- Time of past OR future Camino
- Except the Francés
I walked the Camino Castellano-Aragonés (or Soriano) last autumn, from Gallur on the Camino del Ebro to Santo Domingo de Silos on the Ruta de la Lana. It was 10 days of almost continuous delight. It is possibly not one for those who need a "camino family", as I saw no other pilgrims.
Although only about 50 people a year walk it now, it is a genuine ancient camino de Santiago, with the ruins of pilgrim hospitals etc, more or less parallel with the Francés. Part of the track goes along the Roman road that linked two of Augustus' settlements, Zaragoza and Astorga.
Day 1: Gallur to Borja
Gallur has an excellent albergue in the former railway station. It's not a bad place for a meal either, certainly better than most of the places I checked out in the town centre. I took a few wrong turns getting out of Gallur and crossing the motorway, adding about 5km to what should have been a 25km day. A third of the way is Magallón, a pleasant place to stop for coffee. Beyond that I got a bit buffetted by the cierzo wind, which is credited with giving extra flavour to the DOC Borja wine, but is unpleasant to walk into (as a general rule, for a wind to get given a name usually means it is not a refreshing breeze wafting you on your way).
I had lunch in the excellent (Michelin bib gourmand) La Bóveda del Mercado, where the menú del día (?14€) included a bottle of the local wine, which warmed me up after the wind. I stayed in the Peñas de Herrera pensión, about 5 minutes walk from the centre of town. It was fine and, I think, 20€. I expect there are better places, but I've stayed in far worse.
Borja is a handsome town, apparently not proud of its most famous (or infamous) descendants - in fact, San Francisco de Borja was the only Borgia commemorated in its street names.
Day 2: Borja to Tarazona
A great day, with about half spent in the first proper uplands of the camino. About 4km from Borja is the santuario de la Misericordia, home of the famously botched Ecce Homo, which an over-enthusiastic local amateur attempted to "restore", with disasterous, but quite funny, results. I had been planning to stay at the youth hostel here, but they never answered my repeated calls the previous afternoon, so I assume they were closed. It certainly looked it when I walked past at about 9am (and no coffee either). Above the santuario is an interesting unusual small 16th century cylindrical chapel of Calvario.
After the Calvario the road went past various wind farm etc and no other settlements for the next 24km to Tarazona. It was very lovely and very empty. I think I went a bit wrong and saw no arrows for many km, but as you can see Tarazona in the distance from way off, and there are loads of agricultural paths, there is no danger of getting seriously lost (mundicamino says I should have gone via a hamlet called El Buste and taken 27.4km, my track took me 27.9, according to wikiloc, and I think involved much less tarmac than the El Buste way).
Tarazona is a fine place, with a judería, an amazing basilica in a jumble of styles, 18th century octagonal plaza de toros of arcaded houses, and a channelled fast flowing river bisecting the town. I had an excellent menú del día (10€) in the heaving El Galeón, not far from the turismo. At the suggestion of the helpful people in the turismo, I tried getting a bed in the huge Seminario Diocesano, but nobody answered the phone, so I checked into the Hostal Santa Agueda, very close to the town centre. It was, I think, 35€ B&B, I'd guess 2-3 stars - they take a scan of your thumb print and that acts as your outside door "key", which I've never come across before. A decent breakfast from 8am (this was just before the clocks change, so it was still dark until 8.30).
Day 3: Tarazona to Ágreda
This was an almost perfect day, certainly from the reservoir onwards (about 7km in). It's only about 24km, but the 17 from the reservoir are through green tunnels, steadily rising (although only 500m of ascent all day) towards the uplands, with a babbling river and occasional waterfalls to keep you company, before you emerge above the tree line and into the Sorian highlands, where you are greeted by eagles.
Ágreda is a little bit sad, but has many remains that show the shade of that which once was great, and how the three children of the book once co-existed here harmoniously. The arab Medina, the judería and synagogue, the church where Jaume I married Eleanor of Castille in 1221, renaissance palaces, moorish gardens, romanesque, mudéjar and baroque churches, ancient defensive walls, and all in a town which now has a population of 3000. I suspect most people with any "get up and go" got up and went 100 years ago, leaving the less bright to stay and intermarry - I've never seen so many people under 5' 2" anywhere else in Europe.
The turismo was closed and I couldn't get an answer from the parish priest, who allegedly puts up pilgrims, so stayed in the hostal/restaurant attached to the local petrol station (20€). I also had lunch there, as I'd spent so long ambling around town looking at stuff that nowhere else was open by 4pm. It was fine, but I expect there are better options for people who like to book ahead.
