Stage 21: León - San Martín del Camino

Leon began as a Roman military camp around 29 B.C. and settled definitively with the Legio VII Gemina or Seventh "twin" Legion in 74.

However, León suffered a significant depopulation as a consequence of the Muslim conquest of the peninsula, although it later flourished as part of the Kingdom of Asturias.

Although quite a few people get lost on the Camino in León because the markings are on the ground and they don't pay attention, the locals are very good at helping pilgrims and pointing them in the right direction if they see them going the wrong way.

The Camino follows the N-120 all day long. There are two routes after Virgen del Camino. The older route takes the N-120, while the other is more secluded and crosses major roads.

This last route is not as well marked, but it is still easy enough not to get lost. These routes end about 3 km away, so it is possible to change routes for the next day.

Once we pass the road between Virgen del Camino and Valverde de la Virgen, the route becomes solitary again and much of the traffic noise is left behind. This stage is easy to walk, although it has a long climb at the beginning.

San Martín del Camino is the village that is documented as a hospice for pilgrims in the 12th century, however, today it is a village of passage that provides a little help to pilgrims passing through.