Day Eleven Cue Sheet

Retortillo de Soria - Sigüenza (54.5 km)

Though most of Castilla-La Mancha’s Ruta del Quijote is located south of Madrid, there is one section in northern
Guadalajara, near Sigüenza, which has some delightfully historic villages, some inhabited, some not. Once over
the Sierra Pela at the beginning of the day, it’s almost all downhill straight to Sigüenza. If you’re on a road bike, the
route is even more direct: just stay on the CM101, go though Imón, and take the highway straight to Sigüenza.

 Km You need to….

 0.0 Exit Retortillo by taking Camino de la Fábrica from Plaza Mayor to SO162 (Ctra Burgo-Miedes)
 2.6 SO162 climbs to the border with Castilla-La Mancha.
 2.9 Fast downhill begins – careful with those hairpin turns!
 8.0 MIEDES DE ATIENZA – Follow c/ Huertas through town.
 13.0 Turnoff to ALPEDROCHES (fountain, no services)
 16.7 Intersection with CM110. Turn LEFT to get to Atienza.
 19.9 Turnoff to Atienza (all services.) Continue on CM110 if you don’t want to stop.
 24.7 Junction with CM101 regional road. Keep travelling south.
 26.7 Turn LEFT onto CM101 (following signs for Imón and Sigüenza)
 32.5 If you’re not riding a road bike (or don’t want to stop in Imón), turn RIGHT on GU130.
 34.9 Turn RIGHT and follow road to SANTAMERA (water, accommodation on Fridays/Saturdays)
 36.35 To leave Santamera, follow street back out to bridge but don’t cross the bridge. Stay on path that
hugs hill (to the right.)
 37.4 Go right at first fork and if you don’t want to go up to OLMEDA DE JADRAQUE (water, no
services), go LEFT at second fork.
 40 T-intersection; turn RIGHT and 50 m later, turn LEFT.
 Km You need to….
 41.6 T-intersection at salt flats; turn LEFT and if you don’t want to go up the hill to visit BUJALCAYADO
(pop. 2 – no kidding), turn RIGHT 150 m later and follow Ruta de Quijote to Palazuelos.
 46.2 Go through old wall of PALAZUELOS and follow c/ del Sotelo through to the other end of town
(the San Roque Gate) and follow the Ruta de Quijote down to the CM101.
 47.8 Cross CM101 by the restaurant/casa rural and follow the Ruta uphill.
 50.7 Path goes by a recycling plant (on your left); the path from here to Sigüenza is paved.
 53 After going downhill (watch for people on horseback), path bends to the right at a fountain and
runs parallel to the train line.
 54 Take LEFT-hand at fork and turn LEFT again at CM101 to get into Sigüenza.
 54.3 Cross railroad line and follow street as it goes to the right
 54.5 FINISH: Sigüenza train station
 Day Ten Cue Sheet
RETORTILLO DE SORIA - SIGÜENZA
(54.5 km)
START POINT: Plaza Mayor, Retortillo de Soria

WHERE TO GET FOOD AND WATER:

Although you may hear the high-pitched horn of the bread truck anywhere
along the route, the best bet for stocking up is in Atienza, at Km 20. The
town has several restaurants, usually open for breakfast and lunch, as well
as a decent grocery store, just uphill from the Guardia Civil station. Save
your hunger for Sigüenza’s many excellent restaurants!

HOW TO GET THERE:

There is no regular bus service to and from Retortillo de Soria. Six trains a
day run from Madrid to Sigüenza. If you’re coming from Barcelona, you
need to connect in Zaragoza and take the 5:25PM train to Sigüenza.

KEEP IN MIND:
Taking the CM 110 from Atienza to Sigüenza is a much more sensible
option if it’s been raining recently, since the path between Santamera and
La Olmeda may be impassable due to mud and clay.

WHAT TO SEE:
Although it’s not possible to visit the salt works at Olmeda, you can take a
wander through the abandoned town of Bujalcayado, which lies uphill from
the salt flats. The scarcely-inhabited town has a very good fountain in the
centre; wandering the grassy streets gives you a real appreciation of how
important salt production must have been two hundred years ago, if it
housed so many people and had a relatively large church.

The best place to have a post-ride drink, hands down, is the Parador – it’s
worth the walk uphill to have a drink among its fourteenth-century walls!

WHERE TO SLEEP
Sigüenza has a decent number of hotels, including a parador (state-run
luxury hotel) and several other options. We stayed at (and enjoyed the
cuisine of) Hostal-Restaurante El Doncel, which has space in the parking
garage for bicycles (well worth the €6 for peace of mind.)