Keikochan
Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- 5 past (2014, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023) and 1 planne
Two weeks back home and it's about time to report my Camino Sanabres. Since last March, many experienced members gave me many useful suggestions to my questions as to how to switch from Frances to Sanabres. I really appreciated and read them carefully to decide my route.
On July 9, I took bus from Leon to Zamora, which was quite easy. Just go to the bus terminal and buy ticket(11.85Euros) and wait at the platform. Very few people. Took only an hour and half. It's about half an hour to the terminal to the city center, walking straight all the way. The old city of Zamora is beautiful, really worth visiting for a day as suggested, and I am so glad to have followed the advice. The albergue (donativo) was very nice, too, though I have to wait till 3:00 to check in. Only I and another peregrina for that night.
Next day 4.5 hours walk to Montamarta which is located a side of highway a few Km before its village. Open but nobody there with a notice that the person in charge comes at 1:30 for check-in. He/she never came. So I had to stay alone that night with no key to lock the door. I pushed a sofa to the door, feeling scary. I left early morning putting 5 Euros in the post box.
On July 11, 5 hours meeting no one, local or peregrino, in the fields with no trees to Granja de Moruela. You register at the bar nearby and can go in at 12:00. There is a Tienda nearby for food.
From Granja to Tabara, 6 hours, the route seemed more like Sanabres in green hills and river. After crossing very nice stone bridge, there is a notice saying the official Camino is narrow and accident-prone and the carreterra is 3Km shorter but requires attention to the traffic. I took the latter and found out later that the former wasn't bad and was beautiful, so I regret walking the long and hot carreterra. The albergue in Tabara is close to the exit of the town and highly recommendable. Donativo with 2 meals and the hospitalero is really devoted to make the camino better.
Next stop was Sta. Marta de Tera, managed by the iglesia/convento with 13 beds, which, I had heard, became full soon, but there were only 5 of us, including 3 cyclists. I bought food in the previous village of Sta. Croya, having heard there was nothing in Sta. Marta. However, there seemed to a bar/ristorante in the village of Sta. Marta, though I did not check it out.
On 14, 23Km to Villar de la Farfon, a private albergue (20) with 2 meals. I made booking on the day before as there are only 4 beds. Old house converted and run by ex-missionary. The camino was long and winding before and along the dam-lake and I found out there is a short cut to the lake, makes it 2 km shorter, but no sign to it.
On 15, 17Km to Monbuey, a fairy big town. A public albergue for which you have to get the key from a neighbour. It's donativo with minimal facilities but there are many places to eat in the town.
On 16, 17Km to Astrianos. Its albergue is attached to the village's sport complex. Also attached is a bar which opens at 2:00 and you get registered there. No wifi but in the bar. 3 dormitories which the lady in the bar allotted to male and female separately, so I was alone with 2 men in the next room. There is a "super market" along the carreterra.
On 17, hard way to Requejo, 27.7Km. Along N525 a bar was open in Palacio de Sanabria at 7:30. After the breakfast there, quiet forest road and paved road connecting the villages. After Pueblo de Sanabria, a big touristy town, mostly on N525 in the hot sun. Really hard. Arriving the Albergue you have to make a call to the person in charge, who came at 7:00 for check-in. No kitchen but there are a few bar/ristorante nearby. I was alone again.
On 18, after the first hour in quiet and comfortable forest road, the camino turns into a steep concrete road up to Alto de Padornelo. Looked for the sign with at least its height but there's nothing to indicate the highest point. The down was steep, too and took 30minutes to the village of Padornelo, after that the Camino was pretty bad with water and rocks and then all over the sudden came to the albergue de Lubian. No one there, you just go in and take shower, etc and wait for someone to come and check you in. This seems to be the system on Sanabres where not enough peregrinos pass to have a hospitalero.
There was only I and one Spanish peregrino at that night.
On 19, 23 Km to A Gudina. The steep climb to A Canda was harder than Alto de Padornelo because the terrain was all rocks and water. It's more like Himalayan trekking than pilgrimage. However, the view after the village of A Canda was magnificent! A Gudina is a big town in Galicia. In the big modern albergue with 44 beds, only I and another peregrino stayed that night. The hospitalera was very nice and connected my iPhone to the notoriously complex Galician wifi system, so I could use it any public albergue.
On 20, form here to Laza, many of the forum members says the best part of Sanabres and I agree. However, it's too much to walk 34Km, I broke it into two at Campobecerros. The pension there (25 Euros) has only 4 rooms so I made booking in advance. But I found out that there was no other guest so you could have been stayed without booking. It's nearly 20 Km in the hill with deep valleys and lakes far down below. The entrance to the village is steep and complicated even following the arrows. No bar or tienda except the one attached to the pension, so there's no choice other than to eat their menu (12 Euros).
On 21 14.4Km to Laza, a small town with a few bars and ATM and a pharmacy. You have to check in at Proteccion Civil office, whose staff works 7 days a week and very kind and hospitable. The albergue itself is modern and shiny and, unusual in Galicia, there is kitchen facilities beside fridge and microwave oven. It was Sunday and only one bar was open. No shops to get food.
