The Meseta is seen as the most boring part of the Camino Francés. But is that fair? In this journal, I take you along on my hike through the open plains.
In March 2025, I am walking the Camino Francés from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela. Along the way, I am keeping a daily journal. These are my stories from the third week. Missed last week? Read it here: Camino Francés week 2: A mental & physical challenge.
Camino day 13: Through the rain to Burgos
I leave nice and early today because I want to spend as much time as possible in Burgos. It is the second largest city on the Camino Francés after Pamplona. Together with Gene I step outside, and we immediately have to put on our raincoats. It is foggy and raining. Yuk. In silence, we continue along the Camino. It starts with a climb to a viewpoint, of which we see absolutely nothing because of the fog, and then it is all downhill from there.
In the first village, a café is just opening. Perfect timing to warm up. The tortilla has just come out of the oven, still steaming. So good. A little later, Yoshida and Jose join us. Gene and I continue walking, and I have to admit, this is one of the least enjoyable parts of the Camino so far. Just asphalt, kilometers past an airport and through an endless industrial zone before finally reaching Burgos. We look like a bunch of drowned cats. Lovely.
We do knock out the 20 kilometers in no time. It is barely 11:30 when we arrive in Burgos. I say goodbye to Gene and I am lucky to be able to check in right away. Tonight I am sleeping in a private room again. Always a nice treat after a few nights in albergues, even though those are very fun to stay in as well. After that, it is time to do laundry and head into town for a nice vegan lunch. In bigger cities, I enjoy trying out different types of restaurants.
I had expected to do some sightseeing in Burgos because of my early arrival, but that does not really happen. The list of chores and the fatigue catch up with me. Of course, I still want to admire the impressive cathedral (wow!) I do so together with Johannes, who is also in town by now. Burgos is the end of his Camino, so we have a glass of wine to say goodbye. Pretty wild to think we have seen each other almost every day for the past two weeks.
I want to eat early, but all the restaurants are still closed until eight in the evening, so I settle for Mexican takeout. I also open my laptop and catch up on some paperwork in my hotel room. Not ideal, but as a self-employed person, it has to be done every now and then. Another day on the Camino. It all goes by so quickly.
- Kilometers today: 20
- Kilometers total: 295
- I stayed in: Hostal Carrales Burgos – basic, very affordable and clean.
Camino day 14: Start of the infamous Meseta
Around seven o’clock I close the door of my accommodation in Burgos behind me. It was wonderful to have a private room. I have clean clothes again, ate some good food, and I slept well. But I am really looking forward to hiking again. The weather is going to be nice today and I would like to get some miles in.
Through the old town and a beautiful suburb full of schools, I walk out of Burgos. Just outside the city I meet three pilgrims I have not seen before. Burgos is a starting point for many people on the Camino.
I pass several highways and slowly leave the city behind. Quiet little villages alternate along the way. Only after thirteen kilometers do I find the first open café, and while I am enjoying a café con leche, Yoshi walks by.
We continue together and hike into the Meseta. This is a fairly flat stretch of the Camino, about 180 kilometers long, and you mostly walk through endless fields. Many people are not looking forward to it and find it rather boring, but I love it so far. Peacefully walking through no man’s land. The kilometers fly by, the sun is shining, and I am enjoying myself. How wonderful that I can and may do this.
Just before Hontanas we run into Gene, what a nice surprise! Hontanas itself is also a surprise. It lies in a valley, so you do not see it until the very last moment. Very special.
Around two o’clock, we are standing in front of the closed door of the municipal albergue together with Tony from Australia. The manager does not answer his phone, and while we are trying to figure out what to do, someone calls out to us, asking if we are looking for a place to stay. A guesthouse door opens and we can book a couple of rooms for a nice price. Another night of luxury. Later I see that the albergue did open and is quite busy. That is fine by me. I think I will sleep better in this place than in the albergue.
- Kilometers today: 32
- Kilometers total: 327
- We stayed in: Hostal Fuentestrella – Small guesthouse with a bar and restaurant. The best shower so far!
Camino day 15: Soaked but still enjoying it
I have been on the road for more than two weeks now. Wow. And yes, I still feel like walking on. Santiago is getting closer and closer. Today is a big day in terms of distance. I want to try to complete the Meseta in six days, which is 180 kilometers, so I can take a day off in León.
In any case, today starts well. I slept great and I head out as early as 6:30. A headlamp is not really necessary. Even in the dark, the path is easy to follow, and it gets light quickly. In the early morning, the sound of birds is almost deafening, and I even see a deer darting through the meadows. Beautiful. I walk through the ruins of an impressive monastery to Castrojeriz, a picturesque village where I stop for a tortilla.
