Camino de Santiago
Stage 2/5
6 days (including a rest day), 78 miles September 2025
Logrono to Burgos. We have been told this is the end of the physical stage (to be followed by mindful then spiritual). This stage had lots of sunflowers drying out before harvesting. Also, many vineyards. Red wine is plentiful, inexpensive, good and served cold 🤣. We also finally started out early one morning and were rewarded with an amazing sunrise. Mostly easy to follow the trail but somehow got off track once and had to improvise up a drainage ditch. Last town in stage was Burgos - our first rest day. Couldn’t have come at a better time as I caught a bad cold. Larry got to enjoy the beautiful architecture, art, churches and even attended a local soccer game with new friends.
Day 9: Logrono to Najera
Date: Tues, Sept 23, 2025
Weather: Cloudy and low 60s with cool breeze. Night cooler
Miles: 17.75
Time walking: 8:45am - 3:30pm
Difficulty: Moderate just because it was a lot of miles but not really a hard walk
Nice lighting on building as we left hotel. It took us a couple miles to get out of Logrono, following the Camino symbol, which is unique in each town. First mile had wide streets with a fair amount of traffic, then passed through a park.
Around 4 miles in there was a public bathroom. Saw our first town from a distance at around 6 miles.
Took a coffee break with many others at 7.25 miles
After leaving town walked a couple of miles through vineyards bursting with grapes
Then about a mile on a dirt road parrell to the freeway. At 11 miles appeared to have a choice to continue along the freeway or go left on a path. We went left. About a half mile in went by an inviting bar that we bypassed but looked great.
Rest of the way had a lot more vineyards. We ended up walking with George and Terri from Vancouver, WA. They helped make the time go by quickly as the path, particularly towards the end, was very rocky and our feet were killing us.
Ate dinner with George, Terri, and new friends Patsy and Richard. Fun night - celebrated George turning 68.
Restaurant Bodegon La Juderia was a great random find, as we were just looking for something open at 6pm. Pilgrim menu 16 euros, included wine.
Hotel: Apartamentos Nájera ($100 no breakfast but gave us a lovely bottle of wine) 👍Right on the Camino but a 10-minute walk from old town where all the restaurants were. Large, very clean, modern (looks recently remodeled). It was nice to spread out in a one-bedroom apartment.
Day 10: Najera to Santa Domingo de La Calzada
Date: Wed, Sept 24 2025
Weather: 60, cool. Started with jacket, but by 11am didn’t need it. Cold at night.
Miles: 14
Time walking: 6 hours, 9am -3pm
Difficulty: Walked through rolling hills first wooded, then vineyards. The irrigation system is interesting
Walked through rolling hills first wooded, then vineyards. The irrigation system is interesting
Hit our first town at 4 miles. Stopped for tortilla españa, cappuccinos and chocolate croissant. Chatted with 3 lovely ladies from Ireland
Passed through lots of harvested wheat fields with huge stacks of the balled straw left behind.
Went by a nice looking golf course
Long straight walk but harvested fields.
Caught up to and walked the rest of the way with Terri and George. They got a room in the convent, since they missed that their reservation was canceled at the place they booked (just like ours was). We stayed near the cathedral.
Found a cute little place for a glass of wine 1.2€ each!
Dinner (pilgrim menu 18 euro - 3 courses including wine) at 6pm with Terri and George, then Patsy and Richard randomly walked into the same place to join us.
Hotel: Carpe Viem ($89 no breakfast) 👌Quad room would have been crazy tight with four people. Clean, good location. Last minute booking due to the temp closure issue with our original booking.
Day 11: Santa Domingo de La Calzada to Belorado
Date: Thurs, Sept 25, 2025
Weather: Chilliest morning so far, so it took a while to warm up
Miles: 15
Time walking: 5 hours, -8:45am-2:45pm
Difficulty: Easy. Ascent 1,400 ft. Rolling hills mostly along the freeway, but not constant traffic.
