Hornillos del Camino to Castrojeriz
Emptiness
- Distance
- 19.9 km
- Climb
- 174 m up, 188 m down
- Ground
- 800 to 900 m
- Time
- 5 to 6 hours
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Underfoot
- dirt, gravel
Where this day sits on the Camino Francés
Above, the highest and lowest ground of each of its 33 stages. Below, the word each day is given.
From open-pilgrimages: each stage's highest and lowest ground and its interior theme.
The day
The meseta is where most pilgrims break open. The landscape offers nothing to look at, nowhere to hide, no distraction. Your mind runs out of things to think about. What remains is what you came here to find. The ruins of San Antón monastery appear like a mirage — a reminder that others have walked this emptiness for centuries.
What pilgrims often meet here
- Boredom giving way to unexpected peace
- Time distortion — hours pass without awareness
- First experience of walking meditation without trying
- Loneliness or profound solitude, sometimes both in the same hour
When the landscape offers you nothing, what do you find inside?
The ground
The light
Sunrise and sunset in Hornillos del Camino depend on the day you walk.
Walk it with Pilgrim
In Pilgrim's Honor mode you can walk this stage as it is drawn here, and save its maps for days with no signal. The morning opens with this day's word, Emptiness, and its story. When you arrive, it asks the question above, and you can answer out loud. Your walk stays on your phone.
With Pilgrim on your phone, this opens the stage, ready to begin. Without it, you'll see the stage and where to get the app.