What follows is a short but very steep climb, with a sixteen percent incline, and the scenery is stunning. Green hills and endless views in the distance. I walk with a big smile on my face. That good mood comes in handy, because a little later it starts pouring. Within minutes I am completely soaked. Oops. Luckily, there is a village with a café, and it turns out to be surprisingly full of pilgrims.
Meanwhile, I run into Yoshi again, and together we walk the remaining kilometers to Frómista. It is still quite tough, but at least the rain has given way to wind. A free dryer. The final stretch runs along a canal and it really feels like walking in the Netherlands. The owner of the hostel in Frómista even speaks a bit of Dutch. What a coincidence.
This is the most crowded place I have stayed in for a long time. There are at least twenty pilgrims, many of whom I have not met before. The Camino is definitely getting busier now. A group of eight of us enjoy a delicious pilgrim meal in the restaurant next door, and then we crash into bed. Lots of kilometers today. Time to rest.
- Kilometers today: 35
- Kilometers total: 362
- Overnight: Albergue Luz de Frómista – Fine accommodation with good showers.
Camino day 16: Listen to your body
Today I have a choice: walk 19 or 36 kilometers. Nineteen kilometers feels pretty short after a few weeks of walking (more like a rest day), so I had more or less decided to go for the 36. In good spirits, I leave the hostel with Yoshi a little before seven. But after just a few hundred meters, I get a stabbing pain in my groin. It is so painful at times that I can barely take a step.
Out of necessity, I slow down, and that helps. A quick Google search tells me that this is a common overuse injury. I went too hard yesterday. I know it is smarter to stop at 19 today and give myself a half rest day, but I am still a bit disappointed. I was finally getting into a rhythm. I decide to make it a learning moment on the Camino. Sometimes you just have to listen to your body, and I do not always need to push myself so much.
As for the route, it is not the most exciting today. For almost the entire 19 kilometers we walk alongside the P-980, a main road. We are extremely lucky with the weather though. The predicted rain mostly stays away, and even the sun peeks through now and then.
We arrive at the albergue in Carrión de los Condes as early as 11:30. A nun checks us in, and it is definitely one of the nicest places I have stayed so far. Spacious, no bunk beds, and a big kitchen. Even though twelve out of the thirteen beds are occupied, it does not feel crowded at all.
We enjoy a huge and filling menú del día and spend the rest of the day in bed, which is the warmest and most comfortable place on the Camino, haha. I watch some tv shows, read a bit, and check the route for the next few days. It is raining outside, so honestly this turned out to be a perfect relaxing day after all.
- Kilometers today: 20
- Kilometers total: 382
- Overnight: Albergue Espíritu Santo – Run by nuns, no bunk beds and a fine kitchen.
Camino day 17: Battle with the elements
I am a fair-weather hiker. I usually plan my long-distance walks in dry climates like the desert, and in the Netherlands I only head out when the forecast looks good. I knew that hiking the Camino in March came with a high risk of bad weather, and today I am reminded of that.
I start the day in good spirits. According to the rain radar, it was supposed to be dry by seven. It is not. But surely it will clear up soon, right? The first twenty minutes are enjoyable, walking through town past several churches and monasteries. Then it begins. A seventeen-kilometer stretch straight through the middle of nowhere. Normally I enjoy that kind of thing, but today it feels like quite the challenge.
It really is just one long, straight path with nowhere to shelter. For hours, the wind and rain are pounding in my face, and I spend a lot of energy dodging the biggest puddles. It is tough, especially mentally. The only thing keeping me going is the thought that every step brings me closer to Santiago.
And of course, halfway through, I suddenly have to pee. Desperately. Not ideal. Luckily I spot a container and manage to sneak behind it. You would not believe how relieved I am when I finally see the village appear in the distance after those seventeen kilometers. Thank God the only café in town is open. We gratefully go inside to warm up and dry off. To be honest, the coffee and tortilla are not that great and more expensive than usual, but at that moment it feels like a luxury.
Then, miraculously, the rain stops. I walk a bit with Yoshi, Gene and Tony, and my mood instantly improves. We got through it. At one point it is even warm for a moment when the sun peeks through the clouds.
Together with Yoshi and three others, I spend the night in an albergue in the tiny hamlet of Moratinos. Not everyone speaks English, so during dinner I end up chatting in a mix of English, Spanish, German, French and Dutch. Turns out the Camino is good for my language skills too.
- Kilometers today: 30
- Kilometers total: 412
- Overnight: Hostal Albergue Moratinos – Small, spacious and very good food.
Camino day 18: Halfway there!
