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Sahagun overnight stop?

Bella2017

Active Member
Time of past OR future Camino
2014,2015,2016.
March 2017 Oct 2018 Camino ingles june 2019 cancelled Camino Portuguese Oct 2019
Planning next part of camino from Burgos to Leon in october. Is a stop in Sahagun a good thing to do or would it be better to spend longer in Leon. Any tips on good places to stop or restaurants appreciated.
 
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I did the camino last summer and stayed in Sahagun. You can get a geographical midpoint certificate at the local church which was a fun extra. I stayed at the Los Balcones del Camino.
 
Leon rather than Sahagun would be my choice.

We had an overnight stop in a pleasant hotel in Sahagun but Leon had loads more to see and offer.

In Leon, Hostal San Martin near the cathedral is excellent.
 
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I did the camino last summer and stayed in Sahagun. You can get a geographical midpoint certificate at the local church which was a fun extra. I stayed at the Los Balcones del Camino.
I went through Sahagun and stopped for lunch. Other than the best excellent Spanish tortilla that many forum members have loved (me too!), I didn't find much very interesting and thought it quite rundown and depressing. Just my personal opinion.
 
León. Without a doubt.

Sahagún is the sort of place which should be spectacular but isn't. León on the other hand has more than enough to keep your eyes open feet moving; including a Cathedral which was built with "more glass than stone, more light than glass, and more faith than light."
I love this! ..."More glass than stone, more light than glass, more faith than light"! :)
 
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Other than getting a mid-point certificate at the church as it was my last walking stop before going on to volunteer in Ponferrada (church was definitely worthwhile), I too found Sahagun rather depressing. Would definitely vote for extra time in Leon.
 
I was on the CF in May/June this year. We took a rest day in Leon which gave us basically 1.5 days which was plenty I think, do the English tour at San Isidoro if you can. We stayed in a small hotel in Leon, Le Petit Leon, fair price and a great location near the Cathedral. We also did Sahagun and it's a typical Camino stop, there are some interesting sites but if its either/or, Leon for sure. In Sahagun, we stayed at the Albergue El Labriego. Nice courtyard, interesting/weird little chapel. Facilities are across the courtyard but they're good size and clean. Food was very good. It's located at the far end of town. Buen Camino!
 
If its an either-or situation, Leon wins, hands down. Leon is one of the great cities of Europe. But when next I visit dusty, small Sahagun I'll stay longer than I have in the past....

I've found Sahagun to be a very interesting place. There's more to it than just collecting another piece of paper.... Highly recommended albergue municipal. Good restaurants on the Plaza Mayor. Grocery store..... Strange Mudejar architecture. That odd museum of processional pieces in the old San Tirso church. And especially the tomb of King Alfonso VI in the Benedictine convent! (Remember him? The bad guy in the Heston El Cid flick? And surely the most under-appreciated of Iberian monarchs!?)

Peninsular War history buffs like me will know, of course, that Sahagun was the point at which began Sir John Moore's famous/infamous retreat to La Coruna, and raise a glass -- O'er the hills and o'er the main, Through Flanders, Portugal and Spain, King George commands and we obey, Over the hills and far away....


And then there's this -- for a town on the Camino Sahagun impressed me with its uniquely not-on-the-Camino ambiance - quiet, slow paced, as if indifferent to the presence of the passing peregrinos....
 
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I live 9 km from Sahagun, it's where I go to shop. You are right about it in many ways. It is NOT a town dedicated to pleasing pilgrims... it's got its own business to attend to, thankyouverymuch. That's one thing I kinda like about it.
Still, changes are on the way. A Catholic missionary order is planning to open a new albergue/Mass ministry in Sahagun, so pilgrims can have another reliable place mid-Meseta for spiritual nurture. Watch this forum for details.
 
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And while I'm going on about odd things, let me add this:

If you go to San Isidoro in Leon and take the museum tour -- and you simply must, to see the loveliest of Spain's several Holy Grails! :) -- you'll be taken to the "Pantheon of the Kings of Leon." Well, what the tour guides will try not to tell you is that all the mortal remains of those monarchs were destroyed by Napoleon's revolutionary invading armies, very deliberately. There is nothing left in any of the impressive sarcophagi. They are empty.

