Starting the Augusta tomorrow

[Wine and Faith]

Hey folks, starting out from Cadiz to Sevilla tomorrow, I will let you know how it goes how it goes along. Thanks
Check out Faithandwine.net.

 

[george.g]

Arrived Jerez to start the Via Augusta tomorrow, I had a couple of issues, there doesn't seem to be a lot in the way of buses, so the option was taxi to Cadiz 55e or taxi to Jerez bus station 15e, and bus from there to Cadiz.
I'm in at the Cadiz Inn Backpackers 15e, kitchen, clean and in the old town.
Recced the route for tomorrow for a couple of kms, well marked in traditional yellow on blue arrows along the promenade, should be a great first day tomorrow.
Regards
George

 

[William Marques]

George

Good luck with your Camino. Are you walking around the bay or getting a boat to Puerto Saanta Maria.

I must say give the timing of you post I had you walking to a golf course in Georgia

 

[lovingkindness]

...I had a couple of issues, there doesn't seem to be a lot in the way of buses, so the option was taxi to Cadiz 55e or taxi to Jerez bus station 15e, and bus from there to Cadiz.

Buenas Dias y Buen Camino, George. I am looking forward to reading about your journey from Cadiz to Sevilla.

re-transport: Buses from Sevilla to Cadiz leave from the Prado de San Sebastian Bus Station . There are 9 -10 buses each day:

http://www.tgcomes.es/horarios_13_english.htm

cheers
Lovingkindness

 

[george.g]

Thanks for the response, re buses I landed at Jerez and there weren't any buses to be seen, so I went for the easy \ cheapest option.
Day one so far, blue sky and hot.
Route marking OK, when in doubt straight ahead.
The route itself, well, for the first few kms along the prom great, from the edge of town to the barracks you have the choice of the edge of a busy road or a dune path, the soft sand made for heavy going.
From the barracks to Puerto Real, most along a gravel track with either the road or railway to the right, and great views over salt marsh to the left ( just wear one blinker)
No water points on route, but opportunity to get drinks on route.
Booked in at Hotel Las Canteras, bust the budget.
There are no albergues on route ( there are reports of a homeless shelter in one of the villages that take in pilgrims )
Regards
George

 

[stuwmson]

Arrived Jerez to start the Via Augusta tomorrow, I had a couple of issues, there doesn't seem to be a lot in the way of buses, so the option was taxi to Cadiz 55e or taxi to Jerez bus station 15e, and bus from there to Cadiz.
I'm in at the Cadiz Inn Backpackers 15e, kitchen, clean and in the old town.
Recced the route for tomorrow for a couple of kms, well marked in traditional yellow on blue arrows along the promenade, should be a great first day tomorrow.
Regards
George

I am on to you and envy you. i will keep checking in to praise your adventure. stu

 

[george.g]

I am on to you and envy you. i will keep checking in to praise your adventure. stu

Cadiz - Seville Day 2 Puerto Real - Jerez

Route marking out of town OK, head towards the University, just before there's the entrance to the Parque Natural, take the main track straight ahead, very few arrows, keep on main track until a VERY long footbridge, take first right at visitor centre, straight ahead until large visitor centre on left, coffee stop.
Plenty of arrows through Santa Maria.
After the deserted Aqua Parque a lot less arrows but basically parallel the road into Jerez.
Staying in Hotel Al Andalus in Jerez center, nice clean, the owner has done some of the French way, pilgrim friendly.
Weather, overcast with just enough rain to be a pain, jacket on jacket off.
(Stu you doomed it)
Regards
George
PS Using wikiloc app, it's nice to get confirmation of route. Worth having.

 

[george.g]

Jerez - El Cuervo Day 3
Picked up the route at the edge of the city, if in doubt keep to the left of the raised railroad, you will be following this for a few kms.
Coffee stop after about a hour or so.
After the airport fence, there's a bridge over motorway with parallel track that's to right that's the path for you.
After 5-6 kms gate into service station, coffee stop.
Eventually at finca gate left under m\way and right again.
Follow track to road after quarry, l turned left on road directly to El Cuervo.
First bar only sells beer in litre bottles, shame!
Staying in Hotel Santa Ana. 15e Good. Restaurant.
Quite a lot of mud on track after a lot of heavy rain.
Finding wikiloc a useful app to have especially navigating out of town.
Regards
George.

 

[stuwmson]

i dowloaded wikiloc and look forward to using it locally to get some practice. It lists many walks we have done inner area. thanks, stu

 

[george.g]

El Cuervo - Las Cabezas Day 4.
Rain during night and more forecast for today.
Left El Cuervo following main road, turn left at Camino arrow.
After 200 mtrs decided that the mud was going to be a real pain, so plan B, back to road, to the outskirts of Lebrija and onto the N471 to Las Cabezas.
Heavy heavy rain and busy traffic don't for a happy pilgrim make.
Was looking forward to today, the trail looked promising, but there you go!
Regards
George.
PS, Has anyone else noticed the number of discarded taco discs and beer bottles on the side of the roads, makes you think!

