Pilgrims on the road and friends along the way send me changes every day, and they go out the same day. The Camino Francés app carries all of it offline, and it's still being built — new features arrive routinely.
Get the appGetting here
The ground behind you: what the walk into Astorga crosses, and where it could have been broken.
Tomorrow from Astorga
Nothing says you have to stop here, or there. These are simply the towns within a comfortable day's walk, so you can decide tonight.
| Town | km from here | Shared | Private | The walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murias de Rechivaldo | 4.5 | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | |
| Castrillo de los Polvazares | 4.5 | — No | ✓ Yes | |
| Santa Catalina de Somoza | 9.1 | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | The walk from Astorga to Santa Catalina de Somoza |
| El Ganso | 13.4 | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | The walk from Astorga to El Ganso |
| Rabanal del Camino | 20.0 | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | The walk from Astorga to Rabanal del Camino |
| Foncebadón | 25.2 | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | The walk from Astorga to Foncebadón |
Astorga sits at the junction of the Camino Francés and the Vía de la Plata, and it has been a crossroads since Roman times — the town was the hub of the Roman gold mining operations that extracted wealth from the nearby mountains.
The city has two unmissable buildings: the Catedral de Santa María and the Palacio Episcopal. The cathedral is a mix of Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque, with a splendid retablo by Gaspar Becerra. The Palacio Episcopal is pure Gaudí — he designed it in 1889 for the Bishop of Astorga, and it's one of only three Gaudí works outside Catalonia (León's Casa Botines being another). The Neo-Gothic exterior looks like a fairy-tale castle; inside, it now houses the Museo de los Caminos, dedicated to the pilgrim routes that converge here.
Astorga has a chocolate tradition that dates to the 17th century, when cacao arrived from the Americas. The Museo del Chocolate tells the story. Several shops sell artisan chocolate and mantecadas (butter cakes). Try both.
The Maragato culture of the surrounding region is distinctive. The Maragatos were a closed community of muleteers who controlled trade routes across the meseta for centuries. Their most famous contribution to cuisine is cocido maragato — a hearty stew served in reverse order: meat first, then chickpeas and vegetables, then the broth. It's the opposite of the normal cocido sequence and makes more sense than you'd expect.
Multiple albergues, hotels, and restaurants serve the city. Full services available.
Santa Marta is the patronal fiesta, celebrated in the last week of August with cocido maragato competitions, music, and processions. The Tuesday market is one of the better ones in León province.
Astorga was the Roman city of Asturica Augusta, capital of the Conventus Asturum and a key administrative center for the gold mines of Las Médulas to the west. The Roman walls, partially preserved, give a sense of the city's original extent. The Ruta Romana walking trail connects the main archaeological sites.
The convergence of pilgrim routes here — the Francés from the east and the Vía de la Plata from the south — made Astorga a major medieval pilgrimage hub, with over 20 pilgrim hospitals operating at its peak.
The camino exits Astorga through the western gate and enters the Maragatería — the hilly, depopulated country that was the Maragato homeland. The terrain changes immediately: the flat meseta is behind you, and the road ahead climbs gradually through stone villages toward the mountains.
26. September 2026 - 15:29
The Cocido Maragato at Hotel/Restaurante Peseta is delicious! Just be aware that it is usually only served for the mid day meal. (Until 4:00)
7. September 2026 - 11:50
Stayed two nites, very clean and modern, close to cathedral without all the noise! Real attention to detail free water and croissants in room and free instant coffee in room. Key codes which was great! Really enjoyed stay
15. June 2026 - 19:42
A regional classic, their 'cocido maragato' (chickpea stew) has lots of meat and cabbage, without the unpleasant stomachaches that follow. One serving feeds two very hungry pilgrims!
12. June 2026 - 15:49
After you walk up the steep, but short, hill into the old city there are gates straight in front of you to Jardin de La Sinagoga. A beautiful bar awaits you through the gates with tables under the shade with views to the mountains. A wonderful stopping point after a long hot walk. What a perfect entrance to a lovely town.
9. June 2026 - 21:02
Very beautiful hotel at the back of the cathedral and almost at the exit of the Camino. Very comfortable stay but also pricey!
