Best section of Camino Mozarabe

[Silvia1989]

Hi guys!

few years ago I walked the french and portoguese routes and this year I'll be in Andalusia in July and I was thinking to take 7-10 days to walk part of Camino Mozarabe (actually at the beginning I was thinking to do the via Augusta from Cadiz to Sevilla but then I've read on the blog that it's a bit of a boring path)
Which part do you think is the most interesting? I was thinking do do either the part from Almeria to Granada passing near Sierra Nevada, or from Granada to Cordoba, as they are both very beautiful cities.
Maybe some mozarabic pilgrims can help me to choose?

Ciao a tutti!

qualche anno fa ho percorso il cammino francese e quello portoghese, e quest'anno saro' in Andalusia a luglio e pensavo di fare un tratto del cammino Mozarabe. (all'inizio volevo fare la via Augusta da Cadice a Siviglia ma poi ho letto che e' un tratto abbastanza monotono). Quale tratto mi consigliereste? Da Almeria a Granada, o da Granada a Cordoba? Mi attira molto l'idea di passare vicino alla sierra nevada, ma dall'altra parte mi piacerebbe molto vedere sia Granada che cordoba! Qualche pellegrino esperto di questa via mi puo' aiutare nella scelta?


Grazie mille!
Silvia

 

[SYates]

Hi and welcome to the forum @Silvia1989 I can't answer your question, but I can tell you that July in Andalucia is extremely hot! Are you sure you want to walk in that kind of heat? Max. temperatures can be easily in the high 30C or even in the low 40C ... Buen Camino, SY

 

[Magwood]

I haven't walked the route from Almería to Córdoba but I have walked from Málaga. My first thought would be that I wouldn't contemplate walking either route in July as it is likely to be uncomfortably hot. I can certainly recommend the route from Málaga which I walked in early April, reaching Córdoba on day 9 and continuing to Santiago and Finisterre. I give lots of useful information in my blog which I posted each day including accommodation, elevation and landscape, with lots of photos.
Buen camino

 

[Silvia1989]

Hi and welcome to the forum @Silvia1989 I can't answer your question, but I can tell you that July in Andalucia is extremely hot! Are you sure you want to walk in that kind of heat? Max. temperatures can be easily in the high 30C or even in the low 40C ... Buen Camino, SY

Hi SYates, thank you very much for your advice... I don't suffer heat so so much... I'll try to wake up early in the morning! thank you

 

[Silvia1989]

I haven't walked the route from Almería to Córdoba but I have walked from Málaga. My first thought would be that I wouldn't contemplate walking either route in July as it is likely to be uncomfortably hot. I can certainly recommend the route from Málaga which I walked in early April, reaching Córdoba on day 9 and continuing to Santiago and Finisterre. I give lots of useful information in my blog which I posted each day including accommodation, elevation and landscape, with lots of photos.
Buen camino

Thank u Magwwod!

 

[george.g]

Just walked from Almeria to Fisterre.
The Almeria to Granada section took us nine days of tough hiking, with lots of climbing and the associated downs, some of the route is along fairly rough tracks, the weather was quite hot, but not as hot as its going to be, the route is well marked but we had GPS as a backup.
Unless you are fully prepared for the heat, in good condition and well equiped then it might be a good idea to save this route till the weather is a little kinder.
I don't think there is any doubt, this route has the potential to be dagerous.
There again I've just seen your reply to SYates, best of luck, you might need it!
Regards
George

 

[Silvia1989]

Just walked from Almeria to Fisterre.
The Almeria to Granada section took us nine days of tough hiking, with lots of climbing and the associated downs, some of the route is along fairly rough tracks, the weather was quite hot, but not as hot as its going to be, the route is well marked but we had GPS as a backup.
Unless you are fully prepared for the heat, in good condition and well equiped then it might be a good idea to save this route till the weather is a little kinder.
I don't think there is any doubt, this route has the potential to be dagerous.
There again I've just seen your reply to SYates, best of luck, you might need it!
Regards
George

