Starting from Leon 10th of July

[Kjartan]

Hi,

My girlfriend and me will start our first Camino from Leon and we just got our plane tickets yesterday so now it is real.

We are happy that we found this forum, and we already found some very useful information.

For example we will now be going to Villar de Mazarife on the first day. We never heard about this any other place, so this is great information we found right here on this site.

We have 3 weeks to get to Santiago so we will have plenty of time to enjoy the Camino in full.

We have been together for almost 20 years and the last 16 years have been all about our children. But this one is for us.

I plan to use this forum a lot to seek information and inspiration, but also to ask any questions that may arise.

Cheers,

Kjartan from Denmark

 

[Waka]

You've certainly come to the right place to have your questions answered, I'm not sure I could haver completed my CF without the help of the experience pilgrims here.

Buen Camino

 

[Deleted member 3000]

we will now be going to Villar de Mazarife on the first day

That is a quieter route than the one to Villadangos. After you leave La Virgen del Camino, you will reach the junction for the two routes. There are competing signs, now getting faded, trying to lure you to one side or the other. You will want to turn left on the route that goes through a pipe tunnel after a few hundred meters. If you turn right, you will climb up toward the highway and be on the route to Villadangos. The signs were fairly good in January, but are still deceptive, so just be vigilant.

Buen camino. I like Tio Pepe in Mazarife, but the other two albergues have their fans as well.

 

[Kjartan]

Thank you @falcon269 I will keep this in mind when we get to the junction you mention. We plan to stay at Tio Pepe if possible.

 

[mspath]

Kjartan,

Following the camino leaving Leon can be dreary. However, it is only 7 km to La Virgen del Camino and an extraordinary 20th century church. The town is named for a famous 15th century figure of the Virgin holding the dead body of Christ. Today the figure is in a splendid church designed in the 1960s by a Dominican monk, Francisco Coello, a follower of the Brutalist style of Le Corbusier. Located directly on the Camino Frances at Av Astorga, 87, in the midst of chaotic suburb the church is a superbly maintained architectural gem as well as a haven of peace. Be sure to enter it; the calm interior is splendidly lit with deep chrome yellow glass.

Opposite the church you can choose to either continue on the main camino which parallels the highway or pick up the peaceful alternative camino route going slightly southwest towards Villar de Mazarife. It is always very pleasant to escape the N120 highway noise and suburban sprawl while crossing wide flat plains up to V de M where there are several pilgrim albergues and regular accommodation.
Like Falcon my favorite is Tio Pepe.

From V d M the alternative camino continues to Hospital de Órbigo to rejoin the main CF. You can read more about the alternative more rural route in this earlier Forum thread .

Hospital de Orbigo offers many accommodation options; my favorite is the Albergue Verde. They accept reservations and offer wonderful group meals each evening. Leaving HdO turn right to follow the camino towards Astorga via Santibanez de Valdeiglesias on a wonderful rolling rural path.

Happy planning and Buen Camino to both of you,

 

[Kjartan]

Thank you @mspath - that is very useful information. ;-)

But the link to Albergue Verde seems to be harmful as i get a firefox warning not to enter the site.

 

[mspath]

Sorry about the site. Try this for albergue Verde.

 

[Kjartan]

Sorry about the site. Try this for albergue Verde.

Thanks. I still got the malware warning but I ignored it and the site seems legit. We might stay there.

 

[Devon Mike]

I also would recommend the route via Villar de Mazarife. As you leave La Virgen del Camino going down the small hill on the main road, look for the route off to the left.

In Villar de Mazarife I have stayed at the Albergue Tio Pepe which is in the central square by the Church and also the Albergue San Antonio de Padua which is the first Albergue on the right as you arrive. Both are excellent and provide good evening meals and breakfasts at reasonable cost.

Buen Camino,

Mike