, the animals that shared this landscape with humans some ten thousand years ago. You see it on a guided visit of about two and a quarter hours, by booking, and it is the outdoor complement to the sites and the Museum of Human Evolution.
By 4x4 among the bison
The visit leaves from the village reception centre, a unit with a garage door and the reserve's logo on a small square, signposted from the entrance to Salgüero. You climb into a ten-seat 4x4 or a twenty-five-seat safari-type vehicle, with a driver who acts as guide. The route passes the animals' enclosures and gets as close to them as the terrain allows, with stops for photographs. On the way you see the landscape the project uses: the river area, a rock shelter with paintings, a hollow of centuries-old oaks, pasture and woodland. There is a stretch on foot, of gentle difficulty.
The camp and the fire
The final part is the prehistoric camp, where hunting techniques are shown, along with how fire was lit by friction. The reserve designs the visit for all ages.
Sessions and prices

November to March: departures at 10:00, 12:30 and 15:30.
April to October: 10:00, 12:30, 16:00 and 18:30.
6 to 31 January: closed to the public; groups only.

By 4x4 it costs €19 per adult and €16 for ages 4 to 12; under-3s do not pay, but do not take a seat. The VIP visit is a private safari for six people at most, lasting two and a half hours, with more stops and binoculars, for €190 per vehicle; book by phone. Standard tickets are bought on the website of Ociosfera, the company that runs it, or on 947 421 714 (Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 14:00).
By the N-120 to Salgüero
From Burgos, take the N-120 towards Logroño; after about 12 km, the turn-off to San Millán de Juarros by the BU-V-8002, and there turn left towards Salgüero, passing through Mozoncillo. It takes about 25 minutes.
For a meal in the area, the Restaurante Los Claveles, in Ibeas de Juarros, is on the way back to Burgos.
- **Olmos de Atapuerca Iron Mine** (1 h 30 · Families and teenagers · €10 · ages 4 to 12, €7 · under 4s free · with boat trip, €16): In Olmos de Atapuerca, about 3 km from the village of Atapuerca, the sierra does not only hold fossils: it was also mined for iron. Today it is visited as Mina Esperanza, a restored mine with more than 200 metres of underground galleries, original wagons and rails and an underground mineral museum. It is a good complement for anyone who has already seen the sites and wants another side of the same sierra.
The history of the mine
Activity began around 1908, although the first documented mention of the working is from 1940: the Coto Minero Hongo, of 290 hectares, with four concessions. Brown haematite with 55% iron was extracted. The mine closed in 1973, when the cost of transport made it unviable. In 2007 the Junta Vecinal of Olmos began to restore part of the complex, which opened to the public in 2013.
What the visit is like
You enter by the mine mouth in the dark, with paraffin lanterns, among wagons, carbide lamps, timber props and blast holes; in one stretch you can pick at ore and move it along the rails. When you reach the end the light is switched on so you can see the whole gallery, and the guide takes you to the large distribution cavern, where the underground museum of minerals and rocks is. You come out by the old ventilation shaft, from a depth of 30 metres. Outside you walk round the open-cast workings, of many colours, and the ruins of the houses, offices, forge and stables of the mining settlement.
The basic visit, Exploradores del subsuelo (Underground Explorers), includes the outdoor tour, levels -1 and -2, a short talk on mining, the museum and a miner's wine. Since March 2026 it costs €10 for adults and €7 for ages 4 to 12; under-4s do not pay. Navegantes de la profundidad (Depth Navigators) adds a boat trip through flooded galleries, which the mine presents as the only one in Spain that can be visited by boat: €16 and €13, and children under 4 cannot get in the boats. For organised groups there are other options, such as El bosque mineral, at €6 per person, and workshops for schoolchildren.
Opening hours and booking
It is open Monday to Sunday with sessions at 10:00, 12:00 and 16:30, and the visit lasts an hour and a half. Booking is essential and a minimum of six people is needed for a session to go ahead. Book on its website, on 947 421 714 or at reservas@minaesperanza.com.
Inside it is between 10 and 14 ºC all year: bring a jumper or fleece and closed shoes, boots or trainers, because there are muddy puddles, especially in spring.
Getting there and what to combine
From Burgos take the N-I towards Vitoria and, after 12 km, the turn-off to Atapuerca by the BU-701. In Olmos, the meeting point is signposted as Mina Esperanza; when you book they send a map. Burgos is 19 km away and the sites, 9.
It fits in the same morning as the CAREX, five minutes away by car, or in the afternoon after the visit to the sites. To stay nearby, the Casa Rural Camino Blanco is in Ibeas de Juarros, and in the village of Atapuerca you have the information centre.