3 other peregrinos stayed at that night but I could occupy one room to myself. The staff of Civil Proteccion arranged so when he gave them the keys. Very nice of them.
(To be continued)
On July 9, I took bus from Leon to Zamora, which was quite easy. Just go to the bus terminal and buy ticket(11.85Euros) and wait at the platform. Very few people. Took only an hour and half. It's about half an hour to the terminal to the city center, walking straight all the way. The old city of Zamora is beautiful, really worth visiting for a day as suggested, and I am so glad to have followed the advice. The albergue (donativo) was very nice, too, though I have to wait till 3:00 to check in. Only I and another peregrina for that night.
Next day 4.5 hours walk to Montamarta which is located a side of highway a few Km before its village. Open but nobody there with a notice that the person in charge comes at 1:30 for check-in. He/she never came. So I had to stay alone that night with no key to lock the door. I pushed a sofa to the door, feeling scary. I left early morning putting 5 Euros in the post box.
On July 11, 5 hours meeting no one, local or peregrino, in the fields with no trees to Granja de Moruela. You register at the bar nearby and can go in at 12:00. There is a Tienda nearby for food.
From Granja to Tabara, 6 hours, the route seemed more like Sanabres in green hills and river. After crossing very nice stone bridge, there is a notice saying the official Camino is narrow and accident-prone and the carreterra is 3Km shorter but requires attention to the traffic. I took the latter and found out later that the former wasn't bad and was beautiful, so I regret walking the long and hot carreterra. The albergue in Tabara is close to the exit of the town and highly recommendable. Donativo with 2 meals and the hospitalero is really devoted to make the camino better.
Next stop was Sta. Marta de Tera, managed by the iglesia/convento with 13 beds, which, I had heard, became full soon, but there were only 5 of us, including 3 cyclists. I bought food in the previous village of Sta. Croya, having heard there was nothing in Sta. Marta. However, there seemed to a bar/ristorante in the village of Sta. Marta, though I did not check it out.
On 14, 23Km to Villar de la Farfon, a private albergue (20) with 2 meals. I made booking on the day before as there are only 4 beds. Old house converted and run by ex-missionary. The camino was long and winding before and along the dam-lake and I found out there is a short cut to the lake, makes it 2 km shorter, but no sign to it.
On 15, 17Km to Monbuey, a fairy big town. A public albergue for which you have to get the key from a neighbour. It's donativo with minimal facilities but there are many places to eat in the town.
On 16, 17Km to Astrianos. Its albergue is attached to the village's sport complex. Also attached is a bar which opens at 2:00 and you get registered there. No wifi but in the bar. 3 dormitories which the lady in the bar allotted to male and female separately, so I was alone with 2 men in the next room. There is a "super market" along the carreterra.
On 17, hard way to Requejo, 27.7Km. Along N525 a bar was open in Palacio de Sanabria at 7:30. After the breakfast there, quiet forest road and paved road connecting the villages. After Pueblo de Sanabria, a big touristy town, mostly on N525 in the hot sun. Really hard. Arriving the Albergue you have to make a call to the person in charge, who came at 7:00 for check-in. No kitchen but there are a few bar/ristorante nearby. I was alone again.
On 18, after the first hour in quiet and comfortable forest road, the camino turns into a steep concrete road up to Alto de Padornelo. Looked for the sign with at least its height but there's nothing to indicate the highest point. The down was steep, too and took 30minutes to the village of Padornelo, after that the Camino was pretty bad with water and rocks and then all over the sudden came to the albergue de Lubian. No one there, you just go in and take shower, etc and wait for someone to come and check you in. This seems to be the system on Sanabres where not enough peregrinos pass to have a hospitalero.
There was only I and one Spanish peregrino at that night.
On 19, 23 Km to A Gudina. The steep climb to A Canda was harder than Alto de Padornelo because the terrain was all rocks and water. It's more like Himalayan trekking than pilgrimage. However, the view after the village of A Canda was magnificent! A Gudina is a big town in Galicia. In the big modern albergue with 44 beds, only I and another peregrino stayed that night. The hospitalera was very nice and connected my iPhone to the notoriously complex Galician wifi system, so I could use it any public albergue.
On 20, form here to Laza, many of the forum members says the best part of Sanabres and I agree. However, it's too much to walk 34Km, I broke it into two at Campobecerros. The pension there (25 Euros) has only 4 rooms so I made booking in advance. But I found out that there was no other guest so you could have been stayed without booking. It's nearly 20 Km in the hill with deep valleys and lakes far down below. The entrance to the village is steep and complicated even following the arrows. No bar or tienda except the one attached to the pension, so there's no choice other than to eat their menu (12 Euros).
On 21 14.4Km to Laza, a small town with a few bars and ATM and a pharmacy. You have to check in at Proteccion Civil office, whose staff works 7 days a week and very kind and hospitable. The albergue itself is modern and shiny and, unusual in Galicia, there is kitchen facilities beside fridge and microwave oven. It was Sunday and only one bar was open. No shops to get food.
3 other peregrinos stayed at that night but I could occupy one room to myself. The staff of Civil Proteccion arranged so when he gave them the keys. Very nice of them.
(To be continued)
