San Juan de Ortega

San Juan de Ortega is a place of deep spiritual and historical resonance on the Camino Francés. This small settlement in the province of Burgos, which grew up amid the inhospitable Montes de Oca, owes its existence to San Juan de Ortega, a saint who devoted his life to helping pilgrims. Its 12th-century monastery is a gem of late Romanesque architecture. It is especially famous for the "miracle of the light," a phenomenon that occurs at the equinoxes, when a ray of sunlight illuminates a capital of the Annunciation. For the walker it is an essential stop, a place of contemplation, history and mysticism that offers a refuge of peace after a demanding stage.