From El Burgo Ranero to Leon, Camino Frances Stage no. 17

Basic Information

• Starting Point: El Burgo Ranero, Spain – A classic Meseta village with traditional adobe houses and poplar-lined streets, count with all services for pilgrims and various accommodation options, including one nice donation-based albergue with 30 beds.
• Ending Point: León, Spain – The magnificent capital of León province, known for its Gothic cathedral and special atmosphere. With over 120,000 inhabitants you can count on finding all kinds of shops and services in town (should you need, for example, a new pair of shoes for the second half of your camino). Five pilgrim albergues, five hostels, and many other accommodation options for any budget.
• Availability of an alternative route: Yes, right from El Burgo Ranero you can turn back to the alternative route (see map or download GPS for your device below), and in this way escape the crowds and some road walking for the first 18 kilometers. While the landscape isn’t spectacular or very different to the official route, roughly 10-20% of pilgrims opt for the alternative. In Mansilla de las Mulas, both routes merge.
• Distance:
  • Official Camino route: 38 km (Download GPS here).
  • Alternative Camino route: 41-44km, depending on which stretches of the alternative route you take (Download GPS here).
• Online Map: Official camino: map. Alternative route: map.
• Elevation Difference: Official Camino: +200 m ascent, -230 m descent, alternative way + 225 m ascent, – 255 m descent.
• Difficulty Score: 4/5 – Long distance and urban approach to León. If the stage seems too long for you, you can always split it in two, for example sleeping in Mansilla de las Mulas (three pilgrim albergues and other accommodation options).
• Beauty Score: 1/5. By now you probably have enough of the Meseta. The best scenery is already behind us anyway. Lot of road walking (or close to the road) and industrial entrance to Leon, don’t add to the beauty of this stage either. But it is how it is, and at least the town of Leon is a reward for the hard efforts of today.
• Terrain/Asphalt Walking Ratio: Official Camino: 20% trails, 80% asphalt/paved road/right next to the road. Alternative route: 35% trail, 65% asphalt.
• Next stage: Camino Frances Stage no. 18, Leon – San Martin del Camino.
• Previous stage: Camino Frances Stage no. 16, San Nicolas del Real Camino – El Burgo Ranero.

Elevation profile for the route

– Official Camino: Another super-flat stage. On 95% of today’s walk, the climb gradient stays between 0% and 2%. The little climb before Leon is almost unnoticeable for the eyes, but tired legs can feel it…

– Alternative route, the profile is very similar, just the stage is a bit longer (doesn’t have to be 44 kilometers, that’s actually with all possible detours one can make. Can be also 40-41km “only”).

Advanced info about the stage

• Trail Marking: Well-marked until León’s outskirts where yellow arrows and other marks may not always be visible. Consider downloading our GPS or check on your phone where exactly you are. The alternative route (merges with official camino in Mansilla de las Mulas) is well sign-posted too.
• Alternative route info: The alternative route is the same one as yesterday, we just left it for a while to sleep in El Burgo Ranero. You can come back to it the same way you left, or simply taking any random right turn from the official camino, until you reach the alternative path. You can see some mapping here for example. The route is an option for a bit more solitude and a bit less road walking, but that’s about it. The scenery isn’t more beautiful, and you won’t find any natural/historic sight there either. Both routes merge here, in Mansilla de las Mulas.
• Natural Highlights:
  • With the beauty score of 1/5, you probably do not have high expectations on natural highlights… The only thing worth a mention is the Esla River Valley, with relatively lush vegetation, once you exit Mansilla de Las Mulas. It is the area near the bridge, exactly here. There are benches in several spots, and basically it is a nice spot to cool down a bit and relax. But nothing spectacular.
  • Parque Quevedo, Leon. Once you’re in town already, and hungry to see some greenery, you can head to one of the parks in town. My favorite is Park Quevedo, with lot of flowers and a variety of trees, some interesting birds including peacocks, and a few fountains. Location and reviews on Google maps here.
• Historical & Cultural Highlights:
  • Mansilla’s Walls: Impressive medieval fortifications, now just some parts remain in tact, but still powerful to see. The origin of these walls is unknown. Location on Google maps here. It is worth a visit also because the walls are located in the nicest part of town, the green area next to the river Elsa.
  • Museo de Pueblos Loeneses, Mansilla de las Mulas. A very interesting museum where you can learn more about life in rural areas of this zone of Spain, in the past but also today. Open every day except of Monday, from 10am to 5pm, ideal for after walk activity if you stay in Mansilla. Location and reviews on Google maps here. Free entrance on Sunday, other days 5 euro (or three for children and pensioners).
  • Historic center of Leon with the Cathedral as a highlight: “The House of Light” with its spectacular stained glass is for many sensitive people the most beautiful cathedral on entire Camino Frances. Open daily from 9:30 to 1pm and then again from 4pm to 8pm. Entrance fee 7 euro/person, there used to be a pilgrim discount but apparently not anymore :(. Still, even if you do not like to pay for church entrances (just as I do), this is the one worth opening your wallet for. Location and reviews on Google maps here.
  • Local & International Cuisine: Leon has great restaurants run by chefs from all around the world. Treat yourself with a different pilgrim dinner tonight. Asian, vegan, Mexican, Italian, or traditional Spanish, you’ll find highly rated restaurant of every kind in the town…
• Camping/Bivouac Options: There is one official camping place on today’s stage, called Camping Ciudad de Leon, with views of the cathedral. The reviews are mixed, you can check it together with the location on Google maps here. The camping is about 3km detour from the camino, and quite far from town. I’d recommend it to people doing camino on bike though (you can leave your luggage in tent and easily bike to the town center later on). It is a quiet location with grass pitches and all services a basic camping has, plus a bar. Not a bad one in my opinion, if you want to sleep away of the big city buzz. They even run a small pilgrim albergue, meaning you can stay there without a tent. Camping price 15 euro/night (1 person and 1 tent).
• Dog-Friendly Score: 1/5. A nightmarish stage for a dog. For the terrain, closeness of the busy road, for length, for the heat, for the urban approach to Leon, for everything… My recommendation is staying in Albergue Gaia in Mansilla (a dog friednly place), and then taking a bus to Leon, or even skip it altogether. If you decide to sleep in Leon with your dog, the only affordable option is a dog friendly hostel called Rua 35, location and reviews on Google maps here.
• Special Remarks:
  • During holidays and weekends Leon town center get super crowded. That’s something you should count with if you plan an evening out in town (making a reservation in a restaurant of your choice is highly recommended), or want to take a day off. Waiting times are very common for the main attractions of the town.
  • Today, another interesting Camino merges with Camino Frances. The way is called Camino Valdiniense, and it is a Camino that connects Camino Lebaniego with Camino Frances. We do not have a guide for this Camino yet, but it is a nice way with plenty of mountain walking, and it is getting more popular every year. You can read an excellent guide with a lot of pictures on this blog.
  • There is another Camino that actually starts from Leon, called Camino San Salvador (one of my favorites), but I will write more about it (should you be tired from the crowds on the French way and looking for a change) in the description of tomorrow’s stage.

