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Day 19 | 13 August 2025 | Walking the Camino Francés
From Agés to Burgos | 22.5 km 14 miles
Today’s Camino Francés stage took us 22.5 km from Agés to Burgos, passing Atapuerca before climbing to Cruz de Matagrande in the moonlight. After a beautiful start and our first distant view of Burgos, a missed waymarker sent us on a very different route into the city.
We set out early, passing the village of Atapuerca and began the 2 km climb up the steep rocky path to Cruz de Matagrande at 1,080m. In the moonlight, the wooden cross appeared suddenly ahead of us, an eerie sight. The ascent was tough with only one head torch between us, and I was hoping I’d be able to buy my own later that day in Burgos.
The first half of the stage was lovely, and as we descended we could see Burgos on the horizon.
But then we went wrong – and the second half turned into a long slog.
We had intended to follow the scenic river route through parkland into the city, but somehow we missed the waymarker, along with every pilgrim ahead of and behind us. Instead, we walked on a busy main road, trudging 7 km through a vast industrial estate. In the heat, the walk felt endless, and by the time we finally reached the end, we were knackered.
