Where to start (or not) in the mountains of León
Little did I know that the mountains I discovered for the first time that day would end up becoming the “garden” of my home, after living for almost three years just a few kilometers south of where this “adventure” took place.
It was July, and with two friends we decided to spend the night in the mountains of León — a province that until then had been nothing more than a place to pass through on the way north. As it turns out, it holds a few secrets that we’ll slowly reveal here, but to sum it up: it’s a paradise.
Here’s the plan in detail.
1. Getting to the Starting Point
We were coming from Madrid, which means highway all the way to the city of León, and from there a national road. With the great weather that July, it was impossible not to stop for a beer — or two.
A) Restaurante Entrepeñas: I later discovered it’s one of the best places to buy cured meats, which are very typical in León.
B) Hostal de Alaya: at the top of the mountain pass, there’s a hostel with views well worth stopping the car for. If that stop includes a beer or a coffee, even better.
2. Parking
Here I should point out that the route I’m describing is one we created ourselves — it’s not an officially marked trail. We were new to the valley and decided to take what looked like the most beautiful option, without really knowing the different alternatives available throughout the valley.
3. The Route
I’ve uploaded the route map to Wikiloc, but it’s worth noting that a lot of it involved going off-trail, and we didn’t pitch the tent in a clearly defined spot. This route isn’t like others featured on the blog where everything is easy to follow. Here, you need to figure things out as you go, and use the track mainly as a reference.
The route felt a bit tough for us — not because of elevation gain or distance, but because of the heat and the beers we’d had earlier (this might be a good moment to recommend not drinking beer before a mountain hike).
In summer, temperatures in this mountain area are ideal, so if you bring a tent and a sleeping bag rated for 10–15°C, you’ll be more than comfortable.
4. Food
On the way back, there’s a mandatory stop at one of the most classic restaurants in the mountains of León: Casa Ezequiel. We recommend going with a reservation and, above all, arriving hungry — because as an old coworker once said, they don’t feed you there… they throw food at you.
The mountains of León have been, so far, my greatest adventure discovery. They are wild, uncrowded, deeply authentic, and filled with landscapes that quite literally take your breath away.