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Stage 4 · Enlace con el Camino Francés (Astorga)
La Bañeza → Astorga
Before you set off
No water, no food
Between La Bañeza and Astorga. — Leave with 2.7 litres of water.
La Valduerna and the arrival in Astorga
The last stage of the link: 25 kilometres with 280 metres of ascent and 160 of descent, moderate difficulty, ending in Astorga, on the Camino Francés. From there you continue to Santiago on the Francés, with its stages and its services, and this branch comes to an end. You leave La Bañeza to the north-west on dirt tracks among crops and after some five kilometres reach Palacios de la Valduerna, with its medieval tower and a bar or two.
The route follows the Valduerna valley, more rolling than on the previous days, on tracks through cereal and scrub, and passes Castrotierra de la Valduerna, with its hilltop sanctuary of the Virgin, around the middle of the stage. From there the way crosses moorland and lonely tracks, with the montes de León on the horizon, and the ground climbs little by little.
Astorga is visible from far off on its hill, with the cathedral and Gaudí's palace. You come in through the outskirts and climb to the walled old town, where the arrows of the Camino Francés and the pilgrims arriving from León are already waiting. It is a city with everything: the Plaza Mayor, cocido maragato, museums and hostels. A good place to rest before going on.
Tips
Fill your bottle in Palacios and again in Castrotierra de la Valduerna: fountains are scarce after that.
Set off early: Astorga deserves a whole afternoon, between the cathedral, the Episcopal palace and the walls.
Stamp your departure in La Bañeza, along the way in Palacios and Castrotierra, and your arrival in Astorga, at the cathedral or the hostel.
In Astorga the route continues on the Francés: the waymarking changes and there are far more pilgrims, so book a bed in season.
From Castrotierra de la Valduerna to Astorga there is no village and nothing open.
Where am I?
Your phone says where you are; the guide tells you how far is left and where the next water is.
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Your position is used to answer you and is not stored anywhere.
Walk with me
It crosses where you are with the time, the daylight left, the water, the beds and the notice board. Three things at most: the ones that actually change your afternoon.
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It checks GPS every 6 min while you keep it open. GPS drains the battery: if yours is low, switch it off.
Your position is used to answer you and is not stored anywhere.
Profile and services
The elevation for this stage has not been loaded yet.
The weather
10°C
Clear
- Feels like
- 9 °C
- Wind
- 5 km/h
- Daylight
- 08:33 – 19:45
- Today ⛅ 26° 10°
- Wed ⛅ 27° 11°
- Thu ⛅ 27° 13° 3 %
- Fri 🌧️ 23° 15° 6 %
- Sat 🌦️ 18° 12° 20 %
- Sun ⛅ 15° 6° 19 %
- Mon ⛅ 12° 4° 20 %
Data from Open-Meteo, refreshed every half hour.
What's there today
Nobody has reported anything on this stage.
Tips from people who walked it
The things that do not expire: where the fountain actually is, which bar opens at six, where not to go in the rain.
None here yet. If you have just walked this stage, you know something tomorrow’s pilgrim does not.
Emergencies
Call 112112 is the same number in Spain, in Portugal and across the European Union. It works with no credit, with no SIM, and over any operator's network, not just yours.
Say where you are I am walking the Vía de la Plata, on the stage from La Bañeza to Astorga.
- Farmacia Diéguez Cabero Pharmacy km 24,9
- Pharmacy Pharmacy km 24,9
The map
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What to see on this stage 9
- Capila Angustias Soledad Church km 0,5
- San Salvador Church km 0,6
- Iglesia de Santa María Church km 5,9
- Ermita de San Roque Church km 6,4
- Iglesia Church km 20,9
- Iglesia de San Andrés Church km 24,2
- Iglesia de San Francisco Church km 24,8
- Santuario de Fátima Church km 24,8
- Iglesia de San Bartolomé Church km 24,9