Hit some cool lighting leaving town
Walked by highway pretty much the entire day. It was not as bad as we thought it would be.
At 4 miles hit our first sleepy little town -Granon. Long line of pilgrims walking in.
Day 12: Belorado to Atapuerca
Date: Friday, Sept 26, 2025
Weather: Low 80s. Cool start, but not too windy. No clouds.
Miles: 19.5 miles
Time walking: 7 hours, 8:45-5:00
Difficulty: Hard. Longest distance so far, but only 2100’ climbing.
Camino signs leaving town had a beautiful design. We noticed each town has their own unique design.
Couple miles in we came upon some cafes, but chose not to stop
Passed through a couple of sleepy pretty little towns
Many more sunflowers
Many more grazing sheep
Stopped in the next town for lunch. Saw several of our pilgrim friends.
Walked through a long section of mostly pine forest. Lots of ups and downs.
Walked through a few small towns with churches (naturally).
Enjoyed a complimentary glass of wine, outside our lodging, while they tired and sorted out our room as they lost our reservation.
Found a restaurant near our hotel that opened at 6pm, which was a hit with our fellow pilgrims who joined us. Huge plate of food with wine for 15 euros.
Followed by a nightcap back at our hotel with some of them. Five euro bottle of wine.
Hotel: Hotel Rural Papasol ($76 no breakfast) 👎
Bad all around. They lost our reservation, even though confirmed, so they ended up making up a room for us. Top floor room with low ceiling and even lower beams. Rock hard bed. No heat, even at 10 degree C out and not much warmer in -cold feet all night. “Private“bath was outside the room.
Day 13: Atapuerca to Burgos
Date: Sat, Sept 27, 2025
Weather: 70s. Day started out cool but warm in the sun
Miles: 12
Time walking: 8am - 1pm
Difficulty: Easy after our 19 mile day. Make sure you follow the river trail. We missed it and our route was very industrial and boring.
Early departure for us and experienced a glorious sunrise followed by beautiful cloud formations.
Most climbing for the day was in the first mile. At 1.75 miles saw Burgos in the distance.
We continue to be obsessed with the sunflowers
Somehow we got a bit off track and had to scramble thru a tunnel and up a drain gutter to rejoin the Camino route. We also ended up on the industrial supposingly more traditional track (ugly) while others ended up on the river trail and said it was very nice.
We probably only walked 5 miles on dirt trails before we hit the road next to the airport
As we walked through outer Burgos not especially nice, and hard to see the Camino signs, but occasionally it was obvious
Continued on a long straight boulevard of big businesses to big box stores to outer city -pretty boring until approaching the main city and then old town.
Enjoying the old town where our pensione is in the thick of all night partying. Still noisy at 3am.
Hotel: Pension Boutique Doña Urraca ($220 for 2 nights, no breakfast) 👍👍Right in the gates of old town on the Camino. Small but bright room. Comfortable bed. Big window that opens up.
Day 14: Rest Day Burgos
Date: Sun, Sept 28, 2025
Weather: cool than sunny
Miles: 0
This was truly a rest day for Amy who was struggling with a cold, cough and fever for 2 days. After sleeping for 10 hours, the fever finally broke. Amy joined Larry for breakfast but then back to bed.
Burgos is a beautiful town. Lots of nice architecture and a very large church. You can use your Pilgram passport to get a nice discount to view the inside of the church.
Nice river walk area that we later heard we could have walked to enter Burgos, instead of the boring five miles we walked on the big boulevard. .
Saw several beautiful murals on the sides of buildings.
Larry went up to the Castillo for a nice view over the city.
The castle itself was fenced off for repairs, so walked the outer walls.
Got a quick view of lovely stained glass in a church right near our hotel.
We got an early dinner and glass of wine from a place near our very centrally located hotel.
Great seats with our Camino friends for a local soccer game. Home team won! Amy was missed.