My accommodation picks for this stage

1. Albergue Gaia, Mansilla de las Mulas (km 18). A nice albergue with 16 beds in two rooms. Well-equipped kitchen, spotlessly clean, friendly hosts, garden. They also accept dogs. Price 12 euro/night, you can get a massage for extra cost :). Location and reviews on Google maps here. You can make a reservation on one of the following phone numbers: +34 699 911 311, +34 987 310 308. Check-in from 1pm.
2. Albergue Convento de las Carbajalas, Leon (km 38): A donation-based albergue in a convent, run by a the Benedictine sisters, in a religious tradition. 85 beds, men and women sleep in different rooms (in theory at least, it means less chances of snoring in the female room :)). Pilgrim benediction with evening prayers every day at 7pm. Check-in from noon, they do not accept reservations. Location and reviews on Google maps here.
3. Albergue-Residencia San Francisco de Asís, Leon (km 38). Run by Cappuccino monks, the albergue forms part of a student house. A nice place with 70 beds in 24 shared rooms, and 11 extra private rooms. Each room has it’s own bathroom. Nice communal spaces, option for meals right in the building. Check-in anytime from 8am, ideal for people who sleep close to Leon the night before, and want to benefit the most from a long day in town. You can make a booking on Booking.com, or on the following phone number: +34 987 215 060. Price changes according to the season, and depending on in which room you will stay (number of beds), but you should typically get a bed there for 15-16euro. Not bad for a big town.

Pictures from the stage

– By 6:30 am I was already on my way, in complete darkness. Wanted to be done for good with the Meseta. Definitely cannot complain about the dawn scenery 🙂

– Medieval bridge in Mansilla de las Mulas (km 18 of today’s walk), I was there by 11am already, breaks included.
– A nice dirt section, considering the amount of asphalt walking, it was almost a natural highlight of today’s stage…

– Leon, 5pm, I reached the town right after the siesta hours. It was a long walk today…

– The beautiful Gothic cathedral in Leon, from outside…

…. and from inside.

– Nice early evening lights in the town of Leon

Few tips at the end

• Some people break the stage in two, other take bus from Mansilla to Leon. Let’s face it: Not everyone is a die-hard pilgrim. Of course, I recommend you walking every step of your way to Santiago. But if you consider your camino more of a holiday, way to get to know Spain, connect with other pilgrims, etc, you may take a bus from Mansilla to Leon (the bus drive takes 15 minutes, consult alsa.es website for current schedule, or ask at the bus station in Mansilla), avoiding the boring urban stretch and the walking on/next to the road with lot of cars. Another option is splitting the stage in two parts, sleeping in Mansilla de Las Mulas.
• Rest day at Leon. Many pilgrims believe that Leon deserves at least one full rest day. Perhaps even two nights in a hotel, considering it is the first big town after the half-mark of the Camino Frances (close to Sahagun, check the previous stage for more info). If you feel exhausted, taking a day off in Leon isn’t a bad idea. Or you can walk a short stage the next day…

Next/Previous Stage

• Next stage: Camino Frances Stage no. 18, Leon – San Martin del Camino.
• Previous stage: Camino Frances Stage no. 16, San Nicolas del Real Camino – El Burgo Ranero.