More follows
Although only about 50 people a year walk it now, it is a genuine ancient camino de Santiago, with the ruins of pilgrim hospitals etc, more or less parallel with the Francés. Part of the track goes along the Roman road that linked two of Augustus' settlements, Zaragoza and Astorga.
Day 1: Gallur to Borja
Gallur has an excellent albergue in the former railway station. It's not a bad place for a meal either, certainly better than most of the places I checked out in the town centre. I took a few wrong turns getting out of Gallur and crossing the motorway, adding about 5km to what should have been a 25km day. A third of the way is Magallón, a pleasant place to stop for coffee. Beyond that I got a bit buffetted by the cierzo wind, which is credited with giving extra flavour to the DOC Borja wine, but is unpleasant to walk into (as a general rule, for a wind to get given a name usually means it is not a refreshing breeze wafting you on your way).
I had lunch in the excellent (Michelin bib gourmand) La Bóveda del Mercado, where the menú del día (?14€) included a bottle of the local wine, which warmed me up after the wind. I stayed in the Peñas de Herrera pensión, about 5 minutes walk from the centre of town. It was fine and, I think, 20€. I expect there are better places, but I've stayed in far worse.
Borja is a handsome town, apparently not proud of its most famous (or infamous) descendants - in fact, San Francisco de Borja was the only Borgia commemorated in its street names.
Day 2: Borja to Tarazona
A great day, with about half spent in the first proper uplands of the camino. About 4km from Borja is the santuario de la Misericordia, home of the famously botched Ecce Homo, which an over-enthusiastic local amateur attempted to "restore", with disasterous, but quite funny, results. I had been planning to stay at the youth hostel here, but they never answered my repeated calls the previous afternoon, so I assume they were closed. It certainly looked it when I walked past at about 9am (and no coffee either). Above the santuario is an interesting unusual small 16th century cylindrical chapel of Calvario.
After the Calvario the road went past various wind farm etc and no other settlements for the next 24km to Tarazona. It was very lovely and very empty. I think I went a bit wrong and saw no arrows for many km, but as you can see Tarazona in the distance from way off, and there are loads of agricultural paths, there is no danger of getting seriously lost (mundicamino says I should have gone via a hamlet called El Buste and taken 27.4km, my track took me 27.9, according to wikiloc, and I think involved much less tarmac than the El Buste way).
Tarazona is a fine place, with a judería, an amazing basilica in a jumble of styles, 18th century octagonal plaza de toros of arcaded houses, and a channelled fast flowing river bisecting the town. I had an excellent menú del día (10€) in the heaving El Galeón, not far from the turismo. At the suggestion of the helpful people in the turismo, I tried getting a bed in the huge Seminario Diocesano, but nobody answered the phone, so I checked into the Hostal Santa Agueda, very close to the town centre. It was, I think, 35€ B&B, I'd guess 2-3 stars - they take a scan of your thumb print and that acts as your outside door "key", which I've never come across before. A decent breakfast from 8am (this was just before the clocks change, so it was still dark until 8.30).
Day 3: Tarazona to Ágreda
This was an almost perfect day, certainly from the reservoir onwards (about 7km in). It's only about 24km, but the 17 from the reservoir are through green tunnels, steadily rising (although only 500m of ascent all day) towards the uplands, with a babbling river and occasional waterfalls to keep you company, before you emerge above the tree line and into the Sorian highlands, where you are greeted by eagles.
Ágreda is a little bit sad, but has many remains that show the shade of that which once was great, and how the three children of the book once co-existed here harmoniously. The arab Medina, the judería and synagogue, the church where Jaume I married Eleanor of Castille in 1221, renaissance palaces, moorish gardens, romanesque, mudéjar and baroque churches, ancient defensive walls, and all in a town which now has a population of 3000. I suspect most people with any "get up and go" got up and went 100 years ago, leaving the less bright to stay and intermarry - I've never seen so many people under 5' 2" anywhere else in Europe.
The turismo was closed and I couldn't get an answer from the parish priest, who allegedly puts up pilgrims, so stayed in the hostal/restaurant attached to the local petrol station (20€). I also had lunch there, as I'd spent so long ambling around town looking at stuff that nowhere else was open by 4pm. It was fine, but I expect there are better options for people who like to book ahead.
More follows
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