Sahagún

May 28, 2023

Day 20 – to El Burgo Ranero

  • Distance – 17.59km (435.58km total)
  • Walking time – 3 hours 50 minutes (4 hours 15 minutes including breaks)

The friendly bakery we liked on our two previous visits to Sahagún had apparently changed ownership and didn’t look so inviting. However once again the Camino provided as the breakfast in our hostal was surprisingly good. Today was another short day so we set off at 8am and made good progress to Bercianos del Real Camino.

Approaching the village we were excited to find that the 17th century Ermita de Nostra Señora de Perales was open so we went inside. It is a simple chapel containing a statue of the Virgin of Perales, the patron saint of Bercianos del Real Camino.

We stopped for a drink in Bercianos, put our AirPods in and walked along a tree-lined path running parallel to the road to El Burgo Ranero. Unfortunately a number of cyclists had selfishly decided that they too would use the path rather than the traffic-free road. Wearing our AirPods we could not always hear their approach! The plane trees planted to provide shade for pilgrims definitely seem to have grown in the five years since we were last here.

The welcome at La Costa del Adobe was very friendly and we relaxed with a cold drink until our (very comfortable) room was ready. After a quick shower we ate lunch in the garden area (Angus burger for Kenny, vegetarian burger for Mandy, served in brioche buns with homemade chips). The bar was full of locals in their “Sunday best” and we later learned that they’d been to church for Pentecost.

Unfortunately the church was locked when we went to visit and as there seemed to be a storm approaching we hurried back to our room for the rest of the afternoon.

The storm never arrived so before dinner we ventured out to explore further (chatting to Hong in her albergue’s garden), but unfortunately the church was still locked. The chick peas with Sahagún leeks that we were really looking forward to were finished but patatas bravas and roasted vegetables (with a couple of glasses of sangria) were an acceptable alternative. As well as seeing Hong again, we also caught up with two of the Taiwanese pilgrims we met on our first day in Auberge Borda.

For those who haven’t experienced the Camino it is hard to convey how incredible an experience it is. Moments like this, meeting up once again with members of our Camino family, are very special.

Quick health update. Ken still has his (heavy) cold but he walked strongly and cheerfully throughout the day.

May 27, 2023

Day 19 – to Sahagún

  • Distance – 16.8km (417.99km total)
  • Walking time – 3 hours 45 minutes (4 hours 45 minutes including breaks)

As today’s walk was much shorter we had breakfast in the albergue and were among the last pilgrims to leave at 8.20am. Finally we had some warm and sunny weather; Ken wore his hat but Mandy used her umbrella for shade. We took photographs of the bodegas (storage caves looking like Hobbit houses) at Moratinos and stopped for a drink at San Nicolás del Real Camino. We were happy to be walking through beautiful scenery and still thoroughly enjoying our time on the Meseta.

It was then only an hour or so to Sahagún where we spent time videoing to mark the fact that we had reached the geographical centre of the Camino. This is in fact the centre for the Spanish pilgrims who started from Roncesvalles; we already reached our halfway point from St Jean Pied de Port yesterday.

After checking into our accommodation (Hostal Alfonso VI) and a quick shower we went out to explore the town and to find a restaurant for lunch.

The area around the main square was very lively and busy, we found a €14 weekend menu at Restaurant Luna. The food was good, the wine had a label and we were the only non-Spanish diners. After lunch we explored the town, took photographs and got a sello from the Tourist Office/Municipal Albergue before returning to our hostal for a quiet evening.

Unfortunately Kenny struggled a little today with his bad cold, but it didn’t spoil his enjoyment. Luckily tomorrow is also another short walking day.

May 22, 2018

Day 11 – to El Burgo Ranero

  • Distance – 28.63km
  • Walking time – 5 hours 35minutes (7 hours 30 minutes including breaks)

After a good night’s sleep Ken said he was back to 100% and was ready for the off. We left Moratinos around 6.30am and had already covered a couple of kilometres before the sun started to rise above the hills behind us and to our right. The Camino wound its way through fields, but the motorway to León was never too far away and provided some background traffic noise. The enterprising owner of an albergue in the first small hamlet we passed through (San Nicolas del Real Camino) had unhelpfully painted out the route markers and replaced them with arrows leading to his establishment. But, he didn’t fool us as we remembered the correct path from last year!

As the sun continued to rise and light levels increased, we were treated to the most beautiful patches of wild flowers growing alongside the Camino. We thought that yesterday we’d probably seen the best of these, but today was even better. It’s moments like these on the Camino, where we simply walk in silence, alone in our thoughts and reflect upon how fortunate we are to make this journey together.

Before too long we could see Sahagún in the distance. We knew that the Camino would take us past the Ermita de la Virgen del Puente before entering the town, which is where we intended stopping for breakfast.

The ermita (chapel) marks the halfway point for those pilgrims who start their journey in Roncesvalles. For us it means that we’re rapidly coming to the end of our “mini Camino” as we’re closing in on León, our finishing point.

