Carrión de los Condes to Terradillos de los Templarios
The most solitary, flattest stretch of the whole Camino Francés, along a Roman road over two thousand years old, ending in a Templar village that marks the route's halfway point.
Best season: Spring and autumn, due to the lack of shade and water points in the first stretch
Map
- Carrión de los Condes
- Terradillos de los Templarios
FEAACS track published by IGN. Follow current trail signs.
Source: IGN/CNIG · FEAACS · CC BY 4.0 · Accessed:
Gaps in the source file are preserved; no connections have been added.
The Camino Bonsai Café team · Last editorial update:
From Carrión de los Condes to Terradillos de los Templarios is 26.3 km along the French Way (Camino Francés). It's stage 17, with 105 m of ascent and 51 m of descent, completed in about 6 h. Difficulty: Easy.
Along the Roman road, not a single village for 17 km
Another flat stage, with endless straight stretches across the cereal steppe. After passing the ruins of the Abadía de Benevívere, the trail becomes the ancient Vía Aquitana, a Roman road with over two thousand years of history that runs, dead straight, all the way to Calzadilla de la Cueza.
The stretch between Carrión de los Condes and Calzadilla de la Cueza, around 17 km, is the longest on the whole Camino Francés without any intermediate villages: there are no fountains or services, so it's essential to set out with enough water and food.
After Calzadilla de la Cueza, the trail continues through Ledigos to Terradillos de los Templarios, a small village that marks roughly the halfway point between Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and Santiago de Compostela, and which owes its name to the Order of the Temple, granted these lands by Alfonso VIII in 1191.
What the terrain looks like, step by step
Terrain
Completely flat, with endless straight stretches across the cereal steppe.
Scenery
Cereal fields as far as the eye can see, with very few trees in the first kilometres.
Trail type
Local road at the start, followed by fine dirt track over the ancient Roman Vía Aquitana.
Villages
Calzadilla de la Cueza and Ledigos before reaching Terradillos de los Templarios.
Water points
Nonexistent for the first 17 km: it's essential to leave Carrión with enough water.
Shade
Practically none throughout the route, especially demanding in summer.
Traffic
Light, with an initial stretch beside a local road.
Key fact
The Carrión–Calzadilla de la Cueza stretch is the longest without villages on the whole Camino Francés: about 17 km with no services.
Staying in Terradillos de los Templarios
Terradillos de los Templarios is a tiny village (barely 99 residents) with only two private albergues and no public option.
Albergue Jacques de Molay
41-46 beds in mixed dormitories, right in the village centre. Has its own bar-restaurant with a pilgrim menu. Booking a day ahead is recommended, especially in high season; not listed on Booking.com, phone only. Open 1 March to 30 November.
Albergue Los Templarios
52 beds across dormitories and private rooms, 200 m before the village. The only option with a proper room in town. Open 15 April to 15 October.
Eating in Terradillos de los Templarios
Options are limited: the two village albergues are the only choice.
Pilgrim menu
Jacques de Molay and Los Templarios each have their own bar-restaurant with a pilgrim menu; there is nothing else in the village.
Celebrate the Camino's halfway point
The village symbolically marks the midpoint of the Camino Francés — a good occasion to toast with fellow pilgrims over the communal dinner.
Stops with history on this stage
A Roman road over two thousand years old
The stretch toward Calzadilla de la Cueza follows this ancient Roman road, whose dead-straight layout survives almost intact.
Ruins of the Abadía de Benevívere
A former monastery, now in ruins, that you pass shortly after leaving Carrión de los Condes.
The Camino's halfway point
This small village marks roughly half the distance between Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and Santiago de Compostela.
A domain of the Order of the Temple
Alfonso VIII of Castilla granted this town to the Templars in 1191, who guarded a pilgrim hospital here that has since disappeared.
Fill your water bottle well in Carrión de los Condes — you won't find another fountain until Calzadilla de la Cueza, 17 km later.
How to arrive and how to get back
If you're starting here: Carrión de los Condes has a bus to Palencia, with good connections across Spain.
If you need to get back from Terradillos de los Templarios: the village is small; the most practical option is to continue on to Sahagún, which has better connections.
Good to know before this stage
Leave Carrión with plenty of water
The 17 km to Calzadilla de la Cueza have no fountains or services at all.
Protect yourself from the sun
Shade is practically nonexistent throughout the stage.
Enjoy walking over Roman history
It's rare to walk such an ancient, well-preserved route as the Vía Aquitana.
Celebrate the Camino's halfway point
Reaching Terradillos de los Templarios means you've covered roughly half the distance from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.
Don't ruin this stage
Setting out without enough water
It's the longest stretch without services on the whole Camino Francés: there's no room for error.
Underestimating the monotony of the route
The endless straight stretches can weigh more on the mind than on the body.
Not learning about the Vía Aquitana
Knowing you're walking on a two-thousand-year-old Roman road changes how you experience this stage.
Overlooking what Terradillos means
Reaching the halfway point of the Camino deserves a moment of recognition, however small.
What to pack, travel insurance and getting around
One single guide with the recommended gear, useful services (insurance, eSIM) and transport options for the whole Camino.
Work out how much it will cost you
Set the days, route and type of trip, and we give you an estimate of the total cost with a full breakdown.
Everything you want to know before this stage
How many kilometres is it from Carrión de los Condes to Terradillos de los Templarios?
Why is the stretch to Calzadilla de la Cueza special?
What is the Vía Aquitana?
Why is it called Terradillos de los Templarios?
Is it true that Terradillos marks the halfway point of the Camino Francés?
Which villages does this stage pass through?
Browse the stages
Ideas for after you finish the Camino
A café waiting for you in Santiago
You still have many kilometres ahead, but once you finish the Camino in Santiago, Bonsai Café is a great spot for breakfast: right in the city centre, with Berraco by Bou specialty coffee and weekend brunch.
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