Wine tourism in Burgos

In Burgos we are lucky to enjoy three wines with an Appellation of Origin. The south of Burgos and the banks of two of its most emblematic rivers, the Duero and the Arlanza, have given us wines of real quality — truly good and flavourful. With Ribera del Duero there are no surprises: wines renowned and famous beyond our borders.

The Ribera del Duero Appellation of Origin extends across the provinces of Burgos and Valladolid and, to a lesser extent, Soria and Segovia. Burgos is undoubtedly the one with the largest territory and the greatest number of wineries within the DO.

Besides being in the cradle of a wine that has earned every accolade through hard work, we are in one of the most beautiful areas of Burgos, the Arlanza region. This river has shaped a truly fascinating landscape in which the vineyards increasingly claim their share of attention.

Although the appellation is very young — it has only been running since 2007 — the area’s winemaking tradition dates back to the 10th century. No small feat! Here you find a mix of small wineries with a long family tradition alongside others with large, modern facilities.

Although many people don’t know it, the Rioja Appellation of Origin is also present in our province. It is a truly curious case: there is a small piece of Burgos land surrounded by Rioja territory. It lies right between the Rioja towns of Cihuri and Sajazarra, and currently is home to a wine estate called El Ternero — in fact the only Burgos winery with the Rioja Appellation of Origin. They offer very complete wine-tourism visits.

The Burgos stretch of the Ribera del Duero, with Aranda de Duero and villages such as Roa, La Horra and Gumiel de Izán, offers charming hotels, inns and rural houses set among the vineyards for wine tourism at a leisurely pace. Many former underground cellars have been turned into distinctive places to stay.

The city of Burgos, with its Gothic cathedral, makes a comfortable base, and the Arlanza region adds medieval gems like Covarrubias and Lerma, the latter with its ducal parador, perfect for sleeping between tastings of Tempranillo.

Amid the vineyards, the province offers Burgos Cathedral, a World Heritage Site, the Museum of Human Evolution and the archaeological sites of Atapuerca. The Monastery of Silos, with its cloister and Gregorian chant, deserves a serene stop.

The Arlanza villages, Covarrubias, Lerma and Santo Domingo de Silos, connect with landscapes such as the juniper woods, the La Yecla gorge and the Sierra de la Demanda, ideal for hiking between tasting days.

The Sierra de la Demanda offers mountain campsites among pine and oak woods, perfect for the traveller who alternates nature and wine. The banks of the Duero and the Arlanza also provide green settings to pitch a tent or park the motorhome.

Near Silos and the La Yecla gorge there are cool spots to camp, with service areas in several towns. A wonderful plan for combining hiking trails, medieval villages and tastings in the Ribera del Duero.