Camino Stage 3 - Burgos to Leon
- Begin in Burgos with its beautiful UNESCO heritage gothic cathedral
- Discover an abundance of beautiful churches and historical buildings along the route
- Walk and share stories with fellow pilgrims from all over the world
- Finishing in León, with its huge cathedral adorned with medieval stained glass windows
- Journey through vast plains and farmland as you pass small traditional hamlets and villages
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive in Burgos and overnightArrive in Burgos in plenty of time to explore its medieval streets and many monuments, before enjoying a tasty dinner and settling in for the night.
Behind the beautiful façade of a former theatre guests will be agreeably surprised to find a contemporary interior, with 117 comfortable rooms inspired by the Grand Theatre that gave it its name. There is also a restaurant, café, private garage and excellent public rooms.
Located 150 metres from the cathedral and in the middle of the Camino de Santiago, the hotel is surrounded by a tapas area and is next to the main shopping street of Burgos.
A modern and quiet hotel, located in the traditional neighbourhood of San Agustin, close to the cathedral of Burgos, the Museum of Human Evolution and the historic old city.
Crop fields dominate the landscape as you enter an area called the Meseta. A short climb after the Fuente de Prao Torre gives you great views of the flat landscape surrounding you for miles, before your descent to Hornillos. A short transfer at the end of today brings you to your accommodation in Isar.
Ascend: 142m/ Descend: 188m
La Consulta de Isar offers rooms with private bathrooms. The accommodation has 24-hour reception, terrace, garden, parking and a coffee bar.
Located in the Hornillos del Camino region, this comfortable hotel offers cosy rooms equipped with flat screen tv, private bathrooms and free WIFI. The nearest airport is Burgos Airport which is located 36 km away.
Transfer to Hornillos in the morning to start your walk through the Meseta. There is little shade on this route and therefore make sure you have sun protection with you and plenty of water.
The trail will take you through the pilgrim villages of San Bol, Hontanas and Arco San Anton before you reach Castrojeriz.
Ascend: 181m/ Descend: 199m
This comfortable hostel has a restaurant attached and is well located. The hotel opened its doors after a careful restoration that preserved part of the building's original 16th century structure and its ancient materials of stone, ceramics and wood. This three-star hotel on the Pilgrim's Way to Santiago combines tradition and modernity in very comfortable surroundings.
Quaint stone building that is a 3-minute walk from the ancient castle ruins at Castillo de Castrojeriz. Cozy rooms with beautiful exposed wooden beams on the ceiling.
From the large terrace of the colonial-style house you have a view of the impressive Castilian landscape. Numerous shops and bars are 10 minutes from the property.
Walk along beautiful earth tracks as you ascend up the Alto de Mostelares this morning where you will have magnificent views of the valley below. In the afternoon you will descend again into Fromista via the Canal de Castilla.
Ascend: 250m/ Descend: 272m
This new house houses a 3-star hotel, a restaurant, a bar, a shared lounge and a terrace with a garden. It features double, triple and family rooms, all with free WiFi and private bathrooms. The restaurant serves traditional home-made food using fresh local produce.
The eco-hotel Doña Mayor is located in Frómista, in the heart of the French Route to Santiago. Its name refers to Queen Doña Mayor of Castile, who founded the convent of San Martín with its Romanesque church around 1066, a key figure in the history of the town, which experienced one of the most splendid periods of the region. Our hotel is located in the historic centre of Frómista and has individual rooms & a beautiful garden.
Situated next to the Church of San Martín de Tours, the Hotel San Martín is a family-run establishment with 19 rooms in the heart of Fromista.
Walk along the dirt track running alongside the main roads, you can choose to continue your path past the village Poblacion to Villalcazar or take the more scenic route via Villovieco.
Both paths will join in Villalcazar with its beautiful Templar church, take a look inside and discover its Retablo of the life of St James.
Ascend: 113m/ Descend: 61m
Welcome to the Royal Convent of San Zoilo, in Carrión de los Condes. During your pleasant and peaceful stay in this emblematic monastery, you will not fail to be captivated by the impressions and experiences of its history.
Opened in May 2017, very comfortable spacious rooms with private en suite bathrooms. It also has parking for bicycles and laundry service. Perfect location in the Plaza Mayor with all services a few meters away: free public parking, supermarkets, pharmacies, cafeterias, and restaurants. The friendly staff is always willing to help you. Come and enjoy Carrión and its surroundings.
The hostel used to be the former chaplain’s house and has recently been renovated to provide 15 rooms.