## Dónde comer
- **Los Claveles restaurant, in Ibeas de Juarros** (Restaurant, Ibeas de Juarros, €€€). Qué pedir: the olla podrida with Ibeas red beans and all the trimmings (€24), to share, and Burgos morcilla to start.
- **La Ventana, the Los Claveles café in Ibeas** (Bar, Ibeas de Juarros, €). Qué pedir: bravas the Ventana way (€3.50) and a fried Burgos morcilla bocadillo (€6), or a portion of morcilla to share.
- **Comosapiens, in the Village of Atapuerca** (Restaurant, Atapuerca, €€). Qué pedir: whatever is in season that day; ask which dishes are gluten-free, because a good part are.

## By car: By car along the N-120 and the N-I, from one centre to the next
Atapuerca is best visited by car: the centres are spread across four villages and you cannot drive a private car up to the Trinchera, so you leave it at the CAYAC in Ibeas de Juarros or at the CAREX in Atapuerca, and the guided visit sets off from there. From Burgos, Ibeas is about 14 km along the N-120 towards Logroño; Atapuerca and Olmos are along the N-I towards Vitoria and the BU-701 turn-off. The budget covers shared rural accommodation, two meals and the tickets.
Presupuesto orientativo: 50–100 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Casa Rural Camino Blanco** (Country house): A house for the group
Camino Blanco is a detached house in Ibeas de Juarros, the village of the CAYAC, from where the visits to the Atapuerca sites leave. Outside it is rural architecture; inside, modern design with a Nordic feel. It is rented as a whole, with capacity for 16 people, and is designed for large families or groups of friends who want to be together with plenty of space.
Bedrooms and bathrooms
According to the house's website, there are six bedrooms spread over two floors. There are two doubles with a 150 cm bed, one of them adapted for people with reduced mobility, and four triples with a 150 cm bed and a 90 cm one. Two of the triples, 3 and 6, have their own bathroom and dressing room, and 6 adds a large terrace; the house says one of them measures 40 m².
In total there are five bathrooms, one adapted, plus a toilet next to the living room and the kitchen. Downstairs there is a bathroom with shower and the adapted one; upstairs, one with shower and bath, besides the two private ones in bedrooms 3 and 6. The website highlights viscoelastic mattresses and pillows.
Common areas and outdoors
On the ground floor is the 80 m² living room, with a sofa for 16 people, a dining table for the whole group and high chairs. The kitchen is equipped with a washing machine, dishwasher, coffee machine and oven. Outside there is a covered picnic area with a wood-fired oven, appliances, a barbecue and another table for 16, a porch with sofas and a games area with table football and an arcade machine.
The garden has furniture and games for children; the house's page gives it about 800 m², although the front page speaks of 1,000. The pool is private and fenced, of 60 m², with a shallow area for children, and is open from June to September. There is a parking area, wifi, board games, old bicycles to borrow, cots and high chairs, and tourist information about Burgos. The Junta's official listing says it accepts dogs; the website does not give conditions, so ask when you book.
Prices and booking
The booking page publishes rates for the whole house. In low season, October to May, a weekend from Friday to Sunday (two nights) costs €1,250 and each extra night €450. In high season, June to September, the weekend costs €1,650 and the extra night €550. The minimum stay is two nights, and for public holidays, long weekends or more than three nights you need to ask for a price. A deposit of €250 by card is required to confirm the booking. It does not publish check-in and check-out times: ask on 622 35 50 47 or at hola@casaruralcaminoblanco.com.
Getting there and what is nearby
It is on Calle Molino Blanco, about three minutes' walk from the centre of Ibeas and about 10 km from Burgos on the N-120. For the sites you do not need to drive to the departure point: the CAYAC is in the same village. The Museum of Human Evolution, in Burgos, completes the visit, and with children Paleolítico Vivo fits well.
- **El Pesebre de Atapuerca country house** (Country house): A farmhouse in the village
El Pesebre is a former farmhouse on Calle de la Iglesia in Atapuerca, the Camino de Santiago village that gives the sierra its name. It was refurbished in 2008, keeping what it already had: beams, doors and windows, wooden floors, small rooms and furniture. In the kitchen is the chimney where the chorizos from the pig slaughter used to be smoked, and in the living room is the manger (pesebre) that gives the house its name. It is a three-star country house according to the Junta and is let as a whole, for a maximum of ten people.
