León to San Martín del Camino
Departure
- Distance
- 24.6 km
- Climb
- 131 m up, 96 m down
- Ground
- 837 to 870 m
- Time
- 6 to 7 hours
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Underfoot
- paved, dirt
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
Leaving León is harder than arriving. The city offered comfort, culture, a rest day, maybe two. Walking out through the suburbs in the early morning, past the Hostal de San Marcos and into open country again, you feel the pull of the life you left behind. Every city on the Camino is a small rehearsal for going home — and every departure from a city is a recommitment to the path. The terrain is flat and uninspiring, which makes the interior work of leaving all the more visible.
What pilgrims often meet here
- Difficulty leaving a comfortable city
- Navigating confusing path markers through León's outskirts
- Missing the pilgrim community after a rest day scattered everyone
- Recommitting to the walk with clearer intention
What comforts are you most reluctant to leave behind, on the Camino and in life?
The ground
The light
Sunrise and sunset in León 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, Departure, 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.