Walk from Carrion de los Condes to Calzadilla de la Cueza along the flat and dry landscape, most of the paths you will be walking on are overlay the old paved Roman road Via Aquitana which if you follow will lead you to Astorga.
There are no facilities between the two villages and therefore make sure you have enough provisions for the day.
Ascend: 57m/ Descend: 30m
This cosy country inn provides everthing a walker needs on the Camino - comfortable rooms, a terrace and a restaurant.
The philosophy of La Morena is to make the traveller, whether a guest or a pilgrim, feel at home, a unique place surrounded by good atmosphere and hospitality.
When you visit us, you will find a building over 200 years old, completely renovated and equipped with all the facilities you need to make your stay unforgettable.
Walk from Calzadilla de la Cueza to Sahagun, continuing through this flat and dry landscape. Sahagun is a town filled with history and ancient monuments which you will have plenty of time to explore due to your shorter walk today.
Ascend: 143m/ Descend: 196m
This guest house offers comfortable, air-conditioned rooms in a peaceful setting. The property also has a restaurant and a bar with a terrace.
La Codorniz Guesthouse-Restaurant is in Sahagún, a unique place right at the centre of the Camino de Santiago (St. James´ Way). Its has unique Mudejar Sahagún architecture, and its rooms offer all the comforts you deserve.
The recently renovated guesthouse is located 32km from Villa Romana La Olmeda and it offers comfortable rooms. Facilities include free wifi, private bathrooms, flat screen TVs and a buffet breakfast.
Leave Sahagun by crossing the river Cea to Calzada del Coto via groves of poplars, the scenery today remains much of the same as you make your way over the dry vast landscape.
You follow the Camino Frances Real route until you reach the small stop of El Burgo Ranero. As there is no accommodation in El Burgo Ranero, return transfers are included to Sahagun.
Ascend: 89m/ Descend: 34m
This guest house offers comfortable, air-conditioned rooms in a peaceful setting. The property also has a restaurant and a bar with a terrace.
La Codorniz Guesthouse-Restaurant is in Sahagún, a unique place right at the centre of the Camino de Santiago (St. James´ Way). Its has unique Mudejar Sahagún architecture, and its rooms offer all the comforts you deserve.
The recently renovated guesthouse is located 32km from Villa Romana La Olmeda and it offers comfortable rooms. Facilities include free wifi, private bathrooms, flat screen TVs and a buffet breakfast.
The long flat paths are slowly coming to an end as you slowly descent into Mansilla de las Mulas. The sweeping open countryside gives you a constant view of the horizon, which has a soft desert touch about it.
The trail guides you through Reliegos, where the route begins to gradually descend into the Mansilla de las Mulas.
Ascend: 11m/ Descend: 85m
The Albergueria del Camino guesthouse is situated on the banks of the River Esla, in the heart of the medieval town of Mansilla de las Mulas and right on the Pilgrim´s Way to Santiago, in the shadow of the Tower of Santa María, offering peace, quiet and comfort in a rural, cosy atmosphere.
In July 2015 the new rural hotel "Hotel La Casa de los Soportales" opened. A completely new space that combines tradition with the modernity and comfort of a rural hotel.
The Pensión de Blanca is located in the medieval town of Mansilla de las Mulas , and just 18 km from León. With an excellent location, it is located at the entrance of the town, next to the pilgrim statue and on the Camino de Santiago Francés , 2 minutes from the bus station and with easy access from National Highway 601.
Opened in 2010, it has modern and cozy facilities, with multiple services, single, double and triple rooms, all with private bathroom and Internet service via WIFI, among others.
We are a few meters from the tourist center of the town. In the surroundings of our pension you can enjoy cafes, restaurants, a public park, visit the historical set of walls, monuments and do sports and leisure activities.
Walk alongside the busy N601, this trail will cross the River Esla Mansill, and the Rio Porma before you join the main road into León. Take care as you walk along busy roads as you enter the city as there is, unfortunately, no designated pilgrim path away from the fast-paced city life and all the noise surrounding it.
Enjoy great views of Leon and the mountains ahead of you from the Alto del Portillo before a steep descent brings you down into León.
Ascend: 148m/ Descend: 108m
This hotel has 17 rooms, all of whice The are equipped with underfloor heating and air conditioning, desk, flat screen TV with atellite channels, internet connection and free WiFi, safe and minibar, among many other services. A breakfast buffet is served daily.
