Camino