To arrive in Atienza where the next stage of Camino del Cid starts: a 24 hour flight to Madrid, two nights; bus to Soria, one night; bus to Cincovillas, walk 5 km to Atienza.

We took a short cut walking 8 km on the CM-1001 road which reduced the day to 24.5 km, passing through Naharros and Robledo de Corpes.

Today’s walk was across stoney land via Congostrina, Pinilla de Jadraque, Medranda & Castilblanco de Henares to Jadraque. The highlight the ancient stone fences near Hiendelaencina.

An easy walk and a pleasant day. The path was more or less level following tractor tracks though fields with a village every hour for a break.

The Camino del Cid follows the Rio Dulce for 16 km slightly uphill, passing through the Barranco del Río Dulce Natural Park. Then the path utilises the Don Quixote route, crossing a beautiful oak forest before descending into Sigüenza.

We’re having a rest day in Sigüenza, a compact medieval town located below its castle. There’s a lot to see in a small area, the Tourist Information lists 30 Points of Interest in the old town.

Walking through pine forests then beneath the cliffs of the Barranco del Río Dulce Natural Park we got to see three wonderful 12th/13th century Romanesque churches.

Today was mostly farm tractor tracks generally down hill but at altitudes above 1,100m the temperature drops to 0℃ during the night and a cold wind blows in the day time.

From Anguita to Luzón (12 km) the path follows a beautiful valley carved out by the Tajuña River using a good dirt road. After Luzón it uses the old mule track to Maranchón.

Maranchón to Medinaceli is 31.5 km, too much for us. We got a ride to Layna reducing the day to 20 km on a combination of quiet dirt and bitumen roads.

A rest day in Medinaceli and being Tuesday the museums are shut so we pretty much had the place to ourselves. There’s 11 sites on the Tourist Information booklet. It took us about 2 hours wandering around to see them all.

We left Medinaceli and 9 km later we’d descended 200m to Lodares. From there, 9 km on the old N-2 road to Somaén and then another 5 km on a country dirt road to Arcos de Jalón.

An easy 12 km day through the villages of Aguilar de Montuenga, Montuenga de Soria which were both part of the medieval Jalón River frontier defences. To finish at Santa María de Huerta with its still active 12th century Cistercian Monastery.

We decided to go off Camino del Cid to visit the historic village of Monteagudo de las Vicarías, one of Los Pueblos más Bonitos de España (Most Beautiful Villages in Spain).

Almost all of the route is on easy walking, quiet country dirt roads passing through 3 villages, Monreal de Ariza, Ariza and Cetina to arrive at Alhama de Aragón.

This is a short section of the Camino del Cid. Between Bubierca and Castejón de las Armas the path deteriorates and disappears in places but waymaking is excellent. From then on to Ateca it uses the road.

Today’s route is mostly on deserted roads beside the Spanish High Speed Railway which allows for high speed walking. Terrer with its Mudejar church tower is the only village.

We finished Camino del Cid The Borderlands in Calatayud, a mix of shabby and fabulous – World Heritage interspersed with empty plots and partly demolished houses. It is a historical-artistic site of Mudejar architecture.