Located right in the historic center of León, the hotel is housed in two charming old Leonese buildings. They have been completely restored and offer attractive rooms, furnished in the original style of the house, but equipped with all modern facilities: TV, free WIFI, hairdryer, safe and direct dial telephone. The restaurant serves delicious traditional cuisine in a rustic and warm atmosphere.
The Silken Luis de León perfectly combines its privileged central location with the comfort of its rooms and facilities, in an environment full of details, ideal for enjoying the city of León to the full. The Silken Luis de León has its own restaurant specialising in traditional León cuisine. The hotel is located opposite the El Corte Ingles shopping centre.
After breakfast, your walking holiday will come to an end. See the Travel Info section for some useful details for your onward travel.
This trip has a carbon score of 10kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our best trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 10kg is equivalent to 18 lattes. Here at Macs, we pride ourselves on being a responsible travel company and continue to adopt, develop and innovate ways to positively impact the environment. Find out more information on how we've carbon counted our trips.
Other Information
Is it for me?The Camino is so special since it attracts a wide range of pilgrims from all over the world, who take the journey for many different reasons. This is the perfect stage to walk for those wanting to connect with the nature of the predominant wide-open plains. Starting in Burgos and ending in León, both cities have so much to offer. We recommend taking extra nights at the start and end to fully appreciate these Spanish heritage sites with their huge incredible cathedrals, deep history, and beautiful buildings.
Pilgrimages | For those looking to follow a path of self-discovery. Our Pilgrimage and Camino routes take you on a journey through diverse landscapes and local flavours, while meeting like-minded adventurers along the way.
Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&Bs, inns, and guesthouses.
Solo Travellers, Families with Teens
The minimum age for this tour is: 12 Years
This itinerary is gradedeasy-moderate overall and includes hiking distances of 17 - 25 km per day. On the Camino, you will follow a mix of dirt trails, minor roads, and established footpaths.
Although the route mostly leads along wide, relatively easy-to-walk paths, the unpaved sections and the daily distances of between 9 and 30 kilometres require a good basic level of fitness and a certain amount of hiking experience. The first section from St Jean-Pied-de-Port with steep ascents and descents in the Pyrenees is the most difficult. The entire 40-day Way of St James naturally requires a great deal of stamina. But the longer you are on the road, the fitter you will become. Pamplona, Logroño, Burgos and León are fascinating cities that you must visit and the smaller towns are also very charming and often offer wonderful regional delicacies.
Our Camino Tours include small rural hotels and hostels close to the route of the Camino. You will always have a private room and en-suite (attached) bathroom. When staying in Leon, Pamplona, Sarria and Santiago, you will stay in 3* hotels, the other nights will be in a mixture of rural hotels and hostels.
Single Rooms
Single rooms are available, although a supplement is payable. The price for a single room is available on the included tab of this tour and in the booking engine.
Meals
A light continental breakfast is included each morning, which can sometimes just be coffee, bread and orange juice. Lunch and dinner are not included so you are free to choose from the available options. Every place you stop will have evening meals available, you can get a pilgrims menu for about 15 Euros which includes 3 courses, wine and water!
Extra Nights
We can add extra nights if you wish, allowing you to have rest days in between the longer walking days.
The Camino is very easy to follow. The route is marked with yellow painted arrows and a yellow shell on a blue background. The detailed travel pack we supply includes a detailed information pack for planning and preparing for your Camino, detailed instructions of how to find your overnight accommodation and everything you need for your Camino.
In addition to the printed route notes, you will receive in your travel pack, you will also have access to our Macs Adventure App, allowing you to follow the route on richly detailed mapping on your smartphone.
Recommended Reading
Although not essential, if you would like more information on the route please see our recommendation below:
- A Guidebook to the Camino de Santiago by John Brierly
- Accommodation in small rural hotels and hostels, twin/double rooms with en-suite W/C
- Daily breakfast
- Transfer Hornillos-Burgos and Burgos-Hornillos
- Baggage Transfers
- All your trip documents provided digitally through your online Macs “My Account”
- Access to maps, GPX tracks and daily route information with the Macs Adventure smartphone navigation app
- Emergency support from our local and UK offices in the event of a problem
- Return travel to France/Spain.
- Lunches, dinners, snacks or drinks.
- Travel Insurance.
- Personal Equipment.
- Taxi transfers or public transport should you need to skip a stage.
- Additional nights’ accommodation
You can start your Camino on any day of your choosing between March and November.
Time of Year
The spring months of March and April tend to offer nice mild conditions for walking although the nights can be quite cold at this time of year and there can be quite a lot of rain in northern Spain at this time of year. The summer months of July and August can get very hot and humid. The autumn from late September through to October offers cooler temperatures again although daylight hours start to become less at this time.
