Cosmopolitan Spain Traveler - Fall '19

Cosmopolitan Spain Traveler

Way of El Cid

T he Way of El Cid runs across Spain, crossing through Castile and reaching the Mediterra- nean coast. The entire route is over 1,200 miles and is divided into 11 thematic routes. All routes are marked and you may choose to travel by car, mountain bike, road bike, or on foot along trails and paths. The hiking route is mostly certified as a Gran Recorrido (GR-160) route which means that the trails are blazed with characteristic marks consisting of a white stripe above a red stripe that appear regularly along the route, especially at places like forks or crossroads. A recently-launched website ( www.caminodelcid.org ) contains information about the Way of El Cid and the best way to travel along the route. It also offers specific information for each of the thematic routes, including information relating to the tourist sites, history, arts and environment of the places through which the route runs. You can download route tracks, route guides on PDF, accommodation options and tourist office info. The History and Legend of El Cid details information about El Cid and El Cantar de Mío Cid (The Poem of the Cid), which has been written by the world’s top experts on this historical figure: Alberto Montaner, who is a full professor at the Universidad de Zaragoza, and the members of his research group. Travel Information is a treasure-trove of up-to-date information to help you prepare for the route. Informa- tion ranges from the different kinds of signposting you will encounter along the route to useful information for foreigners travelling along the Way of El Cid.

Way of

El Cid A journey through the Middle Ages The Way of El Cid is a tourist and cultural route following the footsteps of the medieval knight El Cid, one of the most popular Spanish heroes. The source of inspiration for the route is the late 12th- century epic poem El Cantar de Mío Cid , which deals with the exile of El Cid from Burgos and the conquest of Valencia.

The Way of El Cid is part of the Cultural Routes of Spain program.

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