The unceremonious crossing into the province of León is by way of the bridge over the río Valderaduey.
León, tucked into the far northwest corner of Castilla y León, was formed from the old Kingdom of the same name. The Meseta begins to wind down, and soon the mountain ranges that form its border with Asturias and Galicia will come into sharp focus.
Perhaps the most celebrated aspects of modern León are its culinary achievements. The city of León is a city that turns out to the streets to celebrate food and...
Camino de Santiago Map 15
If you choose to spend the night in Sahagún do your best to explore the town, it is not the prettiest of places but there are a few gems hiding about that give you a glimpse of its illustrious past. At one time it rivaled Burgos and León in importance and grandeur.
For reasons unknown the town hall has drawn the camino path through town in a way that skips nearly every building worth
seeing, and which bypasses the plaza mayor entirely. If you want to explore you will have to leave the marked path; see green alternative on map.
Sahagún owes its name to the 4th century martyr San Facundo, who along with San Primitivo were buried nearby. Because of this it has seen more than its share of battles between Christians and Muslims. Although the Christians ultimately won out, it was not before the town...
A very nice certificate is available from the Santuario de la Virgen Peregrina on your way out of Sahagún, a type of half-way Compostela. See the map for the location as it is not on the camino proper.
Market day is Saturday. Winter pilgrims can celebrate San Tirso on the 28th of January. San Juan de Sahagún on the 12th and 13th of June. Fiesta de Peregrina on the 2nd of July, and San Lorenzo on the 9th and 10th of August.
Accommodation in Sahagún
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1 |
Albergue de Peregrinos Cluny Municipal
Arco, 2 Antiguo Iglesia de la Trinidad
64 5€ |
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2 |
Albergue Viatoris Private
Arco Travesía, 25
50 7€ Booking.com |
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3 |
Albergue de la Santa Cruz Parochial
Antonio Nicolas, 40
12 6€ |
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4 |
Pedro Ponce Camping
Tineo
3.35€ |
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5 |
Casa Rural Arturo I Casa Rural
Arco, 72
Booking.com |
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6 |
Casa Rural Los Balcones del Camino Casa Rural
Constitución, 53
Booking.com |
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7 |
Hostal La Codorniz Hostal
Constitución, 97
Booking.com |
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8 |
Hostal La Bastide du Chemin ⭑⭑ Hostal
Arco, 66
Booking.com |
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9 |
Hostal Domus Viatoris ⭑⭑ Hostal
Sahagún-Arriondas
Booking.com |
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10 |
Hostal Alfonso VI ⭑⭑ Hostal
Antonio Nicolás, 4
Booking.com |
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11 |
Hostal Escarcha ⭑⭑ Hostal
Regina Franco, 12
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12 |
Hotel Puerta de Sahagún ⭑⭑⭑⭑ Hotel
Ctra. de Burgos
Booking.com |
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Leaving Sahagún cross over the río Cea. The camino becomes something of a confusion just short of Calzada de Coto, which lies to the north of the A-231. You will find yourself standing at a large highway interchange (4.4km from Sahagún) with a block bus-stop and very little signage to point the way. Distances indicated below are from Sahagún to Reliegos, though the Via Trajana can also bypass Relíegos and go directly to Mansilla de las Mulas without adding any distance The two options rejoin in Reliegos, or Mansilla de las...
The name of the town tells us that the original inhabitants came from the Bierzo area, and that it is situated along the Camino Real, or Royal Camino. This designation has nothing at all to do with royalty but is rather a term given to primary roads that met a certain metric for size; much like versions of our modern day National highways.
The Iglesia de San Salvador contains a sculpture of St. John the Baptist. The original church tower very nearly lasted into the 21st c., but not quite. The replacement is an uninspiring steel bell tower.
Accommodation in Bercianos del Real Camino
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1 |
Albergue La Perala Private
Camino Sahagún s/n
10€ |
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2 |
Albergue Bercianos 1900 Private
Mayor, 49
20 15€ |
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3 |
Albergue Santa Clara Private
Iglesia, 3
19 15€ |
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4 |
Albergue de Peregrinos de Bercianos Parochial
Santa Rita, 11
46 Donativo€ |
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5 |
Hostal Rivero Hostal
Mayor, 12
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As far as the eye can tell the only thing keeping El Burgo Ranero on the map is the business brought in by the camino; the wheat and wool business that once sustained it has been displaced by mechanization.
Although the church in town was robbed of its treasures long ago (some are preserved in the León Cathedral Museum) the bells still ring, and an ever aging congregation turns up daily.
El Burgo Ranero owes its existence to both wheat and wool. Of the two it was the wheat (and the granaries that came with) that gave the town its name; though other historians say the name is derived from the same root that gives us the word frog, rana; the wetlands at the far end...
