The sierra of Atapuerca, about fifteen kilometres east of Burgos, contains one of the most important prehistoric archaeological sites in the world. A series of caves — Gran Dolina, Sima de los Huesos, Galería — has yielded hundreds of thousands of fossil bone fragments representing dozens of individual early humans, spanning a period from 1.2 million years ago to around 400,000 years ago. The site has been under continuous excavation since the 1970s and is still producing new discoveries.
Guided visits to the excavation sites run from spring through autumn and must be booked in advance through the Atapuerca Foundation or in conjunction with the Museum of Human Evolution in Burgos. The visits include a walk through the sierra and a view of active excavation areas. The Museum of Human Evolution in Burgos provides the essential context for understanding what you will see, and is best visited before the site itself.