A Camino friend just asked me about stages and accommodation on the Lana, which I walked last year. I realized I hadn’t posted a day-by-day, just a general post with some overall impressions. So here’s the day-by-day. I also recorded the tracks on wikiloc, same username. I did not stay in many albergues on this camino, though there is a good offering of albergues. I also took a number of detours to visit sites off-camino - Roman ruins, visigothic churches, gorges, restored Baroque monasteries, etc. I know many people just like to stay on the camino, but for me the chance to visit these places is just too big of a temptation!
Day 1 - arrived in Alicante by noon on a flight from Madrid. With early morning arrival on most flights from the US, it’s easy to get to just about any large city in Spain soon after you arrive. I had plenty of time to do all the pre-walking errands — phone, post office, food, and still had the late afternoon for a walk up to the castle with its great view over the endless blue ocean and the long strip of development on the Alicante coast. Then CRASH in the pensión for a good sleep.
Day 2 - Villajoyosa to Relleu (20 km, 500m). With my camino buddy Alun, we took a commuter train to Villajoyosa to start the trek up to Relleu. (This is the mountain alternative, which avoids the first few days of asphalt and suburban development). Casa de los Indianos, very nice but pricey.
Day 3 - Relleu to Torremanzanas (20 km, 800 m). Hotel Sester (owner opened up the hotel just for us).
Day 4 - Torremanzanas to Onil (29 km, 600 m). Hotel Onil (on the outskirts at a gasolinera, very good food in the restaurant).
Day 5 - Onil to Caudete (38 km, 500 m). Hostal Marisa. (other choice was two days of 17 and 21, with the first stop in Villena, where the alternative merges with the official Lana).
Day 6 - Caudete to Almansa (26 km, 250 m) . Hostal Casa Almántica. Do not miss a visit to the castle, it is fantastic.
Day 7 - Almansa to Alpera (24 km, 400m). Hostal Cazador.
Day 8 - Alpera to Alatoz (27 km, 250m). CR Mirador.
Day 9 - Alatoz to Alcalá del Jucar (30 km, 164 m). The distance from Alatoz to Alcalá is only 18, but we took a long walk along the gorge after lunch, which I included in my wikiloc tracks. Beautiful, touristy, good food, a climb to the castle, and nice hotel. Hostal Alcalá del Júcar.
Day 10 - Alcalá del Júcar to El Herrumblar (35 km, 330m). Hostal San Julián.
Day 11 - El Herrumblar to Campillo de Altobuey. (37 km 400m). Posada de Campillo.
Day 12 - Campillo de Altobuey to Monteagudo de Salinas (37 km 400 m). Rincón de Sandra. This is where we met up with @C clearly, who started her Lana in Valencia.
Day 13 - Monteagudo de Salinas to Fuentes (24 km, 280 m). Hostal Palancares.
Day 14 - Fuentes to Cuenca (24 km, 300m).
Day 15 - Rest day in Cuenca. I had decided I would try the zipline (tirolina in Spanish) over the gorge, but was disappointed to find it wasn’t open on our day there. It looks quite amazing, and not something I would usually try, so it would have been interesting and maybe a bit scary, But there is a lot to see and do in Cuenca without the tirolina!
Day 16 - Cuenca to Villar de Domingo García. (33 km 400m). From here on, it was @C clearly and I, with Alun taking a train south to enjoy more sun. CR Las Callejuelas. Don’t miss a tour of the Roman ruins in Noheda, right on the camino.
Day 17 - Villar de Domingo Garcia to Villaconejos (24 km, 60m). Albergue, which came with a special nighttime visit to Pepe’s bodega and some good food, a little ceremony, and a tour of the underground bodega.
Day 18 - Villaconejos to Salmerón (30 km, 400 m). Albergue.
Day 19 - Salmerón to Viana de Mondejar (22 km, 440 m). Albergue. Must bring food. Nice albergue, and in a great location for an afternoon walk up to the top of the Tetas de Viana. Adds about 6 km. HIGHLY recommended.
Day 20 - Viana de Mondejar to Cifuentes (22 km, 500 m). All hostals were full because of inspection of nuclear power plant. Albergue was hard to get into, but we made it after visits to the ayuntamiento and a helpful Guardia Civil. The mayor finally came out and showed us where the key was hidden. Nice town for walking around, centro histórico and its churches.
