French Way SectionsSelf-Guided from Burgos to León

Welcome to the UNESCO World Heritage City of Burgos! This splendid City is home to one of the most magnificent Gothic Cathedrals and the final resting place of the Spanish national hero El Cid. Spend the afternoon discovering this beautiful city, enjoying its world famous dishes including Morcilla (black pudding) & cordero lechal asado (succulent roast lamb) and relaxing in your hotel next to the Cathedral.

You are entering the Meseta, a vast, mostly flat plateau in the heart of Spain, around 700 m above sea level. The Camino is said to unfold in three stages: physical, mental and spiritual. During the first week, your body gradually adapts to the effort. By the Meseta, your legs and back are stronger—but the varied landscapes, shade, fountains and frequent villages give way to long, exposed stretches. No less beautiful, the Meseta presents a different challenge: a time for introspection, mental resilience and strengthening your will.

We are getting deeper into the Meseta and the vast Castilla y León region. Today's walk is one of our favorite sections as it offers some of the most striking and memorable landscapes of the French Way. There will be resting places every 5 km but little shade so leave early. The Jacobean village of Hontanas appears as a welcome and unexpected oasis in the middle of the Castilian deserts and we enjoy discovering beautiful Castrojeriz, its 9th century castle and 13th century Collegiate church.

Welcome to Tierra de Campos, a rich agricultural region once considered the breadbasket of the Roman Empire! Until Hospital de Órbigo, you will walk through endless green and gold fields with practically no relief, few towns and limited services. Yet this vast plain still has plenty to offer pilgrims who accept the challenge of the Meseta. Enjoy spectacular views from Alto de Mostelares, pass an old Roman mica mine and finish with 6 refreshing kilometers beside the historic Canal de Castilla before reaching Frómista.

This is our first day of perfect flatness on the French Way and it feels quite monotonous, especially as the Camino runs parallel to a small road all day long. This is unless you follow our digital map, add 1 km to your journey and take the Villovieco detour from Población de Campos. This way, half the day will be along a pretty riverside path shaded by trees. You will be rewarded on arrival in Carrión de los Condes with the most interesting town between Burgos and León and a night in a 4* hotel inside the renovated Royal Monastery of San Zoilo, a former 10th century pilgrim hospital with an outstanding Renaissance cloister.

You have a full day to rest your tired legs, enjoy your 4* hotel in the Royal Monastery of San Zoilo and discover all that the great town of Carrión de los Condes has to offer. Go for a long walk in the old town and make sure to visit the Church of Santiago, famous for its splendid Panthocrator. Before you leave the hotel, ask the hotel clerk to let you visit the Renaissance cloister, a genuine ornamental and technical wonder by Juan de Badajoz, and visit the whole building.

The Camino crosses the broad plains of the Meseta, where the immense sky and open horizon create one of the route’s most distinctive landscapes. This stage follows a long, quiet track with few villages or shaded places, so carry sufficient water and food. The spacious landscape encourages a steady rhythm and a more reflective way of walking before you reach the small pilgrim village of Ledigos.

Continue across the Tierra de Campos, following quiet tracks between fields and small villages. The open landscape may appear simple, yet its changing light, distant church towers and wide horizons give this section a character unlike anywhere else on the Camino. Your destination is Sahagún, an important medieval pilgrim town where the French Way reaches its geographical halfway point.

We consider the Agricultural Revolution, when our ancestors started dominating agriculture 10,000 years ago, the dawn of civilization. So why do we feel like we are leaving civilization behind the longer we walk through the farmlands of the Meseta? The distances between towns are increasing and there are no more distractions. Only the most determined pilgrims continue in these lands and an occasional car may interrupt the solitude. If you choose the Calzada Romana, you will walk 17 km without seeing a house or a fountain. This is the best moment for introspection.

We continue advancing through El Páramo, with a landscape similar to the previous days: flat terrain and extensive cereal fields. Today, almost the entire stage takes place along dirt paths created for pilgrims, and maintained by the thousands of feet who walk by each year. The region has planted some trees so for once we enjoy a bit of shade. The only break from the flatness today is Reliegos after 13 km, where we find some bars and shops so make sure you have enough food and water before leaving El Burgo Ranero. Your destination for the day is the walled town of Mansilla de las Mulas.

After crossing the Meseta, you will be rewarded with an evening in the beautiful city of León. Take time to discover its remarkable cathedral, the Romanesque treasures of San Isidoro and the lively tapas bars of the Barrio Húmedo. The historic Hostal de San Marcos, now home to the Parador de León, is also well worth visiting.

You have accomplished this challenge and reached León, but there are still over 310 km left to reach Santiago de Compostela, the end of the Camino de Santiago and the resting place of the Apostle Saint James. We hope this section of the French Way has brought you whatever you were looking for and that it made you want to discover more of the Camino and Northern Spain.