Extra day off

[CWBuff]

Provided one has 3 full days to 'relax' but at the same be a bit of the tourist, here is what I am pondering upon:
I would like to take a full day off in Burgos (pre-Meseta) and in Leon (post-Meseta), do some touristy stuff - check out cathedrals, churches, perhaps museums....
So... given that last full day somewhere between Leon and SdC - where would you have it? Ideally about 1/2 way (not sure pre or post Sarria) and hopefully with something historically & culturally akin to previous 2.

Full understanding that might have to secure proper accommodations for both nights since municipal albergues do not allow 2 consecutive nights stay, so that's not even an issue here

thanks in advance for everyone's thoughts

 

[RJM]

The meseta is really no different than the rest of the Frances, so no real need to view it as something more difficult to walk, if that has some reason why you want to take a rest day before or after it. The meseta is simply agricultural fields for the most part. I have no idea why it gets so much drama associated with it on this forum or in some guidebooks.
As far as cities with the most culture to view on the Frances? Play tourist in? Pamplona, Logrono, Burgos, Leon and of course Santiago.

 

[Stroller]

Not forgetting Astorga

 

[Deleted member 43985]

Astorga seems to be a decent option based on your criteria. However, for me, taking the day off earlier in Logrono is how I've done a couple of times. It's a week in from SJPDP so gives the body a rest before it gets too sore, best tapas district on the CF IMO and some beautiful Cathedrals/Churchs to enjoy. If one were looking for simple, natural beauty after Leon then I think I'd chose something like Rabanal or Foncebadon and just spend time outside wandering the local trails and enjoying the mountain views and fresh air. Have fun planning!

 

[naplesdon]

Logrono and day trip to Rioja vineyards
Carrion de los Condes and stay at San Zoilo
Astorga
There are also those days that you need a rest and the weather is either magic and you sleep-in to take in some rays and a great meal or it's raining so hard you don't want to deal with it and find a nice place with a huge fireplace.

 

[NorthernLight]

Ponferrada has a nice Templar's castle, although you can see it in a couple hours and continue on your way.

Villafranca de Bierzo is a nice spot for a rest day too, perhaps not a lot to see, but it has a nice atmosphere.

I'd be inclined not to plan that day off, just have it in your pocket for when you get to a place that makes your blood sing. Or use it to enable a couple of really short days.

 

[Cayou]

On the back end, I'd suggest an EZ 10k walk from Triacastela to Samos. Wonderful village, monestary with tour, and next day beautiful EZ walk past the hordes of Sarria to Barbadelo, where there are a few accomodations. There I would suggest a farm house of Villa Nova - it's on booking.

 

[VNwalking]

Astorga's just a few days out of Leon.
I'd say Ponferrada. There's the templar castle, and you could do a day trip by car to the Roman-era World Heritage site at As Medulas or the Valley of Silence with Santiago de Peñalba and it's Mozarabic church.

And after coming over the hill from Astorga, you may be ready for a wee rest.

 

[jefferyonthecamino]

Sarria and visit Lugo, easy bus ride and not far.

 

[TheTinkerBell]

I'd agree with jeffrey - bus from Sarria to Lugo and stay there. I did free days in Burgos, Leon and Ponferrada and (for me) the third location really didn't measure up to the first two. I've visited Lugo subsequently, btw.
On my next full CF, I'll be making sure to stay the first free day in Logrono (on either a Friday or Saturday) - fab place.

 

[trecile]

I'd be inclined not to plan that day off, just have it in your pocket for when you get to a place that makes your blood sing. Or use it to enable a couple of really short days.

Absolutely!

 

[alexwalker]

Ponferrada

 

[CWBuff]

The only reason I am singling out the meseta is because those are the days with the average 30 km + (at least according to Brierley Bible...not to say that I will follow it 'religiously' )

 

[CWBuff]

I dang forgot about that Templar's Castle!!!! I wonder if I get to meet Simon "The Other Saint"
This could be a contender although I do agree with the

I'd be inclined not to plan that day off, just have it in your pocket for when you get to a place that makes your blood sing. Or use it to enable a couple of really short days.

 

[CWBuff]

On the back end, I'd suggest an EZ 10k walk from Triacastela to Samos. Wonderful village, monestary with tour, and next day beautiful EZ walk past the hordes of Sarria to Barbadelo, where there are a few accomodations. There I would suggest a farm house of Villa Nova - it's on booking.