It is run by Atapuerca Rural, which manages several houses in the area. According to its website, the street is quiet, with no cars to endanger children and no neighbours right up against the house. There is garden furniture to carry out to a corner of the street at vermouth time.
Bedrooms, living room and kitchen
There are five double bedrooms, all with duvets and towels. On the ground floor there is one with a 135 cm bed; on the first floor, two with a 150 cm bed and two with two 90 cm beds. Cots and extra beds are available if you ask; an extra bed costs €12 per bed per night. There are three bathrooms: upstairs, one with a bath and hairdryer and another with a shower and screen; downstairs, one adapted for people with reduced mobility.
The living room measures about 40 m², with a fireplace (the firewood is included in the price), a 2.40-metre table with twelve chairs and a corner sofa that converts into a 135 cm bed. There is a television, DVD player, games and tourist information. The kitchen has a large fridge, washing machine, oven, microwave, dishwasher, toaster and coffee maker. The old fireplace can be used for indoor grilling, with a grill and firewood; for outdoors there is a portable charcoal barbecue, and you supply the charcoal.
Price, booking and arrival
The Atapuerca Rural home page advertises the house at €500 for two nights. A single night and bank-holiday weekends, which are let as a whole, are priced on request. To confirm, they ask for a €150 deposit. If you cancel more than 30 days ahead you get 90% back; between 30 and 10 days, half; at 10 days or fewer, nothing. Check-in is at 15:00 and check-out at 12:00. The Junta's listing says dogs are allowed; ask about the conditions when booking.
A useful extra: the house offers to reserve you a place on the visit to the sites, at Paleolítico Vivo and at the Olmos mine.
What is nearby
From the door you can walk to the Atapuerca information centre and to the Comosapiens restaurant. The CAREX, from where visits to the Trinchera also depart, is a kilometre from the village centre. Burgos and the Museum of Human Evolution are about 20 km away.
- **El Brocal country house, in Fresno de Rodilla** (Country house): A house let by the room, with breakfast
El Brocal is the choice in the area for anyone who does not want to rent a whole house: it works by the room, with breakfast, and with lunches and dinners on request. It is in Fresno de Rodilla, a village of about 30 residents where the road ends, so there is no through traffic. The house has a stone ground floor and a porch with the well-head (brocal) of a 19th-century well, which gives it its name. From the windows you see open countryside and the Sierra de la Demanda. For the Junta it is a three-star shared-accommodation country house.
It is run by Atapuerca Rural, the same company that runs El Pesebre in the village of Atapuerca. According to its website, Atapuerca and the Camino de Santiago are about 5 km away along tracks and paths that are good for bikes, which you can hire at the house, and Burgos is a quarter of an hour away on the main road.
The rooms
The website describes four double rooms named after cereals. La Avena, on the ground floor, has a 135 cm bed and looks onto the porch and the well. El Centeno and El Trigo, also downstairs, have a 150 cm bed and look onto the garden. El Pajar is in the attic, with a 150 cm bed and an en-suite bathroom. Cots and extra beds are available at €12 per bed per night. The website speaks of 11 places including extra beds; the official listing says 9.
You can also rent the whole house as a group, from two nights, and then you may use the main kitchen. The Atapuerca Rural home page advertises that format at €825 for two nights. For one or two rooms with kitchen access, or for a single night, the price is on request.
Breakfasts and dinners
They serve breakfast and, if you ask, lunch or dinner. It is not a restaurant: they cook only for guests and serve everyone the same menu. If you would rather eat out, they will point you to places in Atapuerca or Burgos. In the living room there is a microwave in case you bring your own food, and a portable barbecue.
Booking and what is nearby
They ask for a €200 deposit. If you cancel more than 30 days ahead you get 90% back; between 30 and 10 days, half; at 10 days or fewer, nothing. Check-in is at 15:00 and check-out at 12:00. The official listing says dogs are allowed; ask about the conditions. The house offers to book the visit to the sites, Paleolítico Vivo and the Olmos mine for you. The CAREX and Comosapiens are in Atapuerca, a few minutes away by car.