In Sahagún we easily found the excellent bakery from last year and ordered our breakfasts of a delicious flaky pastry and coffee. The owner told Mandy that the pastries were good and were made by her sister. Mandy replied that we knew this from last year which was why we’d ordered them again. At once we were treated like long lost friends and the owner gave us homemade shortbread as well as our pastries. Ken ordered coffee refills and told the owner that he remembered her telling him that she’d learnt English while working in Ireland. His comment brought out an even bigger amount of sweet delicacies to go with our coffee and when we left she blew us (actually – Ken) a big kiss. No wonder we think the Camino is so special.

The path out of Sahagún towards Bercianos del Real Camino runs alongside the motorway and then minor country roads. Fortunately the authorities of Castilla y León planted plane trees along the path to provide some shade for pilgrims.

As the day continued to warm up we were grateful for their foresight and any small amount of cooling breeze we could catch – summer seemed to have finally arrived🌞. It was about 10km to Bercianos del Real Camino where we stopped briefly for our daily ration of tortilla before setting off to cover the remaining 8km to El Burgo Ranero, where we would finish for the day.

We passed by our hotel (Castillo El Burgo – which sounds grand, but is in fact a motorway service station) and continued into the village. Ken was in search of a chilled beer and we wanted to check out our dining options for later. We sat outside La Costa del Adobe and enjoyed our beers in the warm sunshine.

We’d stayed in a similar type of hotel last year at Hospital de Órbigo and hadn’t enjoyed the experience at all, so we were in no hurry to inspect our accommodation for tonight. However we both wanted to shower and trudged back to the hotel to check in. First impressions seemed to confirm our worst fears of a transport café with bedrooms. But, we were wrong – the café area was pretty much as expected, but our room is modern, comfortable, well furnished, nicely decorated and the shower cubicle is enormous. Good result Booking.com!

It’s now time for dinner and we’re going back to La Costa del Adobe. We have high hopes as it is the number one (of four!) restaurants on TripAdvisor and has a number of interesting vegan/vegetarian options on its menu. We’ll let you know tomorrow how it was.

September 4, 2017

Day 17 – to Bercianos del Real Camino

  • Distance – 20.22km (27,049 steps)
  • Walking time – 4 hours (5 hours including breaks)

After a good night’s sleep and having already packed the night before, we were up and out at 6.50am for the 20km to Bercianos del Real Camino.  The trail was extremely quiet; most people had chosen to stay in the previous village.  We’re finding that many pilgrims are sticking to the stages in the Brierly guidebook, regarded by some as the definitive guide to the Camino.  On occasions we have had better accommodation and food choices by walking a few kilometres more or less than a “guidebook stage”.  That was definitely the case with Moratinos yesterday; we stayed in a nice modern hostel/albergue and had a very enjoyable dinner (four courses, wine and coffee) for €12.50 in a restaurant popular with locals.

Sahagún prides itself on being the halfway point of the Camino and we were excited that we would pass through the town today.  What we didn’t realise until we got there is that it’s the halfway point for those pilgrims who start from Roncesvalles.  Bummer, because we started in St. Jean Pied de Port it means that we passed our halfway point sometime yesterday without realising it!  At least we had a great pastry and coffee at a small bakery there and met up with Don again.


It was a straightforward walk on a shaded path running parallel to the main road from Sahagún to Bercianos del Real Camino, where we arrived shortly before noon.  

Bercianos is another small town on the Meseta, probably most memorable for the incredible number of flies that settled around us as soon as we sat down.  This was despite the fact that we were no longer stinky pilgrims, having already showered and changed into clean clothes.  The bar had lots of character and only a few minutes after this shot was taken, it was packed with locals coming in for their pintxos and glass of wine.  It was called Bercianos 1900 and talking to the owner, we learned that today was its opening day.  We wish them well. 

Ken had a cool beer (or two!) with his pintxos.  As you can see he is wearing his new Camino t-shirt and his beard is growing nicely.  

We returned to the same bar/albergue for our dinner and bumped into the American couple (Jim & Linda) whose blog we’ve been following for some weeks.  We suspected that we’d meet them at some point along the Camino and today was that day.  It’s nice to finally be able to say “hello & Buen Camino” to someone you’ve never met, but feel that you already know.


More thoughts from Ken – for some unknown reason I seem to have lost track of the days, maybe because after more than two weeks of walking the Camino they tend to merge into one another.  Anyhow, I spent most of the walk today reminiscing about my Mum & Dad and my childhood, sure in my mind that today is 3 September, which would have been their wedding anniversary.  My Dad died in 2011 and my Mum earlier this year; they married in 1949 and this would have been their 68th wedding anniversary.  I was lucky enough to enjoy a happy and loving childhood which hopefully set the foundations for the person I am today.  Although I moved away from the family home in a small village near Newcastle-upon-Tyne to begin my career in London, Mum & Dad were always there for me and my sister, through thick and thin. I’m more than just a little upset with myself for only now realising that today is in fact 4 September.