OK this definitely intrigued me as an alternate route of a sort. So..let me get this straight as I could be misunderstanding
...next day beautiful EZ walk past the hordes of Sarria...
So when I did Google maps Samos --> Barbadelo it took me through Sarria

I think that the above post means that I shall skip a stay\over in Sarria (instead of spending the night there...which I sort of was not planning on doing anyway) but still have to walk through vs. somehow bypass Sarria all together (perhaps a wishful thinking on my part). Did I get it right this time?
If there IS a way to bypass it - meay i inquire as to how?
Many thanks

 

[naplesdon]

The castle is definitely not the original version, it was rebuilt as a tourist attraction. The historic information inside is genuine, but the castle above Castrojeriz is much more believable. The mid day closing hours are an issue if you want to stop and see it and move on.

 

[naplesdon]

As far as I know there is no bypass for Sarria but it's no big deal. Just a walk up a giant set of stairs and a walk down hill on the other side of town to lead you across a field and another slope up to Barbadelo. I stayed at Barbadelo shortly after they opened. The owner was from NJ and his wife a Spaniard from the region. The restaurant they ran was great and the pool would have been a wonderful addition to the day if it hadn't been cold and rainy that day.

 

[C clearly]

You don't need to take a full 24-hour day off in order to see the sights. There is accommodation at such short intervals in this stretch that you can walk 10 km to a town and look around all afternoon. Or take the next morning to see some sights and then walk 10 km onward. Keep in mind that many of the tourist sights might open at 10 a.m. and then close for a couple of hours in the afternoon.

I thought the Museo Etnografico in Mansillas de las Mulas gave a fascinating insight into the local history. Most of the descriptions were in English, too.

 

[CWBuff]

As far as I know there is no bypass for Sarria but it's no big deal. Just a walk up a giant set of stairs and a walk down hill on the other side of town to lead you across a field and another slope up to Barbadelo. I stayed at Barbadelo shortly after they opened. The owner was from NJ and his wife a Spaniard from the region. The restaurant they ran was great and the pool would have been a wonderful addition to the day if it hadn't been cold and rainy that day.

Well if the owner is from NJ then we are 'neighbors' (at least if he lived in Central or S NJ)
thank you - I shall strive to walk past the hordes as you suggest!

You don't need to take a full 24-hour day off in order to see the sights.

I probably will not take a full day off on this stretch as you suggest. it simply appealed to me on the original suggestion, and for roughly 4 extra clicks may well be worth it
Thanks for your suggestions as well

 

[november_moon]

We walked with a few people who stayed an extra day in El Acebo at the new alberque just down the hill from town (it was new in 2016 - now it's new-ish). There isn't a lot to El Acebo, but the alberque is really nice and is a nice place for a fabulous relaxation day - there is a pool with loungers around it, a nice terrace overlooking the valley, plenty of beer and wine, shared balconies off the rooms with chairs where you could sit out and read.

 

[RJM]

The only reason I am singling out the meseta is because those are the days with the average 30 km + (at least according to Brierley Bible...not to say that I will follow it 'religiously' )

It is really easy to break the day's walk to shorter distances than shown in any guidebook stages, and several options to do so between Burgos and Leon. That is where sometimes taking a short distance day (8-12 kms) works out better than taking a whole day off.
As far as Sarria goes, it can be at times a very popular starting point for pilgrims, but I never encountered crazy large numbers of them from that point forward. Certainly not enough to avoid the place entirely. I always found an albergue bed there.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I would save day 3 for an emergency on the last third of the way and if not needed spend it in Santiago. I think you intend to go farther so you could alternatively use it in Finisterre for a beach day or a bar night.

I really liked spending time in Astorga though. But Peg had to get recovery time there and, as retirees, we had plenty of time to finish our camino.

 

[Shalaw]

I would be inclined to play it by ear, based on how you're feeling. We knew we wanted to have a couple of rest days, but didn't plan where or when and decided to let our bodies tell us when and where to take them. I was starting to feel poorly before we got to Logrono, so we decided to book the Ritz Carlton for two nights and rested all day long on the day between, and I had about a million baths. Lol. We did venture out into the town at night (and had the BEST burgers at Burgerheim, BTW) and it was such a beautiful place to explore. So when my partner started to feel poorly just before Leon, that's where we decided to take our second rest day, and rented a room in a pension for two nights. I did my best to make him a Canadian version of tomato soup and a grilled cheese and it was tough but I did it. Lol. Both of us felt so much better after taking our rest days. It's incredible how the human body bounces back, when you listen to it and take care of it.