 

[george.g]

Las Cabezas - Utrera Day 5
Another wet day.
Leave Las Cabezas on the main road, following arrows, to a muddy track! Happily after the first irrgation ditch the tack changed to a harder surface through fields to parallel the motorway and or the railway.
At the junction of the railway/irrigation canal/road I opted to take the minor road A8030 into Utrera.
The route was well marked with fresh painted arrows.
Staying at Hostal Higalgo 11 as per the Cadiz amigos site "don't"
Regards
George

 

[george.g]

Utrera - Seville.
Arrived Seville.
Horrible night in Utrera, my hostel was above the bar favoured by the local youth, plus there was a football match on TV. One way and another not a lot of sleep!
If l had done a trip advisor I would have seen this was a common complaint.
Walked to Dos Hermanos then train into Seville, not very happy but couldn't face 38kms.

The Via Augusta. If you can score Caminos I would give it a 4/10, lots of the tracks are parallel to either motorways or railways. No albergues and no pilgrim infrastructure, but on the plus side mostly well marked, occasions of great natural beauty and the opportunity to visit Cadiz and Jerez, and Seville.
Would I ever consider walking this route again, probably not. Too many Caminos too little time!!!
Regards
George

 

[Castilian]

Arrived Jerez to start the Via Augusta tomorrow, I had a couple of issues, there doesn't seem to be a lot in the way of buses, so the option was taxi to Cadiz 55e or taxi to Jerez bus station 15e, and bus from there to Cadiz.

You could have taken a train out of the airport. There are 8 MD trains daily (6 on week-ends) from the airport to both Jerez de la Frontera downtown and Cádiz. There are also a few cercanías. For info about schedules, fares and so on, take a look at the web of RENFE: www.renfe.com OTOH, buses out of the airport are scarce but just in case they could suit someone, schedules are available at: www.cmtbc.es

Walked to Dos Hermanos then train into Seville, not very happy but couldn't face 38kms.

Maybe if you had purchased some mostachones in Utrera you could have walked all the route (including the part from Dos Hermanas to Sevilla).

Anyway, congratulations for your camino. And thank you for the report.

 

[susan76]

Thanks for the info. I'm planning the Via de la Plata in September and want to start in Cadiz. The part Cadiz - Sevilla I want to do partly walking, partly by bus, as a kind of pre-camino-holiday Which days of your camino would you recommend for walking?

 

[george.g]

Hi Susan.
It's difficult to say but I probably enjoyed days one and two the best, too many kms adjacent to major roads after that.
The VdlP is many times nicer.
Regards
George

 

[peregrina2000]

Would I ever consider walking this route again, probably not. Too many Caminos too little time!!!
Regards
George

Hi, George, so happy to be able to cross one option off the list. Are you continuing on from Sevilla? I know you walked with Maggie from Málaga last year, have you considered (or have you already walked) from Almería? I think that's my 2017 Camino. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[susan76]

Hi Susan.
It's difficult to say but I probably enjoyed days one and two the best, too many kms adjacent to major roads after that.
The VdlP is many times nicer.
Regards
George

Perfect, that was actually what I was thinking of, walking Cadiz-Jerez and from there go to Sevilla. Thanks!

 

[george.g]

Hi Laurie.
Yes I'm on the VdlP at Casar at the moment, and am going to Canaveral tomorrow.
As to next year, well who knows,but it will have to be a Camino less travelled.
Regards
George

 

[M&EG]

Hi George
We are planning to walk from Cadiz to Seville around this time next year then onto VdlP. Thanks for the tips about the first two days and the scarcity of pilgrim infrastructure - something to consider.

Does anyone have any advice about good guidebooks for the Via Augusta?
thanks
Mike

 

[moromauro]

Hi George
We are planning to walk from Cadiz to Seville around this time next year then onto VdlP. Thanks for the tips about the first two days and the scarcity of pilgrim infrastructure - something to consider.

Does anyone have any advice about good guidebooks for the Via Augusta?
thanks
Mike

Here you can download plenty of informations but i'm afraid they are available only in spanish:
http://www.caminosantiagoencadiz.org/index/ViaAugusta/ViaAugusta.php

When i walked along Via Augusta i bought a little guide but i don'remember the name: it was also written in spanish, anyway, and it wasn't better than the one i suggested you to download.
If you can't speak/read spanish, the best advice i can give you is to DL the files of the tracks and use them while walking with a smartphone and some app for hiking (i usually use OruxMaps: it's free, you can DL the maps you're interested into and then using them offline, while following the track using GPS.

Via Augusta is almost completely flat, so you just have to mind the length of the stages.

I walked Via Augusta in spring 2014 and there was just one albergue in the whole route; besides, the albergue was in Alcalà de Guadaira, just before Seville and on one branch of a two-options track that i didn't walk along (i passed through Dos Hermanas, instead). As peregrinos, we can only consider commercial accomodation on that route. I walked via Augusta in 5 days and didn't meet any other pilgrim/hiker in the whole period, neither along the way nor in the places i stayed overnight.

George-g. already told us about the quality of this "Camino" and i can entirely agree with him. Cadiz, Jerèz de la Frontera and Seville are really wonderful and interesting but the Camino is probably the worst among the ones i've walked along till now.

On the contrary, from Seville on, along Via de la Plata, i found my experience extremely enjoyable.