- Time of past OR future Camino
- Via de la Plata, Portuguese, Ingles, Levante
I have just returned from another 350klm section of the Camino de Levante from Valencia and I am close to Avila. I will go back again in October and get through Zamora. I have a few observations about the Levante.
The first is the almost complete isolation. I am walking it alone and I am very conscious of safety. I have not met another pilgrim on this route yet, despite the long distance that I have travelled. A few times, where the path looks very steep / dangerous and there is a risk of a fall or injury, I have stuck to the road. Simply because of the complete isolation. If you are doing this Camino, I would suggest that you have a companion.
The second observation that I would make is that the markings and, indeed parts of the route itself are not well maintained. Leaving Mota del Cuervo, there is an official GR239 Camino signpost, indicating that it is 4.6 klm to El Toboso. In fact, it is almost 12 klm from Mota del Cuervo to El Toboso.
There are also instances of new road construction in recent years where the Camino path is interrupted and alternative routes are either not available or not signposted. One would expect that the local authorities would maintain the path by putting up new markings for Pilgrims to find their way around these construction projects.
Another example is where local farmers have put up a fence across the Camino path specifically to prevent pilgrims from walking through their land. The best example of this is a few kilometers beyond Rielves with Barcience in your sights and the Camino path to Barcience is very clear at the other side of the fence. I was very tempted to climb over the fence until I remembered the one thing that I always come across inside a fence on the Levante! Dogs! So, I decided not to take the chance and I walked back to Rielves and walked the road to Barcience.
There were also quite a few occasions whereI came across forks on the path where you have to make a chouce on which route to take. I was very fortunate to have MapMe on my phone with the KML files for all the Caminos. This kept me on the right path on quite a few occasions. I do have to mention an elderly gentleman who I met in Avila. He was out with his yellow paint and paint brush, marking the way for all of us pilgrims.
I don't mean to put people off the Levante. It is a wonderful Camino and I am looking forward to getting back to it in October. But it is a very isolated Camino and it could do with a refresh in terms of markings and rerouting of some sections. The towns and villages along this route are wonderful.
Buen Camino.
Dave
The first is the almost complete isolation. I am walking it alone and I am very conscious of safety. I have not met another pilgrim on this route yet, despite the long distance that I have travelled. A few times, where the path looks very steep / dangerous and there is a risk of a fall or injury, I have stuck to the road. Simply because of the complete isolation. If you are doing this Camino, I would suggest that you have a companion.
The second observation that I would make is that the markings and, indeed parts of the route itself are not well maintained. Leaving Mota del Cuervo, there is an official GR239 Camino signpost, indicating that it is 4.6 klm to El Toboso. In fact, it is almost 12 klm from Mota del Cuervo to El Toboso.
There are also instances of new road construction in recent years where the Camino path is interrupted and alternative routes are either not available or not signposted. One would expect that the local authorities would maintain the path by putting up new markings for Pilgrims to find their way around these construction projects.
Another example is where local farmers have put up a fence across the Camino path specifically to prevent pilgrims from walking through their land. The best example of this is a few kilometers beyond Rielves with Barcience in your sights and the Camino path to Barcience is very clear at the other side of the fence. I was very tempted to climb over the fence until I remembered the one thing that I always come across inside a fence on the Levante! Dogs! So, I decided not to take the chance and I walked back to Rielves and walked the road to Barcience.
There were also quite a few occasions whereI came across forks on the path where you have to make a chouce on which route to take. I was very fortunate to have MapMe on my phone with the KML files for all the Caminos. This kept me on the right path on quite a few occasions. I do have to mention an elderly gentleman who I met in Avila. He was out with his yellow paint and paint brush, marking the way for all of us pilgrims.
I don't mean to put people off the Levante. It is a wonderful Camino and I am looking forward to getting back to it in October. But it is a very isolated Camino and it could do with a refresh in terms of markings and rerouting of some sections. The towns and villages along this route are wonderful.
Buen Camino.
Dave