The invaders tried to do the same thing in Sahagun, but, miraculously (and I believe in miracles! It's sorta my job!) the mortal remains of King Alfonso VI have survived. It's quite a story! I suggest you look it up.
 
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I live 9 km from Sahagun, it's where I go to shop. You are right about it in many ways. It is NOT a town dedicated to pleasing pilgrims... it's got its own business to attend to, thankyouverymuch. That's one thing I kinda like about it.
Still, changes are on the way. A Catholic missionary order is planning to open a new albergue/Mass ministry in Sahagun, so pilgrims can have another reliable place mid-Meseta for spiritual nurture. Watch this forum for details.
Thanks for that news note! But I suspect that most walkers who overnight in Ledigos or Terradillos or Moratinos will (feeling little need for spiritual nurturing) just go on blowing through Sahagun and heading west....
 
Over past years I have spent many cosy Sahagun nights in the albergue de peregrinos Cluny but an October 2007 overnight is perhaps the most memorable. After a delicious lunch at Casa Barrunta in the village of San Nicolas the 'fun' began. From the highway which parallels the camino a taxi horn honked several times and the excited driver explained that a young 'hoodlum' wearing camouflage was walking nearby on the camino.

Within 10 minutes footsteps behind me crunched the gravel path. Bingo! It was a young guy wearing pink and grey camouflage! We looked at each other. I said "Hola!"; he grunted and passed.

Arriving at the municipal albergue I tried to explain the situation to the hospitalera who gave me a key to lock myself in since the huge place was empty and I was the sole pilgrim. Time passed. Later while in the shower I heard heavy footsteps mounting the stairs. Covered in soap suds I dashed for my poncho. Two big cops and two slim male cyclists appeared! "Senora, we've brought you some protection" said the cops. We all laughed, shook hands and I clad only in that sudsy poncho brewed tea for the five of us. After tea GREATLY relieved I finished showering, climbed into a cosy bunk to blissfully sleep protected by those most welcome cyclists.
 
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If its an either-or situation, Leon wins, hands down. Leon is one of the great cities of Europe. But when next I visit dusty, small Sahagun I'll stay longer than I have in the past....

I've found Sahagun to be a very interesting place. There's more to it than just collecting another piece of paper.... Highly recommended albergue municipal. Good restaurants on the Plaza Mayor. Grocery store..... Strange Mudejar architecture. That odd museum of processional pieces in the old San Tirso church. And especially the tomb of King Alfonso VI in the Benedictine convent! (Remember him? The bad guy in the Heston El Cid flick? And surely the most under-appreciated of Iberian monarchs!?)

Peninsular War history buffs like me will know, of course, that Sahagun was the point at which began Sir John Moore's famous/infamous retreat to La Coruna, and raise a glass -- O'er the hills and o'er the main, Through Flanders, Portugal and Spain, King George commands and we obey, Over the hills and far away....


And then there's this -- for a town on the Camino Sahagun impressed me with its uniquely not-on-the-Camino ambiance - quiet, slow paced, as if indifferent to the presence of the passing peregrinos....
I am very impressed with your knowledge and enthusiasm in giving a "thumbs up" for Sahagun with all the details and information you've given...makes me rethink the rather negative impression I had when passing through.
 
Over past years I have spent many cosy Sahagun nights in the albergue de peregrinos Cluny but an October 2007 overnight is perhaps the most memorable. After a delicious lunch at Casa Barrunta in the village of San Nicolas the 'fun' began. From the highway which parallels the camino a taxi horn honked several times and the excited driver explained that a young 'hoodlum' wearing camouflage was walking nearby on the camino.

Within 10 minutes footsteps behind me crunched the gravel path. Bingo! It was a young guy wearing pink and grey camouflage! We looked at each other. I said "Hola!"; he grunted and passed.

Arriving at the municipal albergue I tried to explain the situation to the hospitalera who gave me a key to lock myself in since the huge place was empty and I was the sole pilgrim. Time passed. Later while in the shower I heard heavy footsteps mounting the stairs. Covered in soap suds I dashed for my poncho. Two big cops and two slim male cyclists appeared! "Senora, we've brought you some protection" said the cops. We all laughed, shook hands and I clad only in that sudsy poncho brewed tea for the five of us. After tea GREATLY relieved I finished showering, climbed into a cosy bunk to blissfully sleep protected by those most welcome cyclists.
Aren't our Camino memories priceless?...most of them anyway! This one gave me a good laugh. :)
 
I live 9 km from Sahagun, it's where I go to shop. You are right about it in many ways. It is NOT a town dedicated to pleasing pilgrims... it's got its own business to attend to, thankyouverymuch. That's one thing I kinda like about it.
Still, changes are on the way. A Catholic missionary order is planning to open a new albergue/Mass ministry in Sahagun, so pilgrims can have another reliable place mid-Meseta for spiritual nurture. Watch this forum for details.
If Brother Brierley's next edition were to end a walking stage at Sahagun, well, that would be game changer!
 
