Heading North: The Final Leg to Leon
The final leg of our 2024 Spain road trip takes us north from the medieval fortress town of Ciudad Rodrigo towards the great city of Leon. The ride crosses the vast meseta of Castilla y Leon — the high central plateau that defines so much of inland Spain. This is big sky country, with golden wheat fields stretching to the horizon in every direction and small farming villages punctuating the landscape at regular intervals. The road is long and straight, and there is a meditative quality to riding across this enormous open space.
Leon itself is a revelation. Often overlooked by travellers rushing to Madrid or Barcelona, this northern city possesses one of the finest Gothic cathedrals in all of Europe. The Catedral de Leon is nicknamed “The House of Light” and it is easy to see why — its walls are composed more of stained glass than stone, with over 1,800 square metres of medieval stained glass windows that flood the interior with colour when the sun shines through. Standing inside feels like being wrapped in light. Beyond the cathedral, Leon has a lively tapas scene centred on the Barrio Humedo, a compact old quarter where bars line every street and free tapas arrive with every drink. It is a fitting final stop for this chapter of our Spanish adventure — a city that rewards the journey north with beauty, history, and some of the best eating in Spain.
Route Highlights
- Leon Cathedral — “The House of Light” with 1,800 square metres of stained glass
- The vast meseta of Castilla y Leon — golden wheat fields to the horizon
- Leon’s Barrio Humedo — one of Spain’s best tapas neighbourhoods
- The Basilica de San Isidoro with its Romanesque frescoes
- Crossing the high plateau — meditative open-road riding at its finest
Travel Tips
Leon Cathedral is best visited in the morning when the eastern windows catch the sunlight — the effect is mesmerising. The Barrio Humedo tapas district comes alive in the evening, and the local tradition is to have one drink and one tapa per bar before moving to the next. Try morcilla leonesa, the local black pudding, and cecina, an air-dried beef that is a regional speciality. If you are continuing north from Leon, the Picos de Europa mountains are just a couple of hours away and offer some of the most spectacular riding in all of Spain.
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