Day 21 - Cifuentes to Mandayona (28 km, 350 m). Hostal Rural Cumbres de Castilla (under the new ownership of a young couple).
Day 22 - Mandayona to Sigüenza (25 km, 400m). Beautiful centro histórico and good food! Lots of places to stay, if you want a splurge, there’s a parador in the castle (though the castle has been heavily restored after a lot of damage in the Civil War).
Day 23 - Sigüenza to Atienza (36 km, 660 m). I took a detour to see the romanesque church at Carrabias, which added a few kms. Several places to stay, great historic center and castle up top. Antiguo Palacio.
Day 24 - Atienza to Retortillo (23 km, 500 m). Hostal La Muralla (hostal and albergue). Afternoon visit to beautiful 11 C San Baudelio de Berlanga (by taxi).
Day 25 - Retortillo to Caracena (26 km, 350 m). BEAUTIFUL day, BEAUTIFUL town, great restaurant, spectacular castle perched on the gorge. Not enough superlatives to describe the day through the gorge and this little village.
Day 26 - Caracena to San Esteban de Gormaz (34 km, 300m). Rincón Elena.
Day 27 - San Esteban de Gormaz to Quintanarraya (33 km, 400 m). Albergue with no food in town.
Day 28 - Quintanarraya - Roman city of Clunia - Huerta de Rey (16 km, 200 m). If you’ve got the time, the visit to Clunia was great. We spent at least two hours there. Hostal Camino de Cid.
Day 29 - Huerta de Rey to Santo Domingo de Silos (through the desfiladero de Yecla). (25 km, 400 m). Challenging to stay on the trail, but we made it! Hotel Santo Domingo. Another must-see Romanesque cloister, and we also went to vespers.
Day 30 - Santo Domingo de Silos - Sad Hill - San Pedro de Arlanza - Covarrubias. (29 km, 700 m). Another day with detours, first to Sad Hill, and then to the restorred monastery at San Pedro. Totally worth it, though we had another challenge or two with the trail.
Day 31 - Covarrubias - Quintanilla de las Viñas - Modújar de San Cibrián. (34 km, 550 m). Yet another detour to the 7 C visigothic church and then on to the CR. La Cerca de Doña Jimena. (In Covarrubias we actually left the Lana and went on the San Olav “backwards” into Burgos).
Day 32 - Modúbar de San Cibrián to Burgos (19 km, 60 m). FLAT.
Here you go, @jpflavin1!
Day 1 - arrived in Alicante by noon on a flight from Madrid. With early morning arrival on most flights from the US, it’s easy to get to just about any large city in Spain soon after you arrive. I had plenty of time to do all the pre-walking errands — phone, post office, food, and still had the late afternoon for a walk up to the castle with its great view over the endless blue ocean and the long strip of development on the Alicante coast. Then CRASH in the pensión for a good sleep.
Day 2 - Villajoyosa to Relleu (20 km, 500m). With my camino buddy Alun, we took a commuter train to Villajoyosa to start the trek up to Relleu. (This is the mountain alternative, which avoids the first few days of asphalt and suburban development). Casa de los Indianos, very nice but pricey.
Day 3 - Relleu to Torremanzanas (20 km, 800 m). Hotel Sester (owner opened up the hotel just for us).
Day 4 - Torremanzanas to Onil (29 km, 600 m). Hotel Onil (on the outskirts at a gasolinera, very good food in the restaurant).
Day 5 - Onil to Caudete (38 km, 500 m). Hostal Marisa. (other choice was two days of 17 and 21, with the first stop in Villena, where the alternative merges with the official Lana).
Day 6 - Caudete to Almansa (26 km, 250 m) . Hostal Casa Almántica. Do not miss a visit to the castle, it is fantastic.
Day 7 - Almansa to Alpera (24 km, 400m). Hostal Cazador.
Day 8 - Alpera to Alatoz (27 km, 250m). CR Mirador.
Day 9 - Alatoz to Alcalá del Jucar (30 km, 164 m). The distance from Alatoz to Alcalá is only 18, but we took a long walk along the gorge after lunch, which I included in my wikiloc tracks. Beautiful, touristy, good food, a climb to the castle, and nice hotel. Hostal Alcalá del Júcar.
Day 10 - Alcalá del Júcar to El Herrumblar (35 km, 330m). Hostal San Julián.
