Discover Covarrubias: Culture, Trails and Festivals

Covarrubias combines a protected historic town with art, religious buildings, special trails and set dates throughout the year. When looking for a holiday apartment in Covarrubias, you can primarily compare travel dates, room categories and cancellation policies on the accommodation listing pages. The town’s cultural, natural and festival themes provide different focuses for planning.

Further destinations

Other places featured on this page include Rebolledo De La Torre, Sotillo De La Ribera, Pardilla, Las Merindades, Baños de Valdearados, Cótar, Hontoria De Valdearados and Remolino.

Culture and history

The historic town of Covarrubias is protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural and features arcades and half-timbered houses typical of Castile. The Casa de Doña Sancha is considered one of the best examples of this traditional Castilian architecture in Covarrubias. The Iglesia de Santo Tomás contains a Renaissance pulpit and retables.

The entrance to the Archivo del Adelantamiento de Castilla is known as the Puerta Real and is considered the main entrance to the Villa Covarrubias. One of the two 16th-century cross monuments in Covarrubias stands in front of the Archivo del Adelantamiento de Castilla. The Torreón de Fernán González dates from the 10th century. Its exhibition on siege weapons includes scale-model machines and large-format models that are considered fully functional.

The Museo-Colegiata displays the polychrome Tríptico de los Reyes Magos from the late 15th century by Gil de Siloé. The Museo de la Colegiata houses painted panels associated with Berruguete and Van Eyck. The Museo Antigua Botica preserves a former pharmacy that operated as a pharmacy from 1746 to 1975, and later as a farmacia. The owners maintain the former pharmacy and organise tours that are not tied to fixed opening hours or days of the week because it is a private home.

The San Olav Chapel is considered the first hermitage built in Spain in the 21st century. Together with the historic buildings, it broadens the range of religious and architectural sites in Covarrubias.

Trails and landscape

The Camino de San Olav follows a 60-kilometre route through Covarrubias. It is considered a cultural, sporting and religious route from Burgos Cathedral to Covarrubias. The Ruta 4 – El Cerro / San Olav passes through holm oak and juniper stands to the San Olav Chapel and then follows a downhill path towards Covarrubias.

The COVARUTAS of Covarrubias are offered within the Parque Natural de Sabinares del Arlanza. The pilgrimage route, forest route and nature park activities each have different focuses that can be weighted separately when making your own plans.

Festivals and cuisine

The Pasión Viviente takes place in Covarrubias every year on the evening of Good Friday. The residents of Covarrubias make the costumes themselves and depict the Stations of the Cross.

The Fiesta de la Matanza has taken place since 1989 on the Saturday after the Feast of Saint Anthony, 17 January. Pork products are presented and sampled, and the process of the traditional slaughter is demonstrated. During the Fiesta de la Matanza, a weekend fair in the various bars of Covarrubias offers pinchos and tapas with pork as well as wine from the Arlanza designation of origin.

The Fiesta de la Cereza y de la Cuna de Castilla has taken place since 1989 on the second weekend of July.

For the overarching travel overview: Burgos.