Camino De Levante
Valencia → Zamora
807 km from Valencia to Zamora across the middle of Spain. Long, flat, hot and almost entirely unwalked.
New information comes in every day — from pilgrims on the road and people I know along the way — and it goes out the moment it does. The app carries all of it offline, and it's still being built: new features arrive routinely.
Pilgrims on the road and friends along the way send me changes every day, and they go out the same day. The Camino Levante app carries all of it offline, and it's still being built — new features arrive routinely.
Get the appFrom the listings on this site, recalculated as they change. 4 albergues ask for a donation rather than a price: pay what the night was worth to you, not nothing.
The Levante crosses Spain from the Mediterranean to the west, and almost nobody walks it. It is for the pilgrim who has done most of the others and is looking for something genuinely solitary: long, flat, hot and empty, through the middle of the country and the middle of Don Quixote.
Who it isn't for: a first camino, a summer walk, or anyone who wants to decide at four o'clock where to sleep. The Levante is the most demanding route on this site to plan, and the least forgiving if you get a day wrong.
807 km from Valencia to Zamora, where it joins the Camino Sanabrés for the rest of the way to Santiago. It leaves the coast through the orange groves and climbs onto the plateau of La Mancha: actual La Mancha, windmills and all, past Almansa, across the plain, and through the country that Cervantes wrote about. Toledo, the old capital, is on the route and is worth the trip on its own. Then Ávila and the Sierra de Gredos, the one real range on the way, and the descent to the plain and Zamora on the Duero.
Flat for long stretches and exposed for nearly all of them. The climbs are few, the Gredos crossing being the exception, and the difficulty is heat, distance and water. Towns with beds come roughly every twenty kilometres if they were evenly spaced, and they are not. Waymarking is inconsistent; the track on your phone is not optional. Twenty-nine to thirty-seven days to Zamora, and you are not finished when you get there.
Thin, and thinner than the numbers suggest, because many of the towns along the way have one place and it may be a hostal rather than an albergue. Plan every night from the table on each town's page. Toledo and Ávila are the cities and the rest days. Every bed on the route is listed on this page.
The prices at the top of this page come from the listings on this site, recalculated as they change. Fewer albergues means more nights in hostales, so a dormitory every night is not realistic here; on the other hand inland Spain is cheap, and the food of La Mancha, manchego and lamb and gazpacho manchego, is the best-value eating on any camino.
Not summer, and I mean it. La Mancha in July is 40 °C (104 °F) with no shade, and the Levante has killed people who tried. March to May and October are the months. Even in May the middle of the day is hard, and the standard advice, walk early and stop early, applies here more than anywhere.
Valencia has an international airport and fast trains from Madrid; the walk starts at the cathedral. Toledo, Ávila and Zamora all have railway stations for anyone starting or stopping partway. Zamora has fast trains to Madrid and on to Galicia.
From Zamora the Camino Sanabrés goes west through Puebla de Sanabria and Ourense to Santiago, another three weeks. The whole thing, sea to sea across the width of Spain, is one of the great long walks in Europe and one of the loneliest.
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Valencia is Spain's third-largest city and the starting point of the Camino de Levante. It's a city that rewards a day or two of exploration before setting out — and with direct flights from across Europe and excellent rail connections, it's a practical place to begin.
The old town, centered on the Barrio del Carmen, is a web of narrow streets, churches, and plazas. The Cathedral claims to house the Santo Cáliz — the Holy Grail — in a side chapel, and whether or not you believe the claim, the chalice itself is striking. Climb the Miguelete bell tower for the best views over the city. Next door, La Lonja de la Seda (the Silk Exchange) is a masterpiece of Valencian Gothic and a UNESCO World Heritage Site — the soaring columns of the main hall are worth the visit alone.
The Mercado Central, across from La Lonja, is one of Europe's largest and most beautiful food markets. If you're self-catering before setting out, this is the place to stock up — and to eat well.
