From Sahagún to El Burgo Ranero

Today's stage will take us from Terradillo de los Templarios to a transition from Bercianos del Real Camino in a transition from the Tierra de Campos to the Leonese moor. Having passed the halfway point of the French Way, the route leaves the province of Palencia and enters the province of León. We will also discover the important town of Sahagún, an obligatory stop for its important historical and cultural heritage.

In this stage there is a well signposted variant through Calzadilla de los Hermanillos, which adds up to 32 kilometres until reaching Mansilla de las Mulas. A much more solitary route that, in case of overcrowding, should be taken into account.

We leave Terradillo de los Templarios in the direction of Bercianos del Real Camino passing through Moratinos, which we reach by a path between cereal fields. In Moratinos we can make a short stop to appreciate the temple of Santo Tomás de Aquino, with an image of the Virgin from the 16th century. We leave Moratinos behind to reach, two kilometres further on, San Nicolás del Real Camino. We continue towards the N-120 that will take us to Sahagún, obligatory stop of the stage.

We will enter the town centre near the station, crossing the railway track by an overpass. Here we will find the sanctuary of Facundo and Primitivo, temple of the Order of Cluny and other monuments declared of Cultural Interest: The churches of San Lorenzo and San Tirso, of La Peregrina and the ruins of the Royal Monastery of San Benito.

In addition, we will be able to obtain the Pilgrim Card. This "half Compostela" certifies that we have done half of the French Way, which is no joke.

With all the regret, we leave Sahagún behind, and we enter the path parallel to the N-120, which leads us to a detour. Here we can choose the variant of Calzadilla de los Hermanillos, or continue along the original French route. We will continue walking for about an hour until we reach Bercianos del Real Camino, where we will have all the necessary services to stock up and we will give the end of today's stage.

To consider

To follow the French Way to Bercianos we must not cross the A-231 motorway. There is continuous sabotage of the signage that confuses pilgrims.

If you wish to collect the Pilgrim's Charter in Sahagún, we recommend you go early to avoid crowds and queues. We can extend the stage to Burgo Ranero, which has more services than Bercianos.

Places of interest

• Church of St. Thomas Aquinas - Moratinos
• Monastic Monastery of San Benito - Sahagún
• Church of San Lorenzo - Sahagún
• Church of San Tirso - Sahagún
• Shrine of the Pilgrim Virgin - Sahagún

Typical dishes

• Blood sausage, jerky and chorizo sausage
• Game meat such as hare, rabbit, partridge, etc.
• Pulses and vegetables
• Guarantee Mark.
• Amarguillos