Stage from Leon to San Martin del Camino

• Km 0. Leon (All Services)

From the Plaza de Santa María del Camino, where the hostel of the Benedictine is located, we opened the day through the streets of the Rúa and Ruiz de Salazar. We went between the modernist Casa Botines of Gaudí and the Renaissance Palace of the Guzmanes. Shortly thereafter, the Royal Collegiate of San Isidoro, a precious monument of Romanesque origin, emerged as a monastery consecrated to San Pelayo. From Ramón y Cajal street we turn left onto the street of Renueva and we always connect with the avenue of Suero de Quiñones until we reach the Hostal de San Marcos, hospital of pilgrims in the Middle Ages and today Parador de Turismo y Museo. It is worth stopping and enjoying the rich silver ornamentation of its facade (Km 2,3).

We cross the river Bernesga, affluent of the Esla, next to the Hostel and continue straight along the avenue of Quevedo. This avenue, always front, leads us to take the avenue of Párroco Pablo Díez, which looks striking red lanterns. Without loss we reach a pedestrian walkway over the tracks, which we cross to enter Trobajo del Camino.

• Km 3.9. Trobajo del Camino (All Services)

We continue along the same avenue of the Parish Priest Pablo Díez and on the sidewalk of the right you can see the sober hermitage in brick and song of Santiago Apostle of the XVIII. At the height of a florist (Km 4.7) we fold to the left, pass through Plaza Sira San Pedro and turn slightly to the right through the street of the same name. We go to an avenue that we cross, and we continue to climb Camino de la Cruz Street next to some wineries. We immediately enter an industrial estate (Km 5.7) that ends next to a gas station and on the edge of the N-120. Carefully, through the arcén and along the dense traffic of this national highway we enter Virgen del Camino

• Km 7.6. Virgen del Camino (All Services) * ( Alternate Itinerary by Villar de Mazarife)

It is a satellite locality of León starting in two by the N-120. It offers almost all services and is a good place to propose the first stop. In Virgen del Camino it is common to watch over army aircraft, as a military air base is next door. When we arrive next to the Shrine, 1957 and whose facade is adorned by thirteen sculptures from Barcelonan Joseph María Subirachs, we cross the N-120 (if we go on the right sidewalk) and go down the street of La Paz. We left the source El Cañín aside and observed on the paved runway a series of painted, in crescendo each year indicating to the left the bifurcation towards Villar de Mazarife (see section observations), an alternative to the historical itinerary of the French Way (Km 8.5).

We continue from the front, passing by the cemetery and by a route of service next to the last ships. A road parallel to the N-120 leads to a tunnel under the A-66, after which we turn right up to an antenna surrounded by scattered trees. From here we go down gently to some industrial ships and link to the andadero parallel to the N-120, which we will not leave until the end of the stage. We find ourselves in land of the páramo, ground level and uncovered. We immediately enter Valverde de la Virgen

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• Km 12.2. Valverde de la Virgen (Hostel. Bars)

We traversed Valverde along the N-120 and at the exit we took the andadero back to the next population, also left by the national: San Miguel del Camino. From San Miguel to the next town there are 7.7 kilometers, so it is appropriate to propose a stop at this stage.

• Km 13.6. San Miguel del Camino (Bars)

After crossing San Miguel del Camino we return to the andadero monotone, surfacing the páramo between the N-120 and the nearby AP-71 that progresses to our left. An hour and three quarters later we entered Villadangos del Páramo, whose first houses were in a small vaguada. We walked into the Santiago Apostle School and passed by the pilgrim hostel.

• Km 21.3. Villadangos del Páramo (Hostel. Bars. Shops. Pharmacy. ATM)

We crossed the N-120 to take Calle Real, where the bakery and a store are located. Bars are stacked on the edge of the national road. On the same street Real we went down to cross a irrigation canal and continued between chopsticks for no more than 400 meters to return to the company of the N-120 sound. From this point you can continue on the right of the national or on the left, as there is andadero on both sides. A line of 3.8 kilometers leads us to the center of San Martin del Camino, which stands out in the distance for its peculiar water tank.

• Km 25.9. San Martin del Camino (Hostels. Bars. Shop)"Alternative itinerary by Villar de Mazarife"

   

  • Km 0. The Virgen del Camino.

   

  Once in the bifurcation we take left to about 100 meters take to the right a dirt track that leads us to a bridge through which pass over the LE-30 highway and a few meters below the A-66 and thus enter the village of Fresno del Camino.

   

  • Km 2.5. Fresno del Camino. (bar, restaurant)

   

  We left the village on the LE-5522 comarcal road to Oncina de la Valdoncina.

   

  • Km 4. Valdoncin. (hostel, bar, restaurant)

   

  At the exit of this population we will take a nice dirt track that will take us to the next village by cereal fields and with the good company of the silence that is lacking in the official route of this stage.

   

  • Km 9.5. Huts down. (bar)

   

  We continue by local road to Villar de Mazarife.

   

  • Km 14. Villar de Mazarife. (hostels, bar, restaurant)

   

  We follow the same direction that we enter to get out of the village by a local road that will take us to the crossing of the road that goes from San Martin del Camino to Bustillo del Páramo, we cross that road to continue by dirt track to Villavante.

   

  • Km 24. Villavante. (hostel)

   

  We leave the locality crossing the train path up and turning left parallel to it, we continue by oblique track to the train path that leads us to a bridge through which we save the highway AP-71, as soon as we cross the bridge we turn left by a track that will lead us to the N-120 which we cross to the height of a roundabout and continue to go in front to enter the locality of the road.

   

  • Km 28.5. Órbigo Bridge.