If you are passing through at the right time of year (late May) take a close look at the stork nests on the tower. If you are lucky you may catch a glimpse of the babies waiting for lunch.
The camino between El Burgo and Reliegos is along a manicured path lined with trees. Those trees, unfortunately, are on the wrong side of the path, so on sunny summer days you are exposed: bring ample amounts of water.
Accommodation in El Burgo Ranero
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1 |
Albergue La Laguna Private
La Laguna, 12
18 12-15€ |
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2 |
Albergue de Peregrinos Domenico Laffi Association
Mayor, 3
28 Donativo€ |
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3 |
Casa Rural Piedras Blancas Casa Rural
Fray Pedro del Burgo, 32
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4 |
Pensión La Costa del Adobe Pension
Real, 69
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5 |
Hostal El Peregrino ⭑ Hostal
Fray Pedro del Burgo, 36
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6 |
Hotel Castillo El Burgo ⭑⭑ Hotel
Autovía A231 km 34
Booking.com |
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The two stretches of road between here and Reliegos are without any services outside of those to be found in Calzadilla de los Hermanillos. Be sure to carry enough water.
Accommodation in Calzada de Coto
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1 |
Albergue de peregrinos San Roque Municipal
Real
36 Donativo€ |
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The camino from Calzadilla once went directly to Mansilla de la Mulas, bypassing Reliegos. The route proved to be less desirable than going first to Reliegos which is close enough. The split occurs 1km before arriving at Reliegos and there may still exist...
Accommodation in Calzadilla de los Hermanillos
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1 |
Albergue de Calzadilla de los Hermanillos Municipal
Mayor, 28
22 Donativo€ |
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2 |
Albergue Vía Trajana Private
Mayor, 57
20 15€ |
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3 |
Casa Rural Casa El Cura Casa Rural
La Carretera, 13
17 Booking.com |
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Camino de Santiago Map 16
Bar Elvis, quite possibly the most famous bar on the whole of the camino, is located in the main square. The owner is quite a character and if you’ve brought your sharpie marker get to scribbling, this is one of the few places where graffiti is encouraged.
Accommodation in Reliegos
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1 |
Albergue de Reliegos D Gaiferos Municipal
Escuela
45 5€ |
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2 |
Albergue La Cantina de Teddy Private
Cantas
6 9€ |
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3 |
Albergue Gil Private
Cantas, 30
14 8€ |
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4 |
Albergue las Hadas Private
Real, 42
12 13€ Booking.com |
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5 |
Albergue Vive tu Camino Private
Real, 56
8 12€ Booking.com |
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6 |
Albergue La Parada Private
Escuela, 7
36 8€ |
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There is a nice place for a swim in the river in the northwest corner of Mansilla. Cross over the small pedestrian bridge towards the camping place (not the road bridge that the camino crosses) located in the northwest corner of town. Getting there will take you through several of Mansilla’s small plazas.
Mansilla traces its history back to Roman times, and the walls that continue to surround most of the city bear evidence to its importance; it was both a layover on the Roman road to León and a market town (mostly mules).
The Virgen de Gracia is celebrated on the second Sunday in September. San Martín is celebrated on the 11th of November.
Mansilla still has large sections of its defensive walls, look back when leaving town to get the best view of them.
Much of the way between here and Puente de Villarente is adjacent to the road.
Accommodation in Mansilla de las Mulas
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1 |
Albergue de Mansilla de las Mulas Municipal
Puente, 5
76 5€ |
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2 |
Albergue Gaia Private
Constitución, 28
16 10€ |
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3 |
Albergue El Jardín del Camino Private
Camino de Santiago, 1
32 5-10€ |
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4 |
Camping Esla Camping
Fuente de los Prados
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5 |
Casa Rural Las Singer Casa Rural
José Álvarez, 6
Booking.com |
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6 |
La Pensión de Blanca Pension
Picos de Europa, 4
14 |
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7 |
Hostal Alberguería del Camino Hostal
Concepción, 12
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8 |
La Casa de los Soportales ⭑⭑ Hotel Rural
Arrabal, 9
Booking.com |
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If you want to escape the busy road for a bit, bear left at the start of town and follow the arrows through the village. Doing so doesn’t add any distance to your journey but spares you 500m of the road.
When entering Puente de Villarente it is now the bridge, not the river; that...
The river here once posed a serious threat to pilgrims when waters ran high and as a result it became home to several pilgrim hospices.
As you are leaving Puente behind you, keep an eye out for arrows pointing you along a trail to your right-hand side, and up a small hill towards Arcahueja. It is fairly well marked but is along a service road that is often lined with parked trucks and the way might be obscured.
