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LIVE from the Camino Burgos to León-- best route

joecamino

Active Member
Time of past OR future Camino
2017 CF
Hola! Yesterday I walked into Burgos, 17 days after leaving SJPdP. Tomorrow I pick up a rental bike for what I hope will be a 3-day ride across the Meseta.

Does anyone have guidance on best cycling route(s) to León? Wherever possible-- and safe-- I'd prefer to ride the road, and leave the trails to my fellow peregrinos who are walking.

Also, if anyone who's done this stretch has suggestions on good places to break for the night, I'd welcome that as well.

Thanks!!
 
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The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Joe, good to see you moving along the way. I'm jealous - I really like Burgos. Castrojeriz is kind of an interesting town with a little Pilgrimage museum that's possibly more hi-tech than one would expect to find there. I stayed at La Cachava for a break, but there are probably better options. Boadilla del Camino is a nice place and Albergue En El Camino is popular there, with a cafe and courtyard. One of my favorites was Espiritu Santo in Carrion de los Condes. It is absolutely basic, but the nuns are kind and the town itself has much to offer - including a fantastic bakery (HornoLaPeregrina) at a corner of Plaza Santa Maria in front of the church of Santa Maria del Camino. When you get to Astorga, have Cocido Maragato on one of the plazas for a huge dinner. Hope you're enjoying your time on Camino!
 
Hey everyone, thanks for the well wishes and ear-to-ear smiles! :)

It's been a good camino, even the hard days, like the one over the Pyrenees. My body's been burnt, bitten, and sore, but it's getting stronger. Lighter too-- despite beer, KAS, and tortillas.

Thanks again for the support. If you'd like to see more, I'm posting notes and photos here. Now, to leave Burgos.

 
Hola! Yesterday I walked into Burgos, 17 days after leaving SJPdP. Tomorrow I pick up a rental bike for what I hope will be a 3-day ride across the Meseta.

Does anyone have guidance on best cycling route(s) to León? Wherever possible-- and safe-- I'd prefer to ride the road, and leave the trails to my fellow peregrinos who are walking.

Also, if anyone who's done this stretch has suggestions on good places to break for the night, I'd welcome that as well.

Thanks!!
I have probably done the Camino Frances 4-5 times and don't for the life of me why people want to rid a bicycle across it????
 
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I will help and but my answer may not be what you want.

For the section to Castrojeriz I would follow the path. It is direct and if you are starting out on the bike and have been walking you will not be in any hurry.

From Castrojeriz to Carrion de los Condes there is a quiet road you can follow using the B403 and P432 then P980.

From Carrion de los Condes I would follow the walkers route which is very wide and flat (a farmers road) to Calzadilla de la Cueza and then the N120 to Sahagun.

From Sahagun to Leon we took the road close by the path to Mansilla de las Mulas and the road from there into Leon which was not nice but you may want to turn left at MdlM and go via Villanueva de las Manzanas which may be quieter.

Places to stop for bikers - we did it in 2 days and stopped in Carrion de los Condes - other places you may like are Castrojeriz, Fromista and Sahagun but there are plenty of places to stop on the meseta.
 
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Ditto to William Marques suggest route. I'm picking up a bike in Pamplona in one month and riding to Santiago. I am pretty much going to follow the path and after walking Leon to Carrion this past March I think his route makes lots of sense for Leon to Castro and then get off the path from Castro to Carrion.
 
Thanks much for the suggestions.

I don't mind spending time on the same paths as people walking, if they're wide enough (the paths, that is ;) Just want to avoid startling people when going quickly, or having to ride so slowly that the bike's unstable.
 
The path from Carrion to Calzadilla is plenty wide enough. The path out of Burgos is narrower but the alternative routes are very indirect.

And try Tinto de Verano is a cold drink similar to sangria but simpler, normally made up of 1 part of table red wine and 1 part gaseosa and plenty of ice.
 
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Thanks William, and Rick too.

I have tried mixing my beer with lemonade, and found I prefer the two in series instead of parallel.

Didn't know about the name, but I've been enjoying that red wine combo since discovering it on a 100° day in Seville a few years back.

Also discovered a fondness for Tinto de Invierno while traveling. (Best order it as Glühwein though if you want to be served :))
 
Joe, good to see you moving along the way. I'm jealous - I really like Burgos. Castrojeriz is kind of an interesting town ........

Without a doubt! ..........Beware taking the pilgrim's route out of this town up and down the steep mountain with major mud on the other side after rain - alternative routes are suggested for cyclists.

Many of the Meseta routes are wide paths or dirt roads - I seem to remember the lonely 'Kings Camino' somewhere near Bercianos?........ it is very quiet even though recommended in some popular guides.

I think Burgos to Leon may be the most friendly to cyclists - you may already be half way through by now - enjoy!!
 
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Also, if anyone who's done this stretch has suggestions on good places to break for the night, I'd welcome that as well.

