Camino Francés - Day 12: Tosantos to Atapuerca
Today's goal was to reach Atapuerca in time for an archaeological tour of the site where Europe’s earliest human fossils were found. I booked the last available tour online to ensure enough time for the 26 km hike from Tosantos. The trail had some steep sections but was mostly straightforward. Since my Camino family and I hadn’t booked accommodation, we aimed to arrive early at the municipal albergue to secure beds.
We reached Atapuerca around 1:40 PM and were relieved to find spots available! We were shown a room that had five single beds (not bunks), and since there were four of us, we got a room to ourselves—one of the nicest municipal albergues I’ve stayed in so far.
After grabbing ingredients for dinner at the town’s only grocery store, we waited for the bus to the archaeological site. The tour took us through the dig areas, with guides explaining the history and discoveries. Although it was only in Spanish, Google Translate helped me follow along. Back at the albergue, we made dinner and called it a night.
Route Overview
Distance: 25.72 km (Albergue Parroquial Tosantos → Albergue “El Peregrino” Atapuerca)
Total elevation gain: 453 m
Duration: 4 hr 53 min (with breaks 6 hr)
Difficulty: Hard
Cost Breakdown
Accommodation: Albergue “El Peregrino” Atapuerca (Walked in) — €12
Food: €29.42
ntrance Fee: Carex Experimental Archeology Center — €5
