Alternative route from Briviesca to Revillagodos?

[ebrandt]

We are planning to walk from Irun to Burgos during May 2022. For Stage 12B Gronz shows an alternate path leaving Briviesca and rejoining the Camino at Revillagodos, but says the route is unmarked. This alternate looks to be a much more pleasant walk because it does not follow the national road. Has anyone walked it? Would we need GPS to avoid getting lost? And are there any services in the two towns along the alternate? Thanks in advance for this info.

LizB

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Liz,
I can’t answer your question because I walked to Santo Domingo and not Burgos. But since you mentioned alternatives…..

I walked the Saiatz alternative, mainly because the first couple of days on the “regular” Vasco are all asphalt and my feet just don’t do well in those conditions. It was gorgeous, right up there with the best mountain days of any camino I’ve walked.

There are some good attachments that show the alternative well in this thread.

Here are my stages and VN and Sabine’s stages

Great choice of camino, @ebrandt!

 

[ebrandt]

Oooh! Thanks! I’ll check this out. L

 

[C clearly]

We walked the marked path from Briviesca, and it was fine, as far as I remember.

 

[VNwalking]

Ditto for us. I didn't even know there was a other option.
I checked my OSMand map and it looks very straightforward - no bashing through bushes anywhere:

The main thing would be to take the correct small road out of Briviesca. And if it were me...I have my OSMand on, following along on the map in realtime.
Edit: those are pretty small places, so it may be there are no bars or CSs along the way. But there weren't on the official way either, not until after the Revillagodos.

 

[SabsP]

And the N road hardly had any traffic so I never felt unsafe walking.

Just checked and Valdazo and Reinoso on the " alternative route "do not have services. They are small hamlets really. A bit like all the pueblos on the " main route ".
Only Santa Ollalla de Bureba ( small bar ) and Monasterio de Rodilla ( bar and restaurant ) have places for drink and food. Though those two places in Monasterio were closed when we wanted to stop for the night.

 

[VNwalking]

Though those two places in Monasterio were closed when we wanted to stop for the night.

It was a Tuesday and the entire town (including the albergue) were closed closed closed.
Word to the wise....

 

[SabsP]

It was a Tuesday and the entire town (including the albergue) were closed closed closed.
Word to the wise....

Well actually the wife of the mayor told she could open for us but seeing we did not have food with us it would have been very difficult.
Those sleepy towns around Burgos.

 

[ebrandt]

Thanks for all this info. I just assumed the national road would be busy and gronz sort of alludes to the fact that it might be. I did a bit more research and there is a casa rural in Valdazo but not much else either place. I suspect that since the national road isn't all that busy we will take the marked path.

Hopefully the albergue of the campground will be open. If not, I think there is a motorway type hotel a little ways on.....

 

[SabsP]

Thanks for all this info. I just assumed the national road would be busy and gronz sort of alludes to the fact that it might be. I did a bit more research and there is a casa rural in Valdazo but not much else either place. I suspect that since the national road isn't all that busy we will take the marked path.

Hopefully the albergue of the campground will be open. If not, I think there is a motorway type hotel a little ways on.....

The " albergue " on the campground is more hostal and gets some awful reviews as being downright dirty ( was closed when we passed it ) I'm assuming you are talking about the campground/swimmingpool at Monasterio de Rodilla ?

MOTEL

www.picondelconde.com

I would suggest you walk on to la Brujula and stay at the Hostal Hermanos Gutierrez! Nice people and decent food ( truckstop too ).

Hostal Hermanos Gutiérrez | Selección Hostales Burgos | GuiaGPS

El hostal ofrece habitaciones familiares, restaurante, sala de juegos y parking. Perfectamente conectado con los puntos clave de Burgos.

www.guiagps.com

All the N roads we walked on were deserted, especially the one walking out of La Puebla de Arganzon.

Only time I felt a bit nervous with traffic was when walking out of Vitoria and just the part from Armentia to Gometxa but all in all doable ( around 2.5 k only ).

Vitoria/Gasteiz - La Puebla de Arganzón | Camino Vasco del Interior | Gronze.com

Salimos de Vitoria por amables avenidas; luego, a partir de Gometxa, avanzamos por monte en un recorrido bonito y solitario. A la salida de Subijana ascendemos al Portillo de San Miguel, en una subida progresiva de 200 metros de desnivel; la bajada, sin embargo, es pronunciada y pedregosa. En...

www.gronze.com

 

[ebrandt]

Thanks Sabine. It is really good to know that the truck stop hotel is better than the campground hostel! That would not have been my guess And Gronz leads you to believe the opposite ( although I haven’t looked at reviews). Also thanks for the heads up re walking out of Vitoria. I’ll make note of it.

 

[C clearly]

I would suggest you walk on to la Brujula and stay at the Hostal Hermanos Gutierrez! Nice people and decent food ( truckstop too ).

Yes, it was a perfectly fine place. I am quite happy with the occasional truck stop. I feel that it keeps me in touch with the real Spain.

 

[VNwalking]

Only time I felt a bit nervous with traffic was when walking out of Vitoria and just the part from Armentia to Gometxa but all in all doable ( around 2.5 k only ).

That stretch made very little impression - I only vaguely recall it.

Here is a photo of that albergue. It looked pretty nice from the outside. A few sloppy pilgrims can make a nice place much less so, though, so it would be the luck of the draw in terms of who came right before you.

I totally echo Sabine what @SabineP and @C clearly say about the hotel - it was very pleasant. And staying up there made for a relaxed walk into Burgos the next morning. An added benefit is that you can linger on the last kms of the walk from Monasterio de Rodilla - it was uphill most of the way but very nice!

Looking back the way we had come from near (and at) the crest of the hill:

 

[ebrandt]

Wow, VN, beautiful pics!

 

[SabsP]

That stretch made very little impression - I only vaguely recall it.

Here is a photo of that albergue. It looked pretty nice from the outside. A few sloppy pilgrims can make a nice place much less so, though, so it would be the luck of the draw in terms of who came right before you.
View attachment 104041

Tis is the one in Quintanavides, no?

This is the one in Quintanavides, no?

Albergue de peregrinos de Quintanavides | Albergue de Peregrinos en Quintanavides | Gronze.com

Información del albergue de peregrinos Albergue de peregrinos de Quintanavides, en Quintanavides: Precio, plazas, características, etc...

www.gronze.com

I was referring to the hostal/ campingcomplex Picon de Conde in Monasterio de Rodilla further on.

 

[VNwalking]

This is the one in Quintanavides, no?

Yes!
My confusion.
I thought that was what you were referring to.