Day 17: Burgos – Leon               

No shame in skipping the Meseta by train when you’re limited on time. Especially when Mr. Real Pilgrim ends up sitting in the seat right next to you.

📊 Stage Quick Facts:

• Route: Burgos to the next stage (by train)
• Time: ~2 hours on the rails
• The Vibe: Relieved, reflective, and hilariously ironic

The Freedom to Choose Your Own Camino

When I first started planning my Camino de Santiago, I had every intention of walking every single step of the way. Like many, I had saved several tips, alternative route options, and highly recommended stops across the famous Spanish Meseta– the vast, flat high plateau that stretches for miles after Burgos.

However, reality always has its own plans. Because I was strictly limited in time and had only a month (plus few days) to complete the entire pilgrimage (which included four much-needed rest days), I had to make a practical choice. I decided to skip the Meseta.

If you ever find yourself running out of time, or if your body is screaming from exhaustion- please, do not be afraid to skip a section. You will still be a real pilgrim. The Camino is not a military boot camp; it is your personal journey, and there is absolutely no shame in adapting it to your life, your schedule, and your limits.

The Great Train Hypocrisy

With my decision made, I headed to the train station. And this is where the universe decided to serve me a brilliant piece of comedy.

Just the day before, I had shared my plan of taking the train with a fellow American pilgrim I had met on the trail. Oh, the lecture I received! He went on and on about how taking a train was “unfair,” how it was “blatant cheating,” and how it ruined the sacred spirit of the pilgrimage.

Can you guess who was standing on the exact same platform when I arrived? Yep. Turned out, Mr. “Real Pilgrim” was taking the exact same train.

It was a hilarious, eye-opening reminder of a classic Camino truth:

people will judge your choices right up until they realize they need to make the exact same ones. Never let anyone else’s definitions of ‘rules’ dictate your path. We are all just trying to get to Santiago in one piece.

A Skyline on Your Head

Watching the Meseta fly past the train window was an absolutely amazing experience. The weather was a bit cloudy, and because the landscape of the plateau is completely flat, it created the most stunning visual illusion. It felt as though the entire, massive grey sky was gently resting right on top of your head, stretching out into infinity.

It was beautiful, serene, and-from the comfort of my train seat-wonderfully peaceful.

Even though I didn’t walk this stretch myself, I spent hours researching it before my trip. If you are planning to complete the Meseta on foot, here are four legendary highlights I had saved in my notes that you absolutely shouldn’t miss:

• The Singing Nuns of Carrion de los Condes: At the church of Santa María del Camino, the Benedictine sisters host a famous evening blessing for pilgrims, filled with beautiful, heartwarming music and songs.
• The Monastery Spa Treatment: Also in Carrion de los Condes, you can find the Hotel Real Monasterio de San Zoilo, a stunning converted monastery where pilgrims can treat their exhausted legs to a well-deserved spa session.
• The Halfway Certificate in Sahagun: The town of Sahagun marks the official geographical midpoint of the Camino Frances. If you stop by the Santuario de la Peregrina here, you can obtain a special certificate called La Carta Peregrina to celebrate completing half of your journey!
• The Medieval Magic of San Nicolás: Located just before Puente Fitero, this ancient, roofless hermitage is run by Italian hospitaleros. There is no electricity, dinners are held by candlelight, and they still practice the traditional foot-washing ritual for pilgrims.

Later on, after reuniting with my regular Camino friends and meeting plenty of new faces further along the trail, I heard every possible opinion you could imagine about this section. Some people swore it was the absolute best, most deeply spiritual part of their entire journey. Others openly expressed immense regret for not skipping it, calling it mentally exhausting and physically brutal and utterly uninspiring. Hearing all those different viewpoints only confirmed what I already knew: there is no single “right” way to walk this path.

By the time the train pulled into the train station of Leon, my legs were rested, my spirit was high, Meseta was behind me and I was ready to lace up my boots for the next chapter of my very own Camino.