Wherever you end up taking your rest days, it will be beautiful!

Buen Camino!!

 

[Amy Mellencamp]

Provided one has 3 full days to 'relax' but at the same be a bit of the tourist, here is what I am pondering upon:
I would like to take a full day off in Burgos (pre-Meseta) and in Leon (post-Meseta), do some touristy stuff - check out cathedrals, churches, perhaps museums....
So... given that last full day somewhere between Leon and SdC - where would you have it? Ideally about 1/2 way (not sure pre or post Sarria) and hopefully with something historically & culturally akin to previous 2.

Full understanding that might have to secure proper accommodations for both nights since municipal albergues do not allow 2 consecutive nights stay, so that's not even an issue here

thanks in advance for everyone's thoughts

We did rest days in Logrono (great city and tapas!), Castrojeriz (small sleepy town which we enjoyed, Leon (definitely do Leon), and Triacastela (another smaller town but it was well-timed after the long day before). Can recommend doing those four stops. Burgos was a great town too so there is an argument for doing a rest day there, as it is a long walking day coming in to Burgos. But stopping every 6th or 7th day for us made sense. Buen camino!

 

[GraemeHall]

I second the Logroño suggestion. And please take time to view and contemplate the Michelangelo painting in the Cathedral. (Read its story first and it will engrave itself in your heart for life.)

 

[t2andreo]

There are several good suggestions above. In my view, Ponferrada offers the best mix of things to do and see, and spacing.

OTOH, as you walk to the west, your conditioning improves. By the time you are beyond Leon, you should be eating up distance with ease. Tall hills should be like little hills.

You may not need an additional rest day.

This said, I have had rest days at both Astorga and Ponferrada. Flip a coin...

 

[gloria lowe]

The only reason I am singling out the meseta is because those are the days with the average 30 km + (at least according to Brierley Bible...not to say that I will follow it 'religiously' )

I made it across and no 30km days. Astorga was a nice place to spend an extra day. Chocolate and a cathedral.

 

[Holly Mitchem]

On the back end, I'd suggest an EZ 10k walk from Triacastela to Samos. Wonderful village, monestary with tour, and next day beautiful EZ walk past the hordes of Sarria to Barbadelo, where there are a few accomodations. There I would suggest a farm house of Villa Nova - it's on booking.

We did the same. This left most of the day for touring the monastery, seeing the oldest church on the camino, etc. We had three wonderful meals in Samos. And were so happy to walk straight through Samos and its crowds. Villa Nova was one of our most favorite evenings on the camino. Fabulous dinner. Plus we met a philosophy professor from A Coruña who had started in O Ceberio. We are still in touch.

 

[MichaelF4]

OK this definitely intrigued me as an alternate route of a sort. So..let me get this straight as I could be misunderstanding
...next day beautiful EZ walk past the hordes of Sarria...
So when I did Google maps Samos --> Barbadelo it took me through Sarria
View attachment 53563
I think that the above post means that I shall skip a stay\over in Sarria (instead of spending the night there...which I sort of was not planning on doing anyway) but still have to walk through vs. somehow bypass Sarria all together (perhaps a wishful thinking on my part). Did I get it right this time?
If there IS a way to bypass it - meay i inquire as to how?
Many thanks

Lovely albergue in Barbedelo with a pool. Very nice rooms and a good restaurant. Getting there early and enjoying the pool was like a mini rest day.

 

[november_moon]

I've never walked a 30km day

 

[lt56ny]

Take a day off when your body tells you too. That is my advice.

 

[Rhysmike]

Provided one has 3 full days to 'relax' but at the same be a bit of the tourist, here is what I am pondering upon:
I would like to take a full day off in Burgos (pre-Meseta) and in Leon (post-Meseta), do some touristy stuff - check out cathedrals, churches, perhaps museums....
So... given that last full day somewhere between Leon and SdC - where would you have it? Ideally about 1/2 way (not sure pre or post Sarria) and hopefully with something historically & culturally akin to previous 2.

