Mansilla de las Mulas

Mansilla retains significant stretches of its 12th-century walls, some of the best preserved medieval fortifications in the province of Leon. Walk along the outside of the walls and through the old gates. The South Gate (Arco de la Concepcion) is particularly impressive. These walls once enclosed a thriving market town that served as the last major stop before Leon.

A charming small square with a distinctive cobbled surface made of river stones, unlike anything you have walked on so far. There is a fountain, a few benches, and a cafe or two. In the evening the square fills with locals taking their paseo (evening walk). A good place to sit and feel the rhythm of a small Spanish town.

A 13th-century church with a mix of Romanesque and Gothic elements. The interior is simple but the carved doorway and the stone work are worth a look. If you have been walking through tiny villages for days, Mansilla's churches feel like a step up in scale that hints at the grandeur of Leon, now just one stage away.

You are now in the province of Leon, and the local speciality is cecina, air-dried and smoked beef that is similar to bresaola but with a distinctive smoky flavour. Order it sliced thin with a drizzle of olive oil and a glass of local wine. It appears on every menu from here to the mountains. The bars along the main street all serve it.

Mansilla is the last quiet stop before Leon, one of the great cities of the Camino. Tomorrow you will walk 18 km into a city of 125,000 people, with a cathedral that will take your breath away. Tonight, enjoy the calm of a small walled town. Have a long dinner, go to bed early, and savour the contrast that is coming.