Hi George, thank you. Do you think the section from Granada to Cordoba is easier? (not in terms of heat, but in terms of path)

 

[george.g]

Hi Silvia,
I would say yes with probably the exception of the Granada - Moclin section, somewhere between 30 - 34kms guides vary as to distance, and a fairly stiff climb of about 500mtrs at the end.
I hope I didn't seem to be overly dramatic re the Mozarabe from Almeria, but honestly it's a fairly serious undertaking, I just couldn't imagine walking that route with temperatures in the high thirties!!!
Regards
George
PS If you plan to visit the Alhambra palace in Granada, don't forget to pre book tickets or you won't get in.

 

[Silvia1989]

Hi Silvia,
I would say yes with probably the exception of the Granada - Moclin section, somewhere between 30 - 34kms guides vary as to distance, and a fairly stiff climb of about 500mtrs at the end.
I hope I didn't seem to be overly dramatic re the Mozarabe from Almeria, but honestly it's a fairly serious undertaking, I just couldn't imagine walking that route with temperatures in the high thirties!!!
Regards
George
PS If you plan to visit the Alhambra palace in Granada, don't forget to pre book tickets or you won't get in.

Hi George, thank you very much , your advice is highly appreciated. I think I have a good resistance to heat, I walked many times in August in Sicily, Corsica, Mesetas of french camino. I know in this case the latitude is even lower, but at the moment i'm living in Iraq so... I know what heat means! As long as you tell me that at least the trail is well marked and not physically dangerous (overhangs on one side or similar...), I think could be feasible for me... But I think I will move to section Granada-Cordoba to be on the safe side!

 

[george.g]

Hi Silvia,
Yes the route is well marked, we had no problems at all, the track is safe, we did have GPS backup, but only used it on rare occasions, usually to find albergues.
Regards
george

 

[Carel5]

Hi Silvia. Like others I would advise to walk the Camino Mozarabe in spring or autumn, not in the extreme July heat. The route between Almeria and Granada is really beautiful but it has some hilly parts and steep sections. It seems more rugged than the Camino Frances. But I found it not really difficult compared with other long distance paths that I walked in Europe. After Granada the route will be easier with the exception of the last steep kilometers into Moclin. It is possible to split the stage from Granada to Moclin by sleeping in Piños Puente.

 

[george.g]

Except, of course it's only about 15 Kim's to Pinos Puente, mostly down hill, and you still have the prospect of a stiff climb next day, we just went for it, it was hard, but that, that doesn't kill you makes you stronger, well that's what I told myself as I puffed and panted up to Moclin.
Regards
George

 

[Carel5]

As I was a bit tired after the Almeria - Granada part, I used the stage to Piños Puente as a kind of rest day. Later on, I felt strong enough to tackle stages of 37 km but that was only after three weeks.

 

[peregrina2000]

Just walked from Almeria to Fisterre.
The Almeria to Granada section took us nine days of tough hiking, with lots of climbing and the associated downs, some of the route is along fairly rough tracks, the weather was quite hot, but not as hot as its going to be, the route is well marked but we had GPS as a backup.
Unless you are fully prepared for the heat, in good condition and well equiped then it might be a good idea to save this route till the weather is a little kinder.
I don't think there is any doubt, this route has the potential to be dagerous.
There again I've just seen your reply to SYates, best of luck, you might need it!
Regards
George

Hi George. Congratulations on your Camino mozárabe. just two quick questions now ( probably many more later!) When did you start from Almeria? And how many days did you take to Santiago?

 

[george.g]

Hi Laurie,
Started from Almeria on the 10th of April, and arrived in Santiago on the 2nd of June, with a rest day in Granada, and then I finished off with a walk to Fisterre and back.
Super Camino, had some great companions for most of the time, and good weather too boot!! (except for about 5 wet days)
Regards
George