Full understanding that might have to secure proper accommodations for both nights since municipal albergues do not allow 2 consecutive nights stay, so that's not even an issue here

thanks in advance for everyone's thoughts

Villafranca del Bierzo. Book ahead to Hotel Posada.

 

[CWBuff]

I would save day 3 for an emergency on the last third of the way and if not needed spend it in Santiago. I think you intend to go farther so you could alternatively use it in Finisterre for a beach day or a bar night.

I account for a full day off in Santiago already before setting off to Finisterre so thats a given.

I know that my desire to play tourist is huge, however your suggestion above as well as @RJM 's to perhaps stretch Meseta into shorter stages using that time make sense.
Oh what to do, what to do...????

I am sure it will all come to me!

 

[CWBuff]

I've never walked a 30km day

well... so far ("on paper" mind you) here is "my meseta"

Burgos - Hontanas	32.1
Hontanas - Boadilla del Camino	29.3
Boadilla del Camino - Carrión de los Condes	25.6
Carrión de los Condes - San Nicolás del Real Camino	33.1
San Nicolás del Real Camino - Reliegos	38.5
Reliegos - León	25.5

whether or not it will actually happen that way (esp. that 39 clicks..that's a full day hiking with an early rise, perhaps even before sunrise) shall reamin to be seen...but I can dream, no?

 

[GaryAus]

I enjoyed the Meseta. You arrive there with the body feeling a whole lot better than those first few days. The Meseta is flat, and you can zone out for long periods - it provided thinking time and just had a different feeling to the days prior (I can’t quite put my finger on it but the long, flat days just gave me a calm and serene type feeling....it was probably exhaustion!).

The sparseness of the landscape was really interesting - I walked in December and it was just ploughed fields all around. With the snow falling in places, it appeared an unforgiving sort of place but really quite beautiful. If you are so inclined, you can do big km days on the Meseta and gain a day or 2 against schedule for later in the trip (if you need to). I also had rest days Burgos and Leon, just because they were big cities and I thought I could easily spend a day there looking around. Both were great. My personal preference would be to not stay again in Sarria.

 

[OzAnnie]

well... so far ("on paper" mind you) here is "my meseta"

Burgos - Hontanas	32.1
Hontanas - Boadilla del Camino	29.3
Boadilla del Camino - Carrión de los Condes	25.6
Carrión de los Condes - San Nicolás del Real Camino	33.1
San Nicolás del Real Camino - Reliegos	38.5
Reliegos - León	25.5

whether or not it will actually happen that way (esp. that 39 clicks..that's a full day hiking with an early rise, perhaps even before sunrise) shall reamin to be seen...but I can dream, no?

Hi
Have you looked at Gronze.com stages for this section? It shows 8 etapas. But you may prefer the longer stages, all good.
Buen Camino
Annie

 

[trecile]

All that I can say is stop planning and just walk!

 

[susanawee]

Not forgetting Astorga

Oh yes, I agree...Astorga is just lovely and there is so much so see there.

 

[tomjane40]

Not forgetting Astorga

We spent an unexpected day off in Astorga. As we were walking in, after a very long day, both Kathy and I had our bodies telling us to take a break. SO glad we did. Not only did we enjoy the chocolate they are known for...we visited the Gaudi museum, Cathedrals, and village square with a farmers market.

 

[tomjane40]

Provided one has 3 full days to 'relax' but at the same be a bit of the tourist, here is what I am pondering upon:
I would like to take a full day off in Burgos (pre-Meseta) and in Leon (post-Meseta), do some touristy stuff - check out cathedrals, churches, perhaps museums....
So... given that last full day somewhere between Leon and SdC - where would you have it? Ideally about 1/2 way (not sure pre or post Sarria) and hopefully with something historically & culturally akin to previous 2.

Full understanding that might have to secure proper accommodations for both nights since municipal albergues do not allow 2 consecutive nights stay, so that's not even an issue here

thanks in advance for everyone's thoughts

I might suggest you wait for your body to tell you you need a rest. One thing that surprised me the most on my camino, was that I did not enjoy the 'touristy' stuff. We did spend a rest day in Pamplona - because it was recommended by our APOC group - to take a rest day for people of 'our' age. After that, even in Burgos, which everyone loves, we just did not feel the pull to explore as a tourist. This is not so for everyone - but I guess what I am trying to convey, is - wait and see. A village, city, or town may pull at you to stop and stay an extra day - listen and see what might be.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Not forgetting Astorga

I did like Astorga. Peg was laid up for a few days but we did get to see most of the better sights. An unexpected delight was when I wandered though the town and came across the perfumeria that sold cow manure.

