Viajar a León con niños: leyendas, montañas mágicas y un museo de chocolate
León is a perfect province to visit with kids as they can relive legends of knights and moles, discover magical caves and traverse impressive routes.
León is a great region to travel to with kids, as everything seems to be adapted to both adults and children. The province is brimming with stories and legends, museums and tours designed especially for families and an impressive natural environment where you can enjoy magical trails and extraordinary viewpoints.
Some of the most fun things to do include visiting the Castle of the Templars with its stories of knights or discovering what a mole is doing above one of the doors of the cathedral and why the people of León are crazy about this animal.
You can also plan family visits to MUSAC and Casa Botines and explore other museums that will delight children, such as the Ponferrada Chocolate Museum.
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- Planes adaptados a niños
- Visitar la Catedral de León y sus leyendas
- Las Médulas y las Galerías de Orellán
- Museo del chocolate en Astorga
- Castillo de los templarios en Ponferrada
- Las cuevas de Valporquero
- Museo de la fauna salvaje
- La fábrica de Luz en Ponferrada
- Visitas en familia del MUSAC
- Visita teatralizada a Casa Botines
- Recomendaciones y consejos para viajar con niños
- Donde dormir en León
- Planes adaptados a niños
Things to do tailor made for kids
Tales and nature are two of the things that children can enjoy the most in León, a place that combines both whatever the activity. It is possible to discover many magical places in the region for both kids and adults.
Visiting León cathedral and its legends
The imposing monument that dominates the city of León is a place brimming with secrets and legends. The best known is that of the evil mole that was said to have destroyed at night the walls that had been built by day. The mission of visitors is to find this animal inside the cathedral. Here’s a little clue: look closely at the doors. The story is so famous that even the kid’s show Los Lunnis dedicated an episode to it. But the mole is not the cathedral’s only unusual feature that will delight the little ones: do not leave without discovering its all-seeing eyes.
Las Médulas and the Orellán Galleries
This unique environment was shaped by the Romans to exploit the gold deposits. The impact they have is almost magical and for the little ones this mountainous area is full of strange shapes that they can use to play around with their imagination and discover what each one resembles. The face is one of the most famous.
Orellán Galleries are also an excellent place for children to view the inside of a mine and learn about how the Romans were able to develop mining engineering. In Las Médulas there are various trails, such as the Lago Sumido trail, which are very easy for children to do, passing by viewpoints such as Chao de Maseiro, where the views are breathtaking.
The Chocolate Museum in Astorga
Astorga’s Chocolate Museum is a perfect place to visit with kids, particularly because it includes a chocolate tasting at the end, something that very few children will be able to refuse. During the tour of the two floors of the exhibition, which can easily be covered in an hour and a half, you are explained how cocoa is grown and how chocolate was produced in this town in León province. One room shows the families from Astorga who controlled the market and how they became distributors for Madrid’s Casa Real and internationally renowned.
The Castle of the Templars in Ponferrada
Children love legends related to knights, and the Castle of the Templars in Ponferrada is a must-visit place where they can soak it all up for a few hours. In the twelfth century, Ponferrada belonged to the Knights Templar, whose knights came to the castle to strengthen the defence of the pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago.
What can be seen today is the result of various renovations and extensions that have taken place over the centuries, turning the fort into a veritable fortress with towers, battlements, palaces and coats of arms. In summer, there is a dramatised night-time tour that is usually very popular with children.
Valporquero caves
The village of Valporquero de Torío, 45 minutes from León, is home to incredible caves full of stalactites, stalagmites and columns that are thousands of years old. A guided tour includes the seven galleries, some as intriguing as Las Hadas and Las Maravillas, as well as access to the Curso de Aguas. You can choose between three routes and only one, the so-called ‘incredible’ one, requires visitors to be over 12 years of age.
Next to the caves there is a picnic area and a children’s playground where you can spend the rest of the day.
Wildlife Museum
The Wildlife Museum is situated in the natural area of Valdehuesa, 55 kilometres from León, in a lush natural setting. In addition to the exhibition rooms, where you will find species from all continents and more than 10,000 insects, the tour continues in an off-road car through a huge zoo where you can see many animals living in the wild, such as deer, bison, roe deer and fallow deer, among others.
The Light Factory in Ponferrada
The energy museum is housed in an old thermal power station where you an discover how electricity was produced with coal at the beginning of the last century and what life was like for people before light was a basic element of our daily lives. At the complex many children are able to learn that light does not come from a switch and about the work involved in converting coal into energy.
Family visits to MUSAC
Visiting the Museum of Contemporary Art of León is recommended for ages five and up. The building usually makes a big impression on the little ones as soon as they stand in front of its façade, which is full of coloured glass reminiscent of the cathedral’s stained-glass windows, especially the oldest one. Inside, contemporary art is one of the ways to activate the imagination so you can feel and see whatever you wish.
Dramatised tour of Casa Botines
Casa Botines is one of the three modernist buildings designed by Gaudí outside of Catalonia and one of the most impressive buildings in the centre of León. Even from the outside its innovative forms catch the attention of children, although inside it is even better. Your best bet is the dramatised tour, in which they explain what Gaudí’s life was like during its construction, as well as the daily life of the first families that bought the homes, some of whom were rich fabric merchants.
Recommendations and tips for travelling with kids
When travelling with kids, the most important thing is good weather, so you can do all the excursions and tours. It is best to do the trails in the middle of nature in the summer months, particularly in July and August. If you will be travelling in winter, it is best to focus on the museums and landmarks that can be visited at any time of the year.
During summer, don’t forget to pack sunscreen and bathing suits in your backpack so you can take a dip in any of the rivers or pools that form in natural areas.
Where to sleep in León
The best thing to do when travelling with kids is to find a hotel in the centre and the four-star Barceló León Conde Luna is a perfect option, since it is just a five-minute walk from the cathedral and 200 metres from Casa Botines. The complex has 136 bright, fully-equipped rooms and a buffet breakfast service that will delight both adults and children.
What’s more, if you want to enjoy gourmet cuisine without leaving the hotel with your children, the Barceló León Conde Luna has two of the city’s most emblematic restaurants, Nimú Azotea, on the tenth floor of the hotel, and Casa Mando.
Another great option is the Occidental León Alfonso V, also in the centre, featuring a striking design consisting of an interior dome that rises to the eighth floor above the reception area.
Frequently Asked Questions
¿Cuáles son los planes imprescindibles en León con niños?
Los planes imprescindibles en León con niños pasan por visitar monumentos de leyenda, como la catedral o el castillo templario, y disfrutar de un paisaje como Las Médulas.
¿Cuáles son las mejores excursiones para hacer con niños en León?
Es imprescindible visitar Las Médulas y sobre todo las Galerías de Orellán.
¿Cuál es la mejor época del año para viajar a León con niños?
Los mejores meses para viajar a León son junio, julio y agosto porque es cuando mejor tiempo hace para poder realizar todas las excursiones.