A village in a valley, a spring north of the village and the stages of the Camino del Cid offer different ways to plan a trip to Modúbar De San Cibrián. Four established hiking routes add to the natural appeal, while the parish church, monastery history and excavated chapel remains lead through several historical periods. First consider whether you would like to focus your trip on a local hike, the stages of the route or the architectural history.
Valley, spring and surroundings
Modúbar De San Cibrián lies in a valley and is surrounded by farmland and oak groves. Fuente de los Mártires is about 500 metres north of the village. It is the source of the Río Viejo, also called Modúbar; the remains of an old grain mill can be seen right beside the spring. The spring thus provides a natural landmark, while the mill remains offer visible evidence of earlier use. The source area brings together the river’s origin and local cultural history.
Hiking and planning your stages
The local routes and the Camino del Cid offer different points of reference for planning a trip on foot. Four hiking routes have been established in Modúbar. The Ruta del Destierro section of the Camino del Cid places the village within a sequence of stages: Stage 2 comes from Burgos and ends here; Stage 3 begins in Modúbar and goes to Covarrubias. If you are planning to walk the Camino, you can therefore make the village a stage destination coming from Burgos or a starting point for the next stage. If you prefer to follow local hiking trails, the four established routes provide a separate option.
Church and monastery history
The present-day parish church of San Pedro de Antioquía, also known as Cátedra de San Pedro, was built over the former monastery of Santa María in the second half of the 16th century. The church also preserves an 11th-century Romanesque tower; a spiral staircase leads to the Renaissance bell tower. The Romanesque baptismal font dates from the 12th century and probably came from the former church of Santa María or the monastery of San Martín. The different elements represent distinct periods of construction: the Romanesque tower is older than the baptismal font, and the present-day parish church was not built until the second half of the 16th century.
The former monastery of San Martín was founded in 944 and housed 34 monks in 975. Its history therefore reaches much further back than the construction of the present-day parish church. San Martín is also one possible source of the baptismal font, though this attribution remains uncertain.
Archaeological remains and festival dates
The excavated remains of the chapel of San Cornelio y San Ciprián date from the 11th to the 13th century. Two anthropomorphic sarcophagi can also currently be seen in Modúbar. “Anthropomorphic” means human-shaped, explaining one feature of these burial remains.
Local festival information links Cátedra de San Pedro de Antioquía with 22 February and a solemn Mass. For Virgen del Rosario, it gives the first Sunday in October, a procession and a dance in honour of the Virgin. Check the local calendar before travelling for these dates.
Local facilities
The village also has a camping area and a hiking centre. If you plan to use either facility, check in advance whether it will be available during your travel dates.
Discover more destinations: Santo Domingo De Silos, Villanueva de Argaño, Madrigalejo Del Monte, Padilla De Abajo, La Revilla, Vadocondes, Citores del Páramo, Jurisdicción De Lara.
For the broader travel overview: Burgos.
