La Ventana, the Los Claveles café in Ibeas
What to order: bravas the Ventana way (€3.50) and a fried Burgos morcilla bocadillo (€6), or a portion of morcilla to share.
geocalia
Day itinerary · 42.35° N · 3.52° W
Atapuerca with children: an iron mine in the morning and prehistoric fire at midday.
The Olmos iron mine with lanterns and a boat, CAREX with fire-making and stone-carving demonstrations and lunch in Burgos, half an hour away; all with advance booking.
Leaving from
Part of Atapuerca
Add to my trip
Total time8 h
By car30 min each way
Walking2 km · flat
DifficultyEasy
Cost€55–85 pp
Best timeFebruary – June · September – December
With childrenYes, from age 4 for the boat
With dogsNo: dogs are not allowed in the mine or the CAREX
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Burgos 30 min by car
from Burgos via the N-I towards Vitoria and the Atapuerca turn-off along the BU-701
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1
Olmos de Atapuerca Iron Mine
Mina Esperanza · with boat €16, ages 4 to 12 €13 · booking; minimum six people
+34 947 421 714
- 5 min by car2,8 km
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2
CAREX, Atapuerca Experimental Archaeology Centre
12:30 slot · €7, under-8s free · booking on 947 421 000
- 30 min by car21,9 km
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3
Casa Ojeda Restaurant In Burgos
Wood-fired lamb · on Sunday lunches only · booking
Calle Condestable, 2, Burgos · +34 947 20 90 52
Restaurant €€€Book - 9 min on foot
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4
Paseo del Espolón, Arco de Santa María and Plaza Mayor In Burgos
Walk along the Espolón to the arch · free
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Back home
Approximate cost
About €45–70 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Olmos de Atapuerca Iron Mine
The Sierra de Atapuerca has a morning designed for children that does not go through the Trench: going down an iron mine with lanterns and by boat, and then seeing how fire is lit and a stone tool carved. Mina Esperanza, in Olmos, and the CAREX, in Atapuerca, are five minutes from each other and about half an hour from Burgos, where you have lunch. From Palencia or Logroño it is an hour and a half; from Vitoria or Valladolid, a little more.
The day, hour by hour
9:30 · Set off. From Burgos, on the N-I towards Vitoria and, after about 12 km, the turn-off to Atapuerca on the BU-701. In Olmos, the meeting point is signposted as Mina Esperanza; when you book they send you a map.
10:00 · Mina Esperanza. An hour and a half in the old iron mine, closed in 1973: dark galleries with paraffin lanterns, wagons and rails, a stretch where ore is cut, the underground mineral museum and the exit through the ventilation shaft. With the Navigators of the Deep visit there is also a boat trip through flooded galleries: €16 adults and €13 for ages 4 to 12; under-4s do not go on the boat. The basic visit costs €10 and €7. Book on its website or on 947 421 714: the session only runs with six people or more. Inside it is between 10 and 14 ºC: bring a jumper and closed shoes.
12:30 · The CAREX. Five minutes by car to the Experimental Archaeology Centre, at the edge of the village of Atapuerca, with a large car park. The archaeologist guides light fires, carve stone, paint as in the caves and hunt with spear, spear-thrower and bow; outside there is almost a hectare of reconstructed scenes open to all. €7; ages 8 to 18, €5.50; under-8s, free. There is no online booking: book on 947 421 000 or at [email protected].
14:30 · Lunch at Casa Ojeda. Back to Burgos, about 25 minutes. Casa Ojeda, opposite the Casa del Cordón, roasts lamb in a wood-fired oven and on Sundays opens at midday only. Book ahead.
16:30 · The Espolón and the Santa María arch. A stroll beside the Arlanzón to work off lunch.
17:30 · Head home.
If you prefer to eat in the sierra
In the village of Atapuerca, Comosapiens cooks daily dishes in a former hayloft and has many gluten-free dishes. In Ibeas de Juarros, on the way back along the N-120, La Ventana de Los Claveles serves cheap sandwiches and raciones. Neither publishes its hours: call ahead.
Time1 h 30
Change the route
To eat in Atapuerca village itself, one kilometre from the CAREX: no published hours, phone ahead:
Comosapiens, in the Village of Atapuerca
To eat cheaply on sandwiches and raciones in Ibeas, on the way back to Burgos: phone ahead:
La Ventana, the Los Claveles café in Ibeas
If the mine does not fill the group of six: bison and Przewalski's horses in Salgüero de Juarros, with booking:
Paleolítico Vivo, Prehistoric Safari in Salgüero de Juarros
With children aged 8 or over: the Trinchera with a guide, which also leaves from the CAREX on some days:
Guided Visit to the Atapuerca Sierra Sites
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Comosapiens, in the Village of Atapuerca
What to order: whatever is in season that day; ask which dishes are gluten-free, because a good part are.
Los Claveles restaurant, in Ibeas de Juarros
What to order: the olla podrida with Ibeas red beans and all the trimmings (€24), to share, and Burgos morcilla to start.
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Atapuerca
Any Sunday with both bookings made beforehand. In January the CAREX does not publish sessions: ask. The mine runs every day, but only with a minimum of six people.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Two bookings before you set off
The mine and the CAREX operate only with advance booking. In November and December the CAREX phone line is answered until 14:00.
- 2If you are fewer than six
The mine does not run with fewer than six people: ask when booking whether there is another group on the same session.
- 3Warm clothes
It is cold in the mine all year, and the CAREX is largely outdoors.
We'd skip it
On Mondays, because the CAREX is closed, and in January, because the CAREX does not publish sessions. With children under 4, choose the mine visit without the boat.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
From what age is it a good plan?
From 4 years old, which is the minimum age for the mine boat. The CAREX works well from very young.
How much does the day cost?
Between €55 and €85 per adult: €23 in tickets with the boat, plus lunch.
Do you need to book?
Yes, both visits and lunch.
Can you also see the Trench?
Yes, but it is another hour and three quarters on your feet: with children, better another day.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/atapuerca/itineraries/family-olmos-mine-and-carex
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.