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If Brother Brierley's next edition were to end a walking stage at Sahagun, well, that would be game changer!
It is really quite disturbing how many people read Brierley's guide books and stick 100% to his stages with no deviation at all. Walking the CF last year I met several people at various points who were doing so because they felt in some way they could not clearly express that it was the "proper" way to walk the Camino. One woman even looked at me in amazement when she heard I was stopping in different places and asked "Are you allowed to do that?" :confused::rolleyes: I find it remarkable that his guides are so ubiquitous amongst English speakers that people will talk on here about "stage towns" or even "official stages"(???) without ever feeling the need to explain that they are referring to "the Gospel according to St John B".
 
To the good Rev's commentary I'll add the vibrant Saturday street market (oh for a decent kitchen) and the excellent Quesos Piniella Forcelledo S.L. Calle. Conde Ansurez 2.
What time is the market? Is it just in the morning or all day?
 
Thanks for all your advice still undecided, but have over 2 months to think about it. Any tips on places to stay or eat would be good.
I regretted not staying in Viana and just going on to Logrono so was thinking Sahagun might be a place like that.
 
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It is really quite disturbing how many people read Brierley's guide books and stick 100% to his stages with no deviation at all. Walking the CF last year I met several people at various points who were doing so because they felt in some way they could not clearly express that it was the "proper" way to walk the Camino. One woman even looked at me in amazement when she heard I was stopping in different places and asked "Are you allowed to do that?" :confused::rolleyes: I find it remarkable that his guides are so ubiquitous amongst English speakers that people will talk on here about "stage towns" or even "official stages"(???) without ever feeling the need to explain that they are referring to "the Gospel according to St John B".
In all fairness to those English speaking walkers who are not aware of this marvelous forum advise, they most likely have tried to calculate ahead of time how many "days" they need to be away from their jobs and figuring out dates for their flights. All they have to go on is their Brierley guide and it is like a "bible" for a newbie. That's what my experience was when planning my first Camino. I couldn't quite keep up with some of Brierley's stages and realized I'd have to bus a stretch to make my flight home in time. I then was able to relax a little more knowing I could finish in time with a bus option. I then started staying overnight "off stage" and felt more freedom and flexibility which allowed me to enjoy the experiences in some of the smaller villages.
 
What time is the market? Is it just in the morning or all day?

I guess that its like all markets: opens early, done by lunch. (Spanish lunch - so 2pm) I say 'I guess' 'cos I've only ever been there in the morning when the stalls were full of produce. By 2pm I've been busy competing with the stall-holders for a table in one or other of those excellent restaurants. Or I've been back out on the rail with the Ditch Pigs.
 
All they have to go on is their Brierley guide and it is like a bible for a newbie. That's what my experience was when planning my first Camino. I couldn't quite keep up with some of his stages and realized I'd have to bus a stretch to make my flight home in time.

That is one of the reasons I personally dislike Brierley's approach. Dividing up routes into predefined days which many people find too long but somehow feel they have to walk to "do it right". I much prefer to be treated like a responsible adult who can be given all the relevant information about the route and then trusted to weigh it up and choose for himself what a realistic day looks like.
 
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That is one of the reasons I personally dislike Brierley's approach. Dividing up routes into predefined days which many people find too long but somehow feel they have to walk to "do it right". I much prefer to be treated like a responsible adult who can be given all the relevant information about the route and then trusted to weigh it up and choose for himself what a realistic day looks like.
I understand what you are saying, but I had no way of knowing how to be what you are calling "a responsible adult" ahead of time on my first Camino as my only training where I live was on flat ground and I had never been backpacking before. I did appreciate the Brierley maps and he did at least show lodging options in the villages, although he never ended stages there. His guidebook seemed my best option at the time and even now I sometimes refer to it when reading forum posts and occassionally insert notes of interest to me. I still think it is a useful tool.
 
