Camino a Santiago Day 21: León (Virgen del Camino) to Villavante

Distance: 25k (15.5mi)

Elevation gain: 111m (364ft)

Duration: 5h 15m

Steps: 39,249

Calories: 1,469

What a fun night. And what a lovely homemade meal. My guesthouse today really was like coming into a person’s home and spending the night with friends. But more on that later.

I took a cab today. Yes. You read correctly. A cab. Not for the whole distance of course. Just the first three and a half miles out of Leon. This is something I always planned to do. Skip the completely uninspiring, industrial way out of the city in order to cut down some of the distance, which otherwise would have been close to 19 miles or 30k. On a super hot day like today where we reached 95 degrees it seemed like a particularly good idea. Of course my original intent was to take a bus. Enough people bus out of Leon that I even knew what line I needed to take and had figured out the closest stop from my hotel last night. But you know me, I got to the bus stop with 25 minutes to spare and noticed that there was a taxi stand right next to it. It was meant to be.

Once out of town, I started my hike at the Virgen del Camino Basilica. It’s a shame it wasn’t open, because this is a quite modern church I’d read plenty about and would have liked to see it inside.

Almost immediately there was a split in the road. Once again I was presented with the official Camino route and an alternate. I always knew I’d be taking the alternate since that is where my accomodation was located, so I just had to make sure I was on the right track or I would have been in trouble.

The walk itself was once again uninspiring. The last three days of walking have been complete slogs truth be told.

Many people have told me they’re now listening to music or podcasts. I’ve yet to break out the AirPods. It’s probably the many years of loooooong bike rides through cornfields that prepared me for the monotony.

I knew to expect this for the Meseta and though many people skip it I’m glad I didn’t. Not only did I really enjoy the first half, I feel you need to go through the entire journey; from stunning landscapes to mind-numbingly monotonous. Not just to appreciate the beauty of those first couple of weeks, but also to find beauty in unexpected places. Today for example I was absolutely enthralled by a baby eagle squawking incessantly after its mother. It was adorable and went on for several minutes. And while the towns along the Meseta are nearly as barren and uninspiring as the landscape, this is also where I’ve experienced some of my most unique lodgings, mostly guesthouses run by a husband and wife.

My casa rural today may be my favorite so far. No sooner had I arrived the owners welcomed me into their home as though I were a house guest, not a hotel guest. They didn’t even bother to check me in until after dinner, which was mostly prepared with ingredients they grow themselves. I have a swing, a river to soak my tired feet in and a balcony with a view of the poppy fields from my shower. Add to that a fun group of folks with whom to spend the evening chatting away. What more do you need?

But the Meseta is almost over. Tomorrow to be exact. After that the forests and mountains will make their return.

Accommodation: Casa Rural Molino Galochas. I can’t speak highly enough of Mercedes and her husband, Máximo. It is they who make this place as amazing as it is. This is not only a wonderful spot to spend the night. It would be a great place to spend a rest day doing absolutely nothing. And it’s an absolute steal. Double room, single occupancy. €40

Dinner: Casa Rural Molino Galochas. I had lunch, dinner and breakfast here the next day. I can’t remember the cost, but I guarantee it wasn’t more than €25 for all three.