Camino Stage 3 - Burgos to Leon
- The medieval city of Burgos
- Enjoying an endless succession of beautiful churches and buildings on the route.
- Meeting fellow pilgrims, hearing their stories and travel tips along the way.
- Finishing in Leon, with its magnificent cathedral.
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.
The AC Hotel Burgos is one of the best accommodation options in the city; it is located in the centre of Burgos, near the sumptuous Gothic Cathedral, the river, and Las Huelgas Monastery.
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 you descent to Hornillos. A short transfer at the end of today brings you to your accommodation in Isar.
La Consulta de Isar offers rooms with private bathrooms. The accommodation has 24-hour reception, terrace, garden, parking and a coffee bar.
Transfer to Hornillos in the morning to start your walk though 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 throuh the pilgrim villages of San Bol, Hontanas and Arco San Anton before you reach Castrojeriz.

This beautiful hostel has a restaurant attached and is well located.
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.
The hotel provides relaxing accommodation for walkers.
Walk along the dirt trck running alongside the main roads, you can choose to continue you path past the village Poblacion to Villalcazar or take the more scenic route via Villovieco (see your book).
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.
The hostel is a simple clean hostel with very friendly owners.
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.
This cosy country inn provides everthing a walker needs on the Camino.
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.

Diese Pension bietet komfortable, klimatisierte Zimmer in einer ruhigen Umgebung. Die Unterkunft verfügt auch über ein Restaurant und eine Bar mit Terrasse.
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. Â
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.Â

Diese Pension bietet komfortable, klimatisierte Zimmer in einer ruhigen Umgebung. Die Unterkunft verfügt auch über ein Restaurant und eine Bar mit Terrasse.
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.

This albergue offers quiet and comfortable accommodation in this rural setting.
Walk along side 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 LeĂłn.
A wonderful accommodation in a prime location in Leon. All rooms have Jacuzzi showers and this is a great spot to wander around the city.
After breakfast your walking holiday will come to an end. See the Travel Info section for some useful details for your onward travel.
Other Information
Is it for me?The Camino attracts a wide range of pilgrims from around the world who walk for many different reasons. This is the perfect stage to walk for contemplation with the predominant landscapes being wide open plains.
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&B’s, inns, and guesthouses.
Solo Travellers
This walk is graded moderate and includes daily walks of 16 - 27 km.
The walk is extremely well way-marked and you will also be supplied with turn by turn route notes and detailed maps so you will have no problem following the route each day.
On the Camino you will follow a mixture of farm/dirt tracks, minor roads and footpaths.
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 10 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 guidebook including maps, 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.
- Accommodation in small rural hotels and hostels, twin/double rooms with en-suite W/C.
- Daily breakfast.
- Transfer Hornillos-Burgos and Borgos-Hornillos.
- Baggage Transfers
- A detailed information pack for the group leader including route notes, maps and local information.
- Camino guide book.
- Access to the Macs Adventure Smartphone App
- Emergency support from our local and UK offices in the event of a problem.
- Return travel to France/Spain.
- Lunches, snacks or drinks.
- Travel Insurance.
- Personal Equipment.
- Taxi transfers or public transport should you need to skip a stage.
- Additional nights’ accommodation
Availability
You can start your Camino on any day of your choosing between February and Mid 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.Â
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.
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).
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.
It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity and emergency evacuation and hospital care.
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.Â
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.Â
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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At Macs, we don’t do tour buses, groups, or guides. Instead, we give you the freedom and confidence to have your own self-guided hiking or biking adventure
It's active travel, led by you.
You choose your departure date and who you travel with, we do the rest.
We sort accommodation and luggage transfers and provide your route in an easy-to-use app.
We give you everything you need to travel independently but we're here 24/7 if you need us.
Getting from A to B under your own steam is intensely rewarding. With Macs, you'll see the world, and yourself, differently.