It is really quite disturbing how many people read Brierley's guide books and stick 100% to his stages with no deviation at all. Walking the CF last year I met several people at various points who were doing so because they felt in some way they could not clearly express that it was the "proper" way to walk the Camino. One woman even looked at me in amazement when she heard I was stopping in different places and asked "Are you allowed to do that?" :confused::rolleyes: I find it remarkable that his guides are so ubiquitous amongst English speakers that people will talk on here about "stage towns" or even "official stages"(???) without ever feeling the need to explain that they are referring to "the Gospel according to St John B".
I guess they are holding like (as we say) "a drunk to the fence" to his stages because of very low self-confidence while travelling/hiking. I had similar experiences and I was the awkward one staying in in-between places or making very short/very long stages :D
 
That is one of the reasons I personally dislike Brierley's approach. Dividing up routes into predefined days which many people find too long but somehow feel they have to walk to "do it right". I much prefer to be treated like a responsible adult who can be given all the relevant information about the route and then trusted to weigh it up and choose for himself what a realistic day looks like.
Agree completely. I tried to tell my mountaineering folks that walking the Camino isn't something you are doing over the weekend and then you rest for five days (while sitting at the desk job). It's quite the other way around. I use to say it's a full time job, walking two weeks in a row and then taking a rest day. Nobody understand until they try it. But some listen to a little bit of advice and many doesn't. And then blisters, shin splints and all the rest of problems appear. My friend is still limping after one year because she wasn't taking my advice to rest when a certain pain developed.

But to get back to His Highness JB I think his guide is the best there is but you can do nothing about the stages. It might sounds very harsh and improper but usually (ignorant westerners) people are like sheep herd - they need guidance. And that's when JB is helpful although suggesting the stages which aren't doable for everyone OTOH. To each his/her own I'd say...
 
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Planning next part of camino from Burgos to Leon in october. Is a stop in Sahagun a good thing to do or would it be better to spend longer in Leon. Any tips on good places to stop or restaurants appreciated.
A good question; my opinion it really depends on how far you walked the day or two before & what is your planned destination the next day. I & my companion hah had a long day before so had a short day to Sahagun, & then had an extra long day to Reliegos vis the Roman road & the following day we walked into Leon &!another rest day.
If you have not been to Leon I would recommend a rest day here; much history in this city!
 
I have stayed twice in both Leon and Sahagun. I loved both because as for most of my camino experience each place is different and I love that.
Leon I loved the Cathedral and Sahagun I loved the railway station!
 
Leon is a little too vast for me however the cathedral is magnificent!
In Sahagun the municipal albergue has allowed me to stay there for two concurrent nights on two occasions - one must vacate but may return early , choose a bed and get your washing done - pay that evening when the office opens - cheap as chips. I remember the albergue with fondness as an experienced buddy had marked it off as a 'must stay' in my guide during my first camino.
The town has a quaint square with restaurants - one can get a good meal at almost any time of day. The architecture of some of the buildings is almost unique but many are being lost due to a clay and hay brick construction.
There is plenty of fresh produce available and the town hosts most shopping and replenishment requirements.
Sahagun gets my vote.;)
 
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@mspath - hehe Margret , do you recall that big church like window in the Cluny? . Well one year on the 6th of November it was still open from the summer but it was FREEZING!! I pointed to it in despair as it was near impossible to get up there. Just then a petite young , extremely fit 'Tom Boy' who was returning fro Santigao grabbed a chair. With a few clever moves she had jumped from level to ledge , closed the window and scrambled down again - without saying a word she continued preparing her dinner.:)
 
That is one of the reasons I personally dislike Brierley's approach. Dividing up routes into predefined days which many people find too long but somehow feel they have to walk to "do it right". I much prefer to be treated like a responsible adult who can be given all the relevant information about the route and then trusted to weigh it up and choose for himself what a realistic day looks like.

I understand what you are saying, but I had no way of knowing how to be what you are calling "a responsible adult" ahead of time on my first Camino as my only training where I live was on flat ground and I had never been backpacking before. I did appreciate the Brierley maps and he did at least show lodging options in the villages, although he never ended stages there. His guidebook seemed my best option at the time and even now I sometimes refer to it when reading forum posts and occassionally insert notes of interest to me. I still think it is a useful tool.