The Turia Gardens, a 9-km park built in the bed of the diverted River Turia, run from the old town to the City of Arts and Sciences, Santiago Calatrava's futuristic complex of museums and performance spaces. It's a striking contrast to the medieval center.
Valencia has all services. Accommodation ranges from hostels in the old town to beachfront hotels. The city is best explored on foot or by the excellent public bike system.
Valencia was founded as the Roman colony Valentia in 138 BC. It passed through Visigothic, Moorish, and Christian hands — the legendary El Cid briefly took the city in 1094 before it was recaptured by the Almoravids. Jaume I of Aragón definitively conquered it in 1238, and the city flourished as a major Mediterranean trading port. The 15th century was Valencia's golden age, when the silk trade and banking made it one of the wealthiest cities in Europe.
The Camino de Levante leaves Valencia heading south through the suburbs of l'Horta Sud. The walking is urban and flat — all on roads through Alfafar, Massanassa, and Catarroja before reaching Silla at about 15 km. The official first stage goes all the way to Algemesí (38 km), but Silla is a sensible first stop.
Don't be put off by descriptions of "industrial slog" — there's a short stretch through a polígono industrial, but it's storage depots, not heavy industry. The suburban towns are pleasant enough and give you a glimpse of everyday Spanish life outside the tourist center.
Alfafar is a suburb of Valencia in the comarca of l'Horta Sud. There's a 14th-century church worth a glance as you pass through. The town has basic services — bars, shops — but most pilgrims will push through to Silla. The walking is flat and on roads.
Massanassa is another suburb in l'Horta Sud, on the way to Silla. No notable pilgrim services. The town blends into the continuous urban fabric of greater Valencia — you'll barely notice the transition from one municipality to the next.
What the ground between two towns is actually like: everything you pass through, the climbing, and where you could stop along the way. Not a plan — a description.
Route index
807 km from Valencia to Zamora. Most pilgrims walk it in 29 to 37 days. Every town below has its own page.
The Camino Levante is like a sun-drenched, less-trodden path sprinkled with history, culture, and the warm hospitality of eastern Spain. It's a unique trail within the Camino de Santiago network, offering an experience that's both tranquil and enriching.
Let's start in the vibrant city of Valencia, where the Camino Levante begins. Valencia, famous for its oranges and the stunning City of Arts and Sciences, is a blend of modernity and tradition. As you step out of this bustling city, you embark on a journey through the heart of Spain's eastern landscapes.
The route takes you through the regions of Valencia and Castilla-La Mancha, offering a less commercial and more authentic Spanish experience. Imagine walking through lush orange groves, vast vineyards, and fields of saffron flowers. The air is filled with the scent of citrus and the warmth of the Mediterranean sun.
As you venture further, you'll encounter the beauty of La Mancha, known for its windmills and the legendary tales of Don Quixote. Here, the landscape transforms into sprawling plains and gentle hills, dotted with historic towns and villages. It's like walking through a painting, with each brushstroke representing a different aspect of Spanish culture.
The historical aspect of the Camino Levante is fascinating. You'll pass through ancient towns like Albacete and Toledo, each with its own rich history. Toledo, in particular, is a highlight – a UNESCO World Heritage site known as the "City of Three Cultures" for its harmonious blend of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish heritage. Wandering through Toledo's narrow streets is like traveling back in time.
The Camino Levante is also a culinary journey. As you traverse different regions, you'll taste a variety of Spanish flavors. From Valencia's famous paella to La Mancha's Manchego cheese and hearty stews, your taste buds are in for a treat. And let's not forget the wine – the vineyards along the way offer some delightful local wines.
As you near the end of the Camino Levante, you'll join the Camino de Santiago's more frequented paths, merging with the Vía de la Plata in Zamora. This convergence is a beautiful metaphor for the Camino's spirit – diverse paths from across Europe coming together in a shared pilgrimage.
In summary, the Camino Levante offers a serene, introspective journey through some of Spain's most enchanting landscapes and historical towns. It's a path less traveled but rich in experiences, ideal for those seeking a quieter route to Santiago de Compostela, away from the more crowded trails.
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.
