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Day 28 | 22 August 2025 | Walking the Camino Francés
From Mansilla de las Mulas to León | 18.1 km 11.6 miles
We left Mansilla early to allow plenty of time to explore León, and like the day before, we were blessed with perfect weather. Breakfast came 6 km later in Puente Villarente, which we reached after crossing the River Porma.
From there, today’s walk followed roads and senda tracks that ran parallel to the busy main road all the way into León.
Reaching the city’s outer suburbs at Puente Castro, we were on a hill and could see the sprawl of the city below us a couple of kilometres away and in the far distance we glimpsed for the first time the dominating Cathedral.
León was incredible. We loved wandering through the narrow streets and alleyways of the medieval quarter, which connected a series of lively plazas (Squares) and gave the city a vibrant, energetic feel. Our favourite place was Plaza del Grano, a beautiful cobbled medieval square that once served as a grain market. At its centre stood a fountain and the church of Santa María del Camino. It was the perfect setting for dinner.
That evening at dinner, our thoughts were filled with the knowledge that tomorrow marked a pause of our Camino – due to the wildfires and closure of the Camino.
We reflected on what an extraordinary journey the past 28 days had been – the places we had seen and the people we had met along the way during our 449 km | 270 mile walk. We looked forward to doing the rest.
The next morning we rose early, walked to the train station, and caught a train to Madrid before flying home to England.
We left determined that we would return as soon as we could when the Camino was re-opened.