The weather on the Camino will change slightly as you travel from the Pyrenees over to Galicia. The spring months of April and May tend to offer nice mild conditions for walking although the nights can be quite cold at this time of year and there can be quite a lot of rain in the region of Galicia at this time. The summer months of July and August can get very hot and humid. The autumn from late September through to October offers cooler temperatures again although daylight hours start to become less at this time. The region of Galicia in particular experiences higher rainfall than the rest of Spain so you should come prepared with waterproofs!
From Madrid you can connect by train to Burgos with RENFE which takes around 2 and a half hours. Alternatively you can take the bus with ALSA which takes around 3 hours. There are many flights from the UK to Madrid with carriers such as Easyjet, Vuelingand Ryanair
By Air: Oviedo is the closest airport to Leon and is serviced by EasyJet from London. There are 8 buses a day from Oviedo to Leon which takes 1hr30. Timetables and fares at Alsa. Madrid airport is the best airport if travelling from outside Europe. Connect by train from Madrid. We can also arrange private transfers to take you from Leon straight to Oviedo Airport.
By Train: León is 2h45 by train from Madrid. Timetables and tickets at Renfe.
By Bus: León is 4h00 by bus from Madrid. Timetables and fares at Alsa.
At Macs Adventure, we work in partnership with many luggage transfer providers who set a limit on how many bags/suitcases they will transfer per person, and also the weight of the bag/suitcase. Your booking includes transfer of 1 bag per person. It is very important that you read the luggage information specific to your tour before departure. If you do not adhere to these limits, there is a great possibility that you will be charged locally both for extra bags or if they are too heavy. This limitation can be a challenge, especially as airlines generally have limits that are higher. However, our luggage providers have reasons for these limits (usually due to the Health and Safety of their employees), which we must respect.
Baggage transfers are included (max 20kg per person). Your main bag will be transferred each day between your overnight accommodation so that you only need to walk with a day pack.
The distances and ascent/descents are approximations of the recommended routes. Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and pants), sun hat, sunscreen. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a day pack.
Extra Nights
There is so much to do and discover on the Way of St. James that many of our customers plan extra nights, either as rest days or to get to know the region even better.
Online Documents
At Macs Adventure we care about the environment! We’re taking action to minimize the impact we have by converting the majority of our tour documentation for online delivery.
On this tour, all your detailed tour information will be digitally delivered. You will have access to this documentation via “My Account” on our website.
Pilgrim Passport
The Pilgrim Passport is issued by the Church of St James, you will find this in your pack waiting for you at your first hotel. Alternatively, you can obtain one at the start of your walk in the Pilgrims’ Office or the local church in town. You need to get the passport stamped in churches, restaurants and hotels along the way. At the end of the walk, in Santiago, you can obtain your Compostela Certificate (only if you have walked the last 100km).
Local taxes
Local taxes may apply in some places. Where ever possible, we will pay there taxes in advance for you. It is not always possible to pay the taxes in advance and you will have to pay it directly at your accomodation.
Extra charge
On some days there may be some extra charges on the tour price due to public holiday.
Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, lightweight clothes, waterproofs and a day pack.
The average daily distance of our Camino tours are between 20 and 25 kilometers and you can expect to walk for between five and eight hours each day. You should do as much walking as possible prior to your walk as this will simply add to your enjoyment. That said if you are not at peak fitness you will find you will soon walk yourself fit.
A mixture of farm/dirt tracks, minor roads and footpaths. The route is marked with yellow painted arrows but please take care at intersections. There will always be other walkers around in case you are looking for help.
We suggest you book as far in advance as possible as the Camino is extremely popular especially in Holy Years (when 25 July is on a Sunday ) when numbers rise by up to 100 000 people. We will always try and accommodate late bookings but realistically you need to book at least 6 weeks prior to departure.
Yes, some people prefer to walk carrying their own bags as a true pilgrim would have. You can select the option for removing the baggage transfers in Step 2 of the Booking Engine.
Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, lightweight clothes, waterproofs and a day pack.
I would recommend April/May when the spring flowers are at their best and September/October when the colours are just lovely. June, July and August can be very hot if you are not used to walking in the heat while the temperatures can fall sharply in the winter with some accommodation closing down for the end of season.
Public transport and taxis are available, if you are need of support our local partner in Spain will be more than happy to help.
Unfortunately we are unable to change your accommodation bookings and itinerary once you start walking as alternative accommodation is generally not available at such short notice.
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