Day 11 - El Herrumblar to Campillo de Altobuey. (37 km 400m). Posada de Campillo.
Day 12 - Campillo de Altobuey to Monteagudo de Salinas (37 km 400 m). Rincón de Sandra. This is where we met up with @C clearly, who started her Lana in Valencia.
Day 13 - Monteagudo de Salinas to Fuentes (24 km, 280 m). Hostal Palancares.
Day 14 - Fuentes to Cuenca (24 km, 300m).
Day 15 - Rest day in Cuenca. I had decided I would try the zipline (tirolina in Spanish) over the gorge, but was disappointed to find it wasn’t open on our day there. It looks quite amazing, and not something I would usually try, so it would have been interesting and maybe a bit scary, But there is a lot to see and do in Cuenca without the tirolina!
Day 16 - Cuenca to Villar de Domingo García. (33 km 400m). From here on, it was @C clearly and I, with Alun taking a train south to enjoy more sun. CR Las Callejuelas. Don’t miss a tour of the Roman ruins in Noheda, right on the camino.
Day 17 - Villar de Domingo Garcia to Villaconejos (24 km, 60m). Albergue, which came with a special nighttime visit to Pepe’s bodega and some good food, a little ceremony, and a tour of the underground bodega.
Day 18 - Villaconejos to Salmerón (30 km, 400 m). Albergue.
Day 19 - Salmerón to Viana de Mondejar (22 km, 440 m). Albergue. Must bring food. Nice albergue, and in a great location for an afternoon walk up to the top of the Tetas de Viana. Adds about 6 km. HIGHLY recommended.
Day 20 - Viana de Mondejar to Cifuentes (22 km, 500 m). All hostals were full because of inspection of nuclear power plant. Albergue was hard to get into, but we made it after visits to the ayuntamiento and a helpful Guardia Civil. The mayor finally came out and showed us where the key was hidden. Nice town for walking around, centro histórico and its churches.
Day 21 - Cifuentes to Mandayona (28 km, 350 m). Hostal Rural Cumbres de Castilla (under the new ownership of a young couple).
Day 22 - Mandayona to Sigüenza (25 km, 400m). Beautiful centro histórico and good food! Lots of places to stay, if you want a splurge, there’s a parador in the castle (though the castle has been heavily restored after a lot of damage in the Civil War).
Day 23 - Sigüenza to Atienza (36 km, 660 m). I took a detour to see the romanesque church at Carrabias, which added a few kms. Several places to stay, great historic center and castle up top. Antiguo Palacio.
Day 24 - Atienza to Retortillo (23 km, 500 m). Hostal La Muralla (hostal and albergue). Afternoon visit to beautiful 11 C San Baudelio de Berlanga (by taxi).
Day 25 - Retortillo to Caracena (26 km, 350 m). BEAUTIFUL day, BEAUTIFUL town, great restaurant, spectacular castle perched on the gorge. Not enough superlatives to describe the day through the gorge and this little village.
Day 26 - Caracena to San Esteban de Gormaz (34 km, 300m). Rincón Elena.
Day 27 - San Esteban de Gormaz to Quintanarraya (33 km, 400 m). Albergue with no food in town.
Day 28 - Quintanarraya - Roman city of Clunia - Huerta de Rey (16 km, 200 m). If you’ve got the time, the visit to Clunia was great. We spent at least two hours there. Hostal Camino de Cid.
Day 29 - Huerta de Rey to Santo Domingo de Silos (through the desfiladero de Yecla). (25 km, 400 m). Challenging to stay on the trail, but we made it! Hotel Santo Domingo. Another must-see Romanesque cloister, and we also went to vespers.
Day 30 - Santo Domingo de Silos - Sad Hill - San Pedro de Arlanza - Covarrubias. (29 km, 700 m). Another day with detours, first to Sad Hill, and then to the restorred monastery at San Pedro. Totally worth it, though we had another challenge or two with the trail.
Day 31 - Covarrubias - Quintanilla de las Viñas - Modújar de San Cibrián. (34 km, 550 m). Yet another detour to the 7 C visigothic church and then on to the CR. La Cerca de Doña Jimena. (In Covarrubias we actually left the Lana and went on the San Olav “backwards” into Burgos).
Day 32 - Modúbar de San Cibrián to Burgos (19 km, 60 m). FLAT.
Here you go, @jpflavin1!