But to get back to His Highness JB I think his guide is the best there is but you can do nothing about the stages. It might sounds very harsh and improper but usually (ignorant westerners) people are like sheep herd - they need guidance. And that's when GB is helpful although suggesting the stages which aren't doable for everyone OTOH. To each his/her own I'd say...

I remember back in 2005 when I walked my first camino, that I was very happy that a guide even existed. it was JB, of course, his 2003 edition that I could borrow from a local library and see how this camino actually looks like. in the end, I didn't consciously stick to his stages (it was the being-proud-of-my-kms-camino), but went with the flow and sometimes ended sleeping there.

I still like the maps and the profiles. I think they might be the ones with the most info one could wish for crammed on a limited sheet of paper. I do wish for more blue F signs.
I have no problem with the maps being divided into stages. it makes sense, if you wish to have an organized guide. I simply use them as a guidance.

on that note, I really like the yellow german guides which don't have set stages, but are a continuous text 'divided' by the distances from accommodation (albergues). the new maps also seem to be better. (I preferred the maps from the red german guides.)

and yes, many pilgrims can't afford an unlimited number of days on a camino. so the stages do make their planning easier.
 
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And while I'm going on about odd things, let me add this:

If you go to San Isidoro in Leon and take the museum tour -- and you simply must, to see the loveliest of Spain's several Holy Grails! :) -- you'll be taken to the "Pantheon of the Kings of Leon." Well, what the tour guides will try not to tell you is that all the mortal remains of those monarchs were destroyed by Napoleon's revolutionary invading armies, very deliberately. There is nothing left in any of the impressive sarcophagi. They are empty.

The invaders tried to do the same thing in Sahagun, but, miraculously (and I believe in miracles! It's sorta my job!) the mortal remains of King Alfonso VI have survived. It's quite a story! I suggest you look it up.
Back in 2009 on my first Camino I stayed in Sahagun, in the albergue staffed by members of the Madrid Camino association- Sahagun being were CM meets CF.
I remember going to Mass and leaving my rucksack on top of a large 'concrete box'. I was surprised when I removed the bag to see it had been lying on the king's tomb!:)
 
I like Sahagun. I have had nice stays in the hostel opposite the Albergue. Got my clothes washed and dryed each time.
 
Peg and I spent three days in Sahagun when she was recovering from food poisoning. I really enjoyed the town but it was June and one of the days was part of the town festival. It was nice seeing a small town on the camino that had something going for it besides the camino. That said, if you have only one day to spend in the area make it Leon.

The camino in Leon passes the Basilica of San Isidoro and attached to that is a museum that contains books and other objects of that period but there were two things that absolutely fascinated me, the 11th century Royal Pantheon and the chalice of Dona Urraca, one of the Holy Grails that Europe is so full of. The Royal Pantheon is sometimes called the "Sistine Chapel of Romanesque art" and a recent book documented the chalice (and did such a job that it might be off display for awhile.)
 
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I live 9 km from Sahagun, it's where I go to shop. You are right about it in many ways. It is NOT a town dedicated to pleasing pilgrims... it's got its own business to attend to, thankyouverymuch. That's one thing I kinda like about it.
Still, changes are on the way. A Catholic missionary order is planning to open a new albergue/Mass ministry in Sahagun, so pilgrims can have another reliable place mid-Meseta for spiritual nurture. Watch this forum for details.
Hi Rebecca. One year I stayed at the nunnery just before the little park at the briodge. For those who like peace and quiet it was ideal. Several different churches of quite different construction, a town square with typical restaurants and a few shops. Leon is larger and when I stayed in the town centre one year the noise was unbearable and was still going on when I left at 6:00 am. On another occasion I stayed at the Paris Hotel in a single room and it was a real treat.
 
I'd stop a day or more in Leon - so much to see.

I have stayed here twice already and will do so again. The albergue - Muralla Leonesa - is run by three lovely women, very close to shops and the cathedral which is well worth a visit even though I think the Cathedral in Burgos is far better to explore.

There is a regular food, flowers, etc., etc, market in the plaza where the middle-sized arrow is. The exit from the market plaza is a few steps down then another 30 or so metres and it's there on your left. Closed from 12:00 - 2:00.

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