Burgos

Burgos cathedral in the morning, the Cartuja in the afternoon

Two days are enough for Burgos. Give the first to the cathedral, San Nicolás and the castle hill, ending on the Paseo del Espolón, and the second to the Atapuerca finds at the Museo de la Evolución Humana, the Cartuja de Miraflores and the convent of Las Huelgas.

Be at the cathedral when the doors open at half past nine, ahead of the coach parties. Start outside at the west front on Plaza Santa María, then work round inside to the Coronería door, the Condestable Chapel and El Cid's tomb beneath the lantern. Then cross to San Nicolás, just west on Calle Fernán González, for its huge limestone altarpiece. Lunch on tapas along Calle San Lorenzo.

In the afternoon climb the castle hill. The path is steep, but the view down over the spires repays every step. Come back down past the Arco de Fernán González and out through the Arco de Santa María to the river, where the Paseo del Espolón fills with families early in the evening. Book Casa Ojeda if you want a proper dinner under the wood panelling.

Day two belongs to the edges of town. Cross the Arlanzón to the Museo de la Evolución Humana for the Atapuerca finds, which deserve a good two hours. After lunch take a taxi east to the Cartuja de Miraflores and its carved royal tombs, then swing west to the convent of Las Huelgas. Finish back near Huerto del Rey with a glass of Ribera del Duero and a plate of fried morcilla.

Burgos weather on the meseta and the San Pedro fiestas in June

Late spring and summer are the easy months in Burgos: July and August peak at about 28°C with cool nights, and the San Pedro fiestas close June. Winters at about 850 m on the northern meseta are hard, with January highs of 7°C, nights at freezing and routine frost from November into March.

The climate figures show the altitude. January averages a high of just 7°C with nights at freezing point, and frost is routine from November into March. Snow is not unusual. Pack gloves as well as a coat in winter, and expect the cathedral to be cold enough inside that you keep them on.

Summer is short and kind. July and August peak at about 28°C while nights fall to around 12°C, and August is the driest month with under 20 mm of rain, so even the warmest afternoons cool quickly after sunset. Camino walkers are at their most numerous then, and the terraces on Plaza Mayor stay full late into the night.

The big party comes at the end of June with the fiestas of San Pedro y San Pablo, a week or more of concerts, parades of giants and fireworks over the Arlanzón; rooms are tight that week. October and November are the wettest months, at over 60 mm each, yet they are also when the plane trees of the Espolón turn gold and the streets belong to locals again.

Morcilla de Burgos, roast milk-fed lamb and fresh queso de Burgos

Order morcilla de Burgos, the city's black pudding, sliced and fried on almost every tapas counter, then roast milk-fed lamb for lunch and soft queso de Burgos with honey to finish. Calle San Lorenzo and the lanes off Plaza Mayor are where the tapas rounds start.

Black pudding is the dish the city puts its name to. Morcilla de Burgos is made with rice instead of oats or bread, seasoned with onion and paprika, and it turns up sliced and fried on almost every tapas counter in town. The second local name on menus is queso de Burgos, a soft, mild fresh cheese that often comes as a dessert with honey or quince paste.

Castile is lamb country. Lechazo asado, milk-fed lamb roasted in a wood-fired clay oven, is a lunchtime order rather than an evening one; ask for a quarter to share and expect little more than a salad alongside. In the cold months look for sopa castellana, a garlic and bread soup finished with egg. The south of the province reaches into the Ribera del Duero vineyards around Aranda de Duero, so even the house red tends to be sound.

For tapas, start on Calle San Lorenzo and the lanes off Plaza Mayor. Cervecería Morito, just west of the square, is a long-running favourite for generous portions, and La Mejillonera near the cathedral does little besides mussels. For a full sit-down meal, Casa Ojeda on Calle Vitoria has been feeding diners in its wood-panelled rooms since 1912.