Camino de Santiago French Way - Part 5 Sahagun to Leon
'Meseta Plateau: a place for meditation'
This Walking Holiday explores the fifth section of the Camino Frances / French Way, the most traditional of all the pilgrims' ways to Santiago de Compostela and the best known internationally.
Start from Sahagun, a medieval town renowned for its architecture, and finish in Leon, one of the greatest cities in Spain. The Camino de Santiago, or Way of Saint James, crosses the vast Castilian Plateau (900m) and passes through its wealthy villages.
Everyday, during the walk, you are guaranteed a high level of comfort and gastronomy. The Camino de Santiago is clearly marked with the “Scallop Shell” showing you the way. This walk can be physically demanding and requires a reasonable level of fitness. However, it’s a highly rewarding walk that includes numerous cultural highlights.
Highlights:
♦ Sahagun – a town, notable for containing some of the earliest examples of the mudéjar style of architecture
♦ Leon - last major city in the Camino de Santiago before it climbs west into the mountains
♦ Cathedral Santa María de Leon - a masterpiece of the Gothic style, dominating the mid-13th century
Itinerary:
Day 1. Sahagun
You will be pre-booked in a traditional hotel in the heart of the town.
Day 2. Sahagun - El Burgos Ranero
In Sahagun, you will leave "Tierra del Campo" behind, moving on through the cereal and grain-covered plateaux of Leon. Hiking time: approx. 5h, 18km, +100, -20m
Day 3. El Burgos Ranero - Mansilla de las Mullas
Going down from the plateau towards the capital of the province, Leon, you pass the pretty village of Reliegos. On the Camino you will have the chance to take the "Via Traiana"; another camino to Santiago that originates in Bordeaux. Hiking time: approx. 5h15, 19km, -100m
Day 4. Mansilla de las Mullas - Leon
You will continue alongside land that has been set aside for irrigated crop growing before seeing the first signs of industrial activity up ahead. From Portillo Hill you will be able to make out the beautiful city of Leon. Hiking time: approx. 5h, 18km, +130m -90m
Day 5. Leon
After breakfast we bid you farewell. The historic centre of Leon is well preserved and worth visiting. Over the course of time, Leon became the capital of the kingdom in the Middle Ages; a historic enclave on the pilgrim's road to Santiago de Compostela. Don't miss The Pulchra Leonina (the 'Sistine Chapel' of Spanish architecture) & the old "Hospital de San Marcos".
Luggage transportation: Luggage will be transported from hotel to hotel. The baggage allowance is one item (maximum 20kg) per person. If you need to add more bags please contact us in advance.
Included in the price: ►accommodation in 3* or 2* hotels on bed and breakfast basis (Day 4 and 5) and half board basis (Day 2 and 3) ►luggage transferred from hotel to hotel ►detailed walking notes ► map ►pilgrim passport
Not included: ►personal insurance ►flight tickets ►transfer from/to airport ►beverages ►meals, not mentioned in the program ► personal expenditures
Other expences: ►single supplement (Apr, May, Jun, Sep) - 103 EUR, (Jul, Aug, Oct) - 88 EUR, (Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec) – 73 EUR ► picnic lunches 50 EUR per person (including all walking days) ► airport transfers- transport to Sahagun from Santander (2-8 people) 105 EUR per person ► Extra nights in Leon / Santander / Bilbao / Sahagun in 2* hotel on bed and breakfast basis - 44 EUR per person. Single room 60 EUR. In 3* hotel on bed and breakfast basis – 65 EUR per person. Single room 95 EUR
How to get there?
♦ Fly in and out – It is best to fly to Bilbao, Santander or Madrid. To/ from Bilbao you can fly with EasyJet (daily flights to Bilbao from London Stansted Airport), Iberia (flights from Gatwick or Heathrow via Madrid) and AerLingus (operates out of Dublin). To Santander there are direct connections only with Ryanair (from London Stansted, Dublin, Frankfurt, Milan and Rome, as well as Reus and Madrid in Spain), and internal connections with Iberia from Alicante, Barcelona, Gran Canaria, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, Seville and Valencia. To/ from Madrid you can fly with almost every company. You can check the Spanish national company: www.iberia.com.
♦ Getting there – There is a direct train from Santander to Sahagun, the journey is 2 hours and trains depart several times a day. You can take a train from Bilbao to Sahagun via Burgos as well.
♦ Getting back – From Leon you can take a bus to Santander, 3.30 hours journey. As well as a train to Bilbao (4.30 hours journey) or to Madrid (4.30 hours journey). See the timetable and book tickets online: www.renfe.com
Vacation Extensions:
Camino de Santiago - French Way - Part 1 Saint Jean Pied de Port to Pamplona
Camino de Santiago French Way - Part 2 Pamplona to Logroño
Camino de Santiago French Way – Part 3 Logroño to Burgos
Camino de Santiago French Way – Part 4 Burgos to Sahagun
Gallery