 

[trecile]

I might suggest you wait for your body to tell you you need a rest. One thing that surprised me the most on my camino, was that I did not enjoy the 'touristy' stuff. We did spend a rest day in Pamplona - because it was recommended by our APOC group - to take a rest day for people of 'our' age. After that, even in Burgos, which everyone loves, we just did not feel the pull to explore as a tourist. This is not so for everyone - but I guess what I am trying to convey, is - wait and see. A village, city, or town may pull at you to stop and stay an extra day - listen and see what might be.

I agree. I took a rest day in León on my first Camino. I didn't know what to do with myself, and was anxious to get walking again! On subsequent Caminos instead of taking a full rest day I'll take short days into and out of places of interest or on days that I need break. This is also a good time to splurge on a private room so that you can sleep in in the morning a bit.

 

[CWBuff]

Well... lots of good and interesting advises and each merits a thought!

So..one should just take a year off and stop for a 'day rest' in every place
Yeah... I see the point as it can be hard to play tourist since other things come into play. I honestly do not think that I would not know what to do with myself on a rest day but everyone who said 'let your body tell you' - that is a solid suggestion

Thanks everyone - this is an interesting discussion

 

[Espee84]

I wouldn’t plan the extra day off as you might need it unexpectedly. One day I walked all of 6km before stopping at the next tiny village with an albergue to let my feet recover. I needed an unplanned day off in burgos as I was shattered, and stayed two nights at the monastery in Rabanal. I wasn’t walking to a tight schedule but my point is really that it would be worth having that extra day up your sleeve for unexpected eventualities.

 

[Awakekiwi]

I agree with others.. play it by ear.. for example.. I would say Pamplona is an excellent place to take a day off..
Even though it's so early in the walk..
It has a special feel to it.. especially in the center castle .. where people are very free and easy.. and that revolutionary spirit is alive in the people and the street art..
This was where I gave away my sleeping bag to a beggar lady (she was a real one not just a worker) and found a super lightweight sleeping bag at a opportunity shop for $5..
I had an odd intuition that a lightweight perfect sleeping bag would show up along the way soon but I became impatient and so anyway the next day after buying this one I found one on the trail that someone had simply dumped to save weight ..
So that was an interesting lesson in trust and timing and so on.. but I digress
My plan for my next Camino is to take 3 months instead of 5 weeks so I can volunteer along the way and really enjoy everything without restriction... But that's a different journey.. its a more of a giving back and not a physical challenge.. both need to be experienced I recon!
My first camino we had 3 full days rest during the walk and 1 full days rest before my flight home from Santiago de Compostela. That was also allowing 3 days walk at the end to Finesterra and a bus back to Santiago and then 1 days rest.
I wished I had more time in general.. but I had to get back to work. I recon 5 to 6 days rest available in your schedule would be nice and give a lot more flexibility as you go to adjust ..
But having said that on our walk bcause we were behind schedule and relaly wanted that days rest at the end it made us push some huge days in the last week and this was a special opportunity to overcome tiredness and find more reserves and strength of spirit to push 33 and more Kms per day for a whole week and we did it! And it was an amazing challenge that pushed us to the absolute limits.. I remember at points we listened to Harry potter audio book as we walked to just have something else to focus on for a while.. it distracted is for the pain and tiredness and gave us strength those couple of days where we just needed somthing different from silence or talking or processing life so we "blobbed out" on Harry potter while walking our hearts out! But I digress

 

[Milly dipa]

My husband and I are currently in Burgos. We took a full day in Pamplona and had to force ourselves to take another full day in Burgos. We wanted to keep walking but knew it was a good idea to take a rest day in this wonderful city. Feel so good for it. What I really want to share is the great room that we booked at hostal Rimbombin. It is just off plaza mayor and very close to the catedral, restaurants and bars. If you are looking for a bit of modernity, space and comfort this is perfect. Very large room, king-size bed, great shower, very clean, very modern and good value - Saturday night was €79 and €54 for Sunday night. Really recharged here.