It is freezing when I step outside with Yoshi. And it is bright, no rain today. The sun rises quickly and the hilly green landscape looks magnificent. To the north we can see a series of snow-capped peaks. Although they are about a hundred kilometers away, the Picos de Europa are clearly visible. I can’t believe I was there just six months ago, it’s an incredible view.
After eight kilometers we come across a few statues next to the path. This is the geographical centre of the Camino. In terms of distance, we already passed the halfway point yesterday or the day before, but this somehow feels more official. Pedro from Spain and Jean-Michel from Switzerland, who also stayed at our hostel last night, pass by and we do a quick photo shoot.
A little further on we reach the town of Sahagún, full of cool Camino street art and storks flapping overhead. The first open café we see is an Irish bar, and there we feast on one of the best tortillas so far.
Feeling satisfied, we continue walking. Unfortunately, the route is not all that exciting again. It is mostly a long, straight road. Still, the 28 kilometers go by quickly, and we reach the albergue in El Burgo Ranero before two o’clock. It is a donativo, and there is no one to check us in. We stamp our own credentials and drop some money in a hole in the wall. Very interesting.
Together with Yoshi and Pedro, I have a delicious menú del día at the restaurant across from the inn. Pedro only speaks Spanish, so I end up translating as much as possible. My Spanish is far from perfect, but it has definitely improved over the past three weeks.
Back at the albergue, we bump into our old friends Gene and Tony and chat for a while in front of the warm wood stove, the only source of heat in the building. I feel good today, not too tired, still no blisters or other injuries. Let’s hope it stays that way.
Since our late lunch was so filling, we keep dinner simple: wine with some tapas. The anchovies go down especially well. Then early to bed, because tomorrow we have the longest stage so far ahead of us. Thirty-seven kilometers to León. And there, I’ll finally take a day off.
- Kilometers today: 28
- Kilometers total: 440
- Overnight: Albergue Municipal Domenico Laffi – One of the most basic albergues I slept at, but since it wasn’t so crowded, it was a great option!
Camino day 19: the longest day so far
37.4 kilometers is the distance we need to cover today. Pretty tough, but there is a reward waiting at the end: two nights in a comfortable apartment all to myself. Together with Yoshi, I leave El Burgo Ranero at 6:30. After ten minutes I realise I have forgotten my walking sticks. I sprint back to the hostel. Not great to add 1.5 kilometers to today’s total, but I definitely want to keep those poles.
Tony has now joined us, and the three of us walk together along a long, straight road. Sometimes side by side, sometimes one behind the other, I even put on my headphones for a while to focus on my thoughts. The route has not been particularly inspiring the past few days, and to be honest, in terms of scenery, the Camino is not one of the most beautiful long-distance hikes I have done. Especially the last few days. It is really all about the people you meet, although the lovely towns, villages and good food certainly help too.
We only stop twice along the way: after twelve kilometers for a tortilla with zucchini fresh out of the oven, and after twenty-five kilometers for a giant napolitana. Most of the day is spent walking next to highways, sometimes quite busy. Every now and then the path veers off slightly and we see cows and dozens of storks. They really do build their nests everywhere.
We are so incredibly happy when, after thirty-two kilometers, León finally comes into view. When the cathedral rises above the rooftops, it feels like a proper high five moment. We made it. It still takes a while to reach the city centre. Once we’re there, we say goodbye for now, as everyone is staying somewhere else tonight.
I have booked a studio apartment right on the Camino, just around the corner from the cathedral. It feels amazing to have my own space for a while. I drop by the laundromat to do a load of laundry and pick up a few groceries. After that, I do not want to take another step. More than 51,000 of them was enough for one day.
- Kilometers today: 38
- Kilometers total: 478
- Lodging: Principia Suites – Nicely furnished apartment 1 minute walk from the cathedral. It is right on a busy shopping street that you can definitely hear, but the noise was not too bad on Monday and Tuesday.
The Meseta is behind us. I didn’t really know what to expect from it, but it was definitely different from the earlier weeks. Sometimes beautiful, sometimes tough, especially with all those endless straight roads. It feels surreal to already be more than halfway. What will the rest of the Camino bring?
Read more about the Camino
Did you enjoy reading my travel journal and are you curious about more Camino experiences? These are some great books to check out:
It’s Your Camino: One Couple’s 500-mile Pilgrimage Across Spain
Two Million Steps: band-aids, cocktails, and finding peace along Spain’s Camino de Santiago
You can also find more Camino tips on my website. Check out these articles:
- The ultimate packing list for the Camino de Santiago
- 16 Best Books on Camino de Santiago
- Camino Francés Guide: practical tips and personal experiences
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