Cami Catalan from Montserrat to San Juan de la Pena

[peregrina2000]

I know there are several variants to this route, but a Spanish friend on another forum is going to walk from Montserrat to join the Camino Aragones at the Monastery of San Juan de la Pena. This is sort of a C-shaped camino, from Montserrat west to Huesca and then up north and east to San Juan. Not exactly a direct route, but most likely a beautiful one. Pilgrims could also start about 200 kms north on the Mediterranean, at the romanesque monastery of San Pere de Rodas and continue to Montserrat, etc. The possibilities are limitless!

The attachment is a translated version of his notes on stages and facilities. Hope they may be of help to someone.

Laurie

 

[annakappa]

Hi Laurie,
Thanks for this file. We are seriously thinking of walking from Montserrat to Santiago, via S. Juan de la Peña. At the moment, I'm gleaning all the info that I can find. Anne

 

[peregrina2000]

I'm assuming you've seen this Anne, but just in case, this website is great http://www.camidesantjaume.cat/

And don't miss sulu's blog http://notdunroaminyet.blogspot.com/

I'm definitely going to be on this route, sooner rather than later, and what I'd really like to do is start up at Port de la Selva/San Pere de Rodas. Keep in touch about your plans, I think they sound great! Laurie

 

[mspath]

Anne,

The old royal monastery of San Juan de la Peña, cloister, and pantheon are truly extraordinary and very beautiful. Cut into the rocky hillside, the site is unforgettable.
I have not walked there, but the mountain road driving up is steep; be prepared!

It has been my professional privilege and personal pleasure to visit many special places, but San Juan de la Peña belongs in that unique category of sublime timeless perfection.

Margaret Meredith

 

[oursonpolaire]

I would amend the attachment on Peregrina2000's message a bit. 1) The Hostal Bayona in La Panadella gives a pilgrim rate. 2) The albergue in Linyola often has agricultural workers staying there--- when you call, you will find out if this is the case at the time. Two other alternatives in the pueblo, Habitaciones Piñol, where a very basic room cost me 15€ in 2007, and a posh but very comfortable casa rural, Cal Rotes, where I was able to get a midweek rate of 50€ after some discussion--- the spa is extra. 3) Alfarras has an inexpensive hostal, la Florida, opposite the parish church-- 18€ in 2007, with a warm and helpful owner, and a cheerful staff. 4) A room at the Fonda Galindo in Tamareite de Litera only cost 18€ in 2007, although it's likely more expensive now. 5) In La Bolea, Casa Ruffino offers both reasonable rooms (18€ in 2009) and also manages a small albergue-- I think that the price was 6€). 6. Loarre, there is a camping just 2km north of the pueblo, on the way to the Castillo, with more reasonable accommodation than can be found in Loarre itself.

But these are just quibbles in an otherwise useful document.

I cannot sufficiently underline Margaret Meredith/mspath's comments about San Juan de la Pena--- it is one of the top travel experiences of my life, and made 3 weeks of stomping through dusty Catalonia and Aragon well worth it. We could not understand the maestro's work before Picasso. It is unspeakably extraordinary.

 

[annakappa]

Hi, Laurie and Margaret.
I had already checked out the site camidesantjaume, but what a find to read Sulu's recent Blog. Just what I needed!
We intend to start in Montserrat, which holds a special place in our lives. I first went there in 1963, one week after first meeting Adriaan, when I was working on the Costa Brava. When we built our house in Sardinia, the surrounding landscape reminded us of a miniature Monteserrat, so we called our house just that: Montserrat. We have been back once,18 years ago, just before we moved to Costa Rica. The long distance of over 1,000 Kms is a bit daunting for people of our age ( both over 70), but Montserrat does seem to be the obvious place for us to start, so I guess, taking it slowly, we should be able to manage it in less than 2 months, hoping to arrive in Santiago to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary.
Margaret, we visited S. Juan de la Peña in 2010 when we walked the Aragonés. It's absolutely stunning. An incredible place, in fact I would say that it's the number one place that I have ever visited on our various Camino's. And, yes, the path down to SAnta Cruz de la Seros is steep, tricky, beautiful and quite dangerous in places! Anne

 

[annakappa]

Thanks Orsonpolaire for the updates. I've printed out Laurie's file, so can add/correct what is new. Anne

 

[econodan]

I would amend the attachment on Peregrina2000's message a bit. 1) The Hostal Bayona in La Panadella gives a pilgrim rate. 2) The albergue in Linyola often has agricultural workers staying there--- when you call, you will find out if this is the case at the time. Two other alternatives in the pueblo, Habitaciones Piñol, where a very basic room cost me 15€ in 2007, and a posh but very comfortable casa rural, Cal Rotes, where I was able to get a midweek rate of 50€ after some discussion--- the spa is extra. 3) Alfarras has an inexpensive hostal, la Florida, opposite the parish church-- 18€ in 2007, with a warm and helpful owner, and a cheerful staff. 4) A room at the Fonda Galindo in Tamareite de Litera only cost 18€ in 2007, although it's likely more expensive now. 5) In La Bolea, Casa Ruffino offers both reasonable rooms (18€ in 2009) and also manages a small albergue-- I think that the price was 6€). 6. Loarre, there is a camping just 2km north of the pueblo, on the way to the Castillo, with more reasonable accommodation than can be found in Loarre itself.

But these are just quibbles in an otherwise useful document.

I cannot sufficiently underline Margaret Meredith/mspath's comments about San Juan de la Pena--- it is one of the top travel experiences of my life, and made 3 weeks of stomping through dusty Catalonia and Aragon well worth it. We could not understand the maestro's work before Picasso. It is unspeakably extraordinary.

A couple of additions based on our experience in 2012....

We stayed in La Florida in Alfarras, but found it to be pretty dumpy. Things were dirty, and only one functional bathroom on the whole floor. The albergue in Tamarite de Litera was great, and everyone we met in the town was very friendly. In Bolea we stayed in the basic albergue adjacent to the school gym.

Buen camino.

Dan

 

[annakappa]

Thanks Dan. I have just been reading your Blog, which is basically the reason why I started to look into the possibility of walking from Montserrat. Now with Sulu's as well this really helps! Anne

 

[annakappa]

Margaret, we visited S. Juan de la Peña in 2010 when we walked the Aragonés. Anne

Adriaan tells me I made a typo. It was September 2012 the year we walked the aragonés.
Anne