27. May 2026 - 16:23
Nice stay here and enjoyed the extra pillows! Restaurant/bar next door is also tasty and good portions
27. May 2026 - 16:18
We were hoping to enjoy the sauna and thermal circuit at the Eurostars Via de la Plata and were pretty disappointed. Sauna was not working, steam room was not very hot, and just a warm pool. Pretty underwhelming for €20 (90 minutes). Steam room had a receipt on the bench so it seemed like it hadn’t been cleaned, lights flickering, faulty buttons. If you’re going around May 2026 would recommend searching elsewhere. Can’t comment on the hotel as we did not stay here. Lobby looked clean and nice.
27. May 2026 - 16:12
Very nice stay at La Aduana in a private room. Very modern, clean, high-tech entry and hosts are incredibly responsive. Includes A/C as well
5. May 2026 - 22:16
If you go here, make sure you clarify
what is included. Our bill has some nasty upcharges, made it much more expensive than advertised. Tried to push back (in fluent Spanish) to no Avail. Not so pilgrim friendly!
5. November 2025 - 18:38
I missed out on this highly-rated albergue run by monks with two single beds per room for ten euros each that everyone I passed today was excited about, because I booked an expensive place instead. Not sure why it’s not in this app.
2. July 2025 - 10:59
El Descanso de Wendy is located around the back side of the Astorga Cathedral in a small and safe neighborhood. Has private rooms and bathrooms with nice full breakfast included.
I had the Salon which was way too big for one person but very luxurious. Nice balcony doors, couch for relaxing. Very easy to walk to things in the central district and easy to rejoin the Camino path.
17. May 2025 - 21:20
This hotel is located in Carneros, which is only 2.3 km from Astorga Cathedral. The place is immaculate. Huge rooms and bathroom.The owners, Fernando and Rosa, are so welcoming and friendly. Fernando offered to drive us back to Astorga in the morning to start our Camino journey again. Places to eat are, however, limited, but there is a bar/restaurant, which is a stones throw away. It serves great steaks, cooked on a charcoal grill. Fernando will happily walk you there and introduce you to the owner (who looks Ike Robert De Niro 😀).
9. May 2025 - 15:43
It was fine. Room was clean. Decent location. Nice staff. No real receptionist but you could reach her. The WiFi worked for a few minutes a couple times when they restarted the router.
27. April 2025 - 14:20
Pretty basic for the price. 77E for 2pax one room. Grey spartan box. No side lamps. No warmth. No place for coffee or breakfast nearby. Would not be
my first choice next time. Friendly receptionist.
25. October 2024 - 14:16
Great location, clean and with super beds! It is close to the cathedral and has a nice patio. Not sure why it wasn’t listed here.
10. September 2024 - 19:50
Best meal on the Camino! It’s a little pricey but it’s very lovely inside, there’s a menu in English, and the food was fantastic. Bread—divine!
10. September 2024 - 19:48
I went to Mavi for hair color . She speaks some English and is super nice . There’s great barber right across the street.
27. August 2024 - 14:06
It might not be the cheapest menu on the Camino but (at 25euros) Cafe Pasaje offers what might be the heartiest and most generous meal you'll ever eat...enough meat and vegetables to fuel your hike all the way to Ponferrada (and beyond).
I researched most of Astorga's best eateries when I was updating the 2024 Lonely Planet Spain guidebook... and several too when I was making the 1,225km hike from Gibraltar that featured in my latest book - 'Vagabond: A Hiker's Homage to Rural Spain'. Mark Eveleigh (UK)
18. June 2024 - 19:16
Very expensive for what is on offer. An attic room with 10 beds and only one bathroom. There is no kitchen facilities (it’s for private use) and no common area to relax in. There is no non-meat option for dinner and breakfast is a bag of over processed food and a banana. There are much nicer places to stay in Astorga.
26. April 2024 - 20:00
Great place to stay , friendly staff; close to every mayor points of interest and rooms big, clean and overall; you deserve to stay here, humbly my opinion: Hyatt status without the price.
Esta entidad ha sido beneficiaria de una ayuda del Programa de incentivos a la movilidad eficiente y sostenible (MOVES III), gestionado por la Xunta de Galicia a través del Instituto Enerxético de Galicia (INEGA) en el marco del Real Decreto 266/2021, y cofinanciada por la Unión Europea — NextGenerationEU, dentro del Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia.
