Atapuerca Tourist Information Centre

The Atapuerca Tourist Information Centre is in the village of Atapuerca, at Calle San Martín 1, right on the French Way of the Camino de Santiago. It is a welcome and interpretation centre designed as a first stop to understand the municipality: the sites in the sierra, the passage of the Camino and the trails around. It is part of the Museos Vivos network of the province of Burgos, and admission is free.

How you get in

It works with smart access: you cannot enter without a prior online booking. When you book on the Museos Vivos website you receive a PIN code by email or on your phone, and that code opens the door only on the day and in the time slot you have chosen. Each booking admits 1 to 15 people. If you have questions or cannot book online, the helpline is 619 305 975 and the email [email protected]. Make your booking before you arrive in the village.

What is inside

The exhibition is organised in four parts. The first explains the sites in the sierra with panels, audiovisuals and timelines: the Trinchera del Ferrocarril, with the Gran Dolina, the Sima del Elefante and Galería, and what they have contributed to knowledge of the first humans in Europe. The second deals with the Camino de Santiago as it passes through the municipality, the church of San Martín, traditional architecture and the Battle of Atapuerca of 1054. The third gathers maps and guides to the self-guided routes along the sierra's trails, with its karst relief, flora and wetlands. The last is an orientation point with recommendations to round off your stay.

What is not handled here

Bookings for guided visits to the sites and to the CAREX are not made at this centre, but at the Museum of Human Evolution switchboard: 947 42 10 00 or [email protected]. It is open Monday to Saturday from 9:00 to 17:00 and Sundays from 9:00 to 14:00; in November and December, until 14:00. The sites can only be visited with a guide and cannot be reached by private car.

How to combine it

The CAREX, the experimental archaeology centre, is 1 km from the village, and some visits to the sites leave from there; the other departure point is the CAYAC in Ibeas de Juarros. A full morning can begin at this centre, continue with the sites and end at the CAREX. If you have time to spare, the Olmos de Atapuerca iron mine is close, and in Burgos, about 20 km away, the Museum of Human Evolution displays the original fossils. To get there, from Burgos take the N-I towards Vitoria to the Olmos de Atapuerca turn-off.