Thanks!!
At Hornillos stay at El Molino. Owner picks you up in Hornillos and then returns you next morning to the Camino. Contact info for making reservation is in Brierley guide. Truly special experience. Best food yet. In 2010 when filming The Way, cast and crew stayed there. My best night yet and in OCebreido tonight. Buen Camino, CT
 
As Cumbres Trekker noted a great casa rurale possibility, El Molino del Camino, is in Vilviestre de Muño, near Hornillos del Camino which is west of Burgos on the Meseta. This is a handsome and most comfortable bed and breakfast with good food in a splendid setting. Here is their web.

If you telephone they will pick you up on the Camino and bring you back to the same spot next morning. I happily stayed there in February 2009 when the Hornillos albergue was closed for badly needed basic renovation.
 
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The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
I'm heading out from Burgos Sunday. What routes did you wind up using?
 
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Hi James,

I followed the Camino route as far as Castrojeriz, and then took roads to León (often the N120)

Found it to be a good choice, though the climbs and descents on that first day were a bit of a challenge.

Have a great time!

Joe
 
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Hey everyone, thanks for the well wishes and ear-to-ear smiles! :)

It's been a good camino, even the hard days, like the one over the Pyrenees. My body's been burnt, bitten, and sore, but it's getting stronger. Lighter too-- despite beer, KAS, and tortillas.

Thanks again for the support. If you'd like to see more, I'm posting notes and photos here. Now, to leave Burgos.

i just finished my camino via mountain bike paris to porto and then camino france backwards starting at santiago to pamplona because i messed up with my bus tickets == HEADS UP == (spanish buses (asla) will only take your bike as far as Irun and you will need a french company(ouibus) to take it further if you going back to paris etc ) look at my strava https://www.strava.com/activities/1825951457 Burgos i followed the cycle path and footpath just follow the yellow signs and follow the river until you meet up with bu600 and then it joins n120 https://www.strava.com/activities/1821796479 and found roadworks just outside Leon ,it's the fourth exit (the only two way traffic lane )1 exit is highway coming in second is highway outward third is highway and fourth is Leon east then its straightforward https://www.strava.com/activities/1821795388 I HOPE IT HELPS A BIT
 
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Hey Anthony,

Thanks for the note-- and congrats on your own Camino Plus! I was able to ride from Burgos to Leon on a rented bike I dubbed Honey Badger. While I had a few mis-directions, overall it was pretty straightforward.

For anyone stumbling on this thread while researching, here are key points (take w grain of salt-- memories are almost a year and a half old)
  • I followed the same path as walkers leaving Burgos, and pretty much as far as Castrojeriz. Most of the paths were wide enough to traverse without startling anyone (though calling "Buen Camino!" is still the best way to go.)
  • While the Meseta may be flat overall, there were still hills-- including a few that required me to dismount to get up them. On that first day I ran into at least one place where single track experience on a mountain bike would have been helpful. Since I didn't have that-- my background is road riding-- the narrow downhill on a loaded bike was a little scary. However I took it slow, managed it, and added it to list of memories/achievements.
  • Keep an eye out as you approach Hontanas. I was barreling downhill, turned left at a split, and missed the town. Fortunately I checked an app on my phone, and GPS told me I'd passed it. Doubled back, found the town, and enjoyed a cold beer in the plaza.
  • Walkers have a pretty big climb after Castrojeriz. I bypassed this taking BU 400 northwest a few miles, then turning left onto BU 403 (at Mota de Judios). You'll still have a small climb, but get to enjoy a few minutes of coasting on the far side! (I'd remember that coasting longingly a week later, when I was slogging down the long descent after the Iron Cross)
  • You'll be able to ride on the road pretty much all the way to Leon, diverging from walkers for a few miles, and then rejoining. I'd planned to do this stretch in one long day, but hit a major storm late in the afternoon, and stopped in Sahagun.
  • It took me two and half days to ride from Burgos to Leon. At my pace, it would have been 8-9 days walking. To those who want to walk the whole way, and experience days on the Meseta, I say "Great!" Personally, I really enjoyed the change of pace riding offered, and the new challenges it presented.
  • I rented from a place called Velobur in Burgos. Was very happy with the bike, bags, map and accessories the owner set me up with. From a finance perspective, the cost of the bike rental (~120E) more than covered the 6-7 extra nights of lodging and food I would have spent had I walked.
However you go, enjoy and Buen Camino! :)

Joe

PS: Click here for more pix from my Camino




honey badger.jpeg
 
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when I did my first Camino le puy to Santiago de Compostela via a cycle handbook back in august 2016 all the town and city's where linked and you could cycle road or path ,but since then the highways have taken over well the first 10 km ( I normally go off road and where possible along the tracks but after having 3 days bad luck snapping a spoke ,and the next day snapping the chain which went in the back wheel and doing some damage which need repair by a shop ,then could get money from western union the following day because all my money on a pre-paid card to get the bike fixed)so I do believe in third time luck and bad things come in threes so after that I was mostly on roads and well kept paths I followed the road this year because I had to get to Irun to catch my bus (which I rebooked ) to match the connecting buses back to England ,and I knew there was a Camino route from Burgos to Irun (the tunnel route) which I never rode or walked before ,so I opted the route I remembered
 
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