We stayed at El Refugio de Carazo, the motorhome area behind the town hall in Carazo, in the province of Burgos. It is essentially a grassy meadow with pitches of different sizes. Some spaces are rather narrow, but we managed to park our 23-foot motorhome without any problems. The area was still being developed when we visited, although all the service facilities were already working. The water pressure was excellent, which was particularly useful for filling the tank. Unfortunately, the area was a little dirty. During our visit, which was out of season, nobody charged us anything, so we were able to use the parking and services for free.
The area is located at approximately 1,100 metres above sea level, behind the Ayuntamiento on Calle Mayor. It has around 18 spaces and is intended for motorhomes and campervans. The available facilities include drinking water and places to empty grey water and chemical toilets. It is a simple rural stop rather than a fully equipped campsite, but its position makes it useful for exploring the surrounding countryside and the nearby filming locations from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
Carazo itself is a very small village with only around 40 inhabitants according to published local information. There is not a great deal to see in the village centre, and we did not find the place particularly attractive. We also encountered many stray dogs in the area. The main reason to stop here is therefore not the village itself, but its position near the film locations and the natural landscape of the Sabinares del Arlanza-La Yecla Natural Park.
The most unusual attraction nearby is Betterville, the reconstructed prison camp associated with Sergio Leone’s 1966 western The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. The original filming location was near Carazo, at a place known as Majada de las Merinas. The film crew built a large fortified enclosure with palisades, trenches and additional structures to represent a Union prison camp during the American Civil War. The scenes depicted the prisoners’ harsh conditions and the violence of the camp. Today, a reconstruction with fencing and two guard towers recalls the set used in the film.
We visited the Betterville site, but we did not find it particularly impressive. It is worth remembering that this is a recreated film location, not an authentic nineteenth-century American prison or a preserved historic town. The remains of the original set did not survive intact, so the present attraction is mainly of interest to people who know the film and want to see where the scenes were made. Access can also be affected by fencing and locked gates, so it is sensible to check the situation before making a special journey.
Another famous filming location in the area is Sad Hill Cemetery, where the final three-way duel between Blondie, Tuco and Angel Eyes was filmed. This site is in the municipality of Santo Domingo de Silos, rather than in Carazo itself. For the 1966 film, the production created a large circular cemetery with thousands of graves arranged around a central stone platform. The site was later restored by film enthusiasts and volunteers, returning it to something close to the layout seen in the movie. It is more recognisable to fans because of the famous final scene, although it is still an outdoor film location rather than a historic cemetery.
There is a route connecting Carazo with Betterville and Sad Hill. The provincial tourism office lists a circular route of approximately 15.5 kilometres, with about 233 metres of ascent and descent and a total duration of around four hours. It can be completed on foot or by mountain bike, but it is worth checking the route conditions and access to the film sites before setting out. The surrounding countryside also includes the Peñas de Carazo, limestone rock formations that dominate parts of the landscape, and the source area of the Mataviejas River. The natural park protects an extensive area of juniper woodland, oak groves, limestone cliffs and river valleys.
The nearby village of Santo Domingo de Silos is another reason to spend time in the area. Its Benedictine monastery is famous for its Romanesque cloister and its long religious history. A little further away, the La Yecla gorge offers a short walk through a narrow limestone canyon, with footbridges and walkways allowing visitors to follow the stream between steep rock walls. These natural and historical attractions are more substantial reasons to explore the region than Carazo’s small village centre.
For motorhome travellers, El Refugio de Carazo is a practical free stop with useful services, although the grassy pitches can be narrow and the ground may not be perfectly level. We found the water pressure excellent and the facilities operational, but the area was a little dirty while construction work was still ongoing. The village itself is very small, and the Betterville reconstruction was not particularly impressive in our opinion. The main advantage is the location for those interested in the filming sites of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly or in walking in the surrounding natural park.