Accommodation in Puente de Villarente
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1 |
Albergue San Pelayo Private
El Romero, 9
8 10€ Booking.com |
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2 |
Albergue El Delfin Verde Private
carretera general 601, 15 B
24 5€ Booking.com |
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3 |
Hostal La Montaña ⭑ Hostal
Camino de Santiago, 17
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The bar and albergue are in the same building, turn left at the playground.
The way continues straight past the small playground and climbs upwards to the Alto de Portillo.
Accommodation in Arcahueja
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1 |
Albergue La Torre Private
La Torre, 1
20 10€ Booking.com |
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2 |
Hotel Camino Real ⭑⭑⭑ Hotel
Carretera N-601, Km 320
Booking.com |
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Valdelafuente the town is not directly on the camino, but rather a few hundred meters off.
It is from the Alto del Portillo that you get your first glimpse of León. It is customary at such a height to search for the spires of León’s magnificent cathedral.
Puente Castro, notable for its bridge, has now grown large enough to merge with one of León’s outer barrios (Santa Ana). There are plenty of places to take a rest and enjoy a beverage; there are still a few kilometers to go before arriving at the center of León.
The barrio and the bridge derive their name from the old Jewish quarter that was once here.
Accommodation in Puente de Castro
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1 |
Albergue Santo Tomás de Canterbury Private
La Lastra, 53
59 8-10€ Booking.com |
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León is now a fully modernized city home to more than half of the population in the province and like Burgos it is worthy of more time than the average pilgrim spends here. To explore in full would take many days, to cover the basics at least two. If you are keen to keep your feet moving every day, consider spending an extra afternoon in León and setting out after lunch for a half day of walking. Between here and Astorga there are two routes to choose from and plenty of albergues.
The Catedral de Santa María de la Regla is a magnificent example of...
Nearly one thousand years ago, the city of León was the jewel in the crown of the most powerful king in the Iberian peninsula, at the time a fractured version of what would not become a unified nation for several hundred years. One thousand years before that, it was a Roman settlement...
León hosts one of the more specacular Semana Santa celebrations to be seen along the Camino Francés.
San Juan and San Pedro are celebrated from the 21st to the 30th of June. La Virgen del Camino on the 18th of September. And a romería for San Froilán on the 5th of October.
Perhaps the best place to get your bearings is the Cathedral, and the familiar yellow arrows are visible directly opposite the principle facade. The journey through town is short, passing first the Church of San Isidoro and later the Parador (once hospital) of San Marcos before...
Accommodation in León
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1 |
Albergue Unamuno Private
San Pelayo, 15
85 13-18€ |
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2 |
Albergue Leon Hostel Private
Ancha, 8
20 12/14€ Booking.com |
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3 |
La Madriguera Hostel Private
Virgen Blanca, 59
14 15€ Booking.com |
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4 |
Albergue Check in León Private
Alcalde Miguel Castaño, 88
40 11€ Booking.com |
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5 |
Hostel Urban Río Cea Private
Legión VII, 6
20 18/20*€ |
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6 |
Hostel Covent Garden Private
Ancha, 25
26 19€ Booking.com |
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7 |
Albergue Muralla Leonesa Private
Tarifa, 5
80 16€ Booking.com |
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8 |
Albergue de Peregrinos de las Benedictinas - Sta. María de Carbajal Parochial
Pl. Santa Maria del Camino, 11
132 6€ |
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9 |
Albergue San Francisco de Asis Parochial
Alcalde Miguel Castaños, 4
90 13€ Booking.com |
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10 |
Pensión La Torre Pension
La Torre, 3
Booking.com |
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11 |
Hostal Londres Hostal
Roma, 1
25 15€ Booking.com |
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12 |
Hostal Misericordia Hostal
Misericordia, 15
Booking.com |
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13 |
Hostal Albany ⭑⭑ Hostal
Paloma, 13
Booking.com |
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14 |
Hostal Quevedo ⭑⭑ Hostal
Quevedo, 13
Booking.com |
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15 |
Hostal Alda Casco Antiguo ⭑⭑ Hostal
Cardenal Landázuri, 11
Booking.com |
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16 |
Hotel NH Plaza Mayor ⭑⭑⭑⭑ Hotel
Plaza Mayor, 7-11
Booking.com |
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17 |
Hotel Le Petit León ⭑⭑ Hotel
Pozo, 2
Booking.com |
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18 |
Hotel Real Colegiata de San Isidoro ⭑⭑⭑ Hotel
Plaza Santo Martino, 5
Booking.com |
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19 |
Parador San Marcos Parador
Plaza San Marcos, 7
Booking.com |
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Accommodation in Trobajo del Camino
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1 |
Hostal El Abuelo ⭑ Hostal
Los Mesones, 6
Booking.com |
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2 |
Hotel Alfageme ⭑⭑ Hotel
Las Lagunas, 1
Booking.com |
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Camino de Santiago Map 17