## As a family: Fire, Bison and the First Europeans

Atapuerca is one of the few World Heritage sites that children understand on their own: real bones in the museum, a trench where you can watch excavation and a centre where fire is lit as it was 400,000 years ago. Under-8s do not pay at any of the three centres.

### What works best
The Museum of Human Evolution, with life-size reconstructions; an hour and a half is enough with little ones

The CAREX, with demonstrations of fire, knapping and hunting

Paleolítico Vivo, with bison and Przewalski's horses

The Trinchera, better from age 8 or 9: it is an hour and three quarters on foot and outdoors

### Where to stay
Casa Rural Camino Blanco, in Ibeas, with a pool, a children's play area, cots and high chairs

El Pesebre de Atapuerca, in the village, for ten, on a traffic-free street; cots on request

In Burgos, half an hour away: the hotels in the city listing

### Eating
In Burgos, on the way back: Puerta Real is open on Sunday until 17:30

In Ibeas, La Ventana de Los Claveles, with sandwiches, a garden terrace and a small children's play area

Bring water and something to eat for the visit to the sites

### Worth knowing
In the Trinchera it is cold in winter and hot in summer: warm clothes, a cap and comfortable shoes

The museum closes on Sunday at 15:00 and every Monday

Visits to the sites must always be booked beforehand, by phone or email

### Qué hacer as a family
- Guided Visit to the Atapuerca Sierra Sites
- Museum of Human Evolution, in Burgos
- CAREX, Atapuerca Experimental Archaeology Centre
- Paleolítico Vivo, Prehistoric Safari in Salgüero de Juarros
- Olmos de Atapuerca Iron Mine

## Consejos

### Book before leaving home
Without a booking there is no visit to the sites. Call 947 421 000: Monday to Saturday until 17:00, Sunday until 14:00, and in November and December every day until 14:00.

### Wednesday is free
The sites and the museum do not charge admission on Wednesdays, but the visit to the Trench still needs a booking.

### On Sunday, the museum in the morning or very early
The Museo de la Evolución Humana closes on Sunday at 15:00.

### Outdoor clothing
Comfortable shoes, a coat in winter and a cap in summer: the Trench is an hour and three quarters on your feet.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### Can you visit the Atapuerca sites independently?
No. Only with a guided visit and official booking, leaving from the CAYAC at Ibeas de Juarros or from the CAREX at Atapuerca.

### How much does the visit to the sites cost?
€8, reduced €7. It is free for under-8s and for everyone on Wednesdays, with a booking.

### How do you book?
By phone, on 947 421 000, or by email, at reservas@museoevolucionhumana.com. There are no online sales for the sites.

### How long does the visit last?
Between an hour and a half and an hour and three quarters.

### Where are the fossils?
At the Museo de la Evolución Humana in Burgos, about 15 km from the sites.

### Can you go in January?
Not to the sites: in January there are no visits. The museum does open, Tuesday to Sunday.