Hontanas

Stage 14 · Hornillos del Camino – CastrojerizBurgos Province
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What is there in Hontanas

Hontanas is a town and municipality in the Odra-Pisuerga district, in Burgos Province, on the Camino Frances.

It is one of the best-loved surprises of the Meseta: the village hides in a hollow and you cannot see it until you are almost on top of it, when suddenly the church tower appears among the wheat fields. Its name comes from “fontanas”, for the springs that rise in the valley, and as early as 1203 a document of Alfonso VIII placed it “on the public road of Santiago”. It had two pilgrim hospitals and its centre is a listed historic site. The church of the Immaculate Conception, 14th-century Gothic with later changes, dominates a village of seventy people that lives devoted to pilgrims. For many it is the best stage end between Burgos and Castrojeriz, and the way out, along a quiet valley, is one of the loveliest of the day.

Accommodation in Hontanas

Hostel Saint John the Baptist HontanasHostelHostel Saint John the Baptist HontanasHostel El Puntido HontanasHostelHostel El Puntido HontanasHostel Santa Brígida HontanasHostelHostel Santa Brígida Hontanas

Distances from Hontanas

From Hontanas to Castrojeriz it is about 10.1 km.

To Itero del Castillo it is about 18.6 km.

And to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, in Santiago de Compostela, about 461.8 km remain.

History of Hontanas

The oldest remains, from the Neolithic or Chalcolithic, have appeared at the so-called «Hospital site». In the Early Middle Ages these lands belonged to the alfoz of Castrojeriz, from where their resettlement was organised.

The first document dates from 18 August 1203: King Alfonso VIII gave the town to Arlotho de Marzán, a Gascon knight. A few years later, in 1208, the king himself had the bishop of Burgos, Don Fernando, buy it, and Hontanas passed into Church lordship.

Hontanas on the Camino de Santiago

Hontanas has always lived from the Camino Frances: its Calle Real is the medieval line of the route, and from the 13th century there were hospitals for pilgrims, such as that of San Juan, which was known as the «Frenchmen’s Inn».

What to See in Hontanas?

Hermitage
Ermita de la Virgen de Espinosa Hontanas Camino de Santiago Frances 768x403

Hermitage of Our Lady of Espinosa Hontanas

Ermita de la Virgen de Espinosa in Hontanas In the heart of Burgos Province, about 2 kilometers from the picturesque
Church
Iglesia de la Inmaculada Concepcion Hontanas Camino de Santiago Frances 768x403

Church of the Immaculate Conception Hontanas

Parish Church of the Immaculate Conception in Hontanas The Parish Church of the Immaculate Conception in Hontanas, Burgos Province, is

Places of interest

  • Hospital de San Juan: built in the 13th or 14th century, it has been restored as the municipal hostel (Hostel Saint John the Baptist Hontanas). It keeps a Gothic arch from its original facade, medieval grain silos and cobbles visible under a glass floor, all integrated with great respect for the old building.
  • Ermita de la Virgen de Espinosa: about two kilometres away, at the spot where, according to tradition, the Virgin appeared to a local resident. In the past a pilgrimage was held in which the images of the Virgen de Espinosa and the Virgen del Rosario were exchanged.
  • Molino del Cubo: at a narrow point in the valley, this mill keeps its machinery and the dam that fed it, a reminder of the farming and milling life of the area.
  • Medieval tower: next to the church, a 12th–13th-century defensive tower with arrow slits, a Romanesque window and a spiral staircase, from which the whole valley was watched.

Festivities and traditions

Festivities

  • The Immaculate Conception: from 6 to 8 December, in honour of the patroness.
  • Saint Roch bonfire: on 16 August a great bonfire is lit that brings the whole village together.

A welcoming village

Hospitality is the hallmark of Hontanas: its hostels and lodgings have been lovingly restored, and the village, hidden in its hollow, invites you to stay and enjoy the calm.

In short

Hontanas is one of the best-loved villages of the Meseta: a medieval hospital turned hostel, a defensive tower, a mill and a hermitage, and the surprise of coming upon it suddenly at the bottom of its valley. An end of stage you will remember.

CountrySpain
Autonomous communityCastile and León
ProvinceProvince of Burgos
ComarcaOdra-Pisuerga
Judicial districtBurgos
Location42°18′46″N 4°02′45″O
Elevation870 m
Area10.22 km²
Population70 inhabitants (2024)
Density7.14 inhab./km²
Postal code09227
Websitewww.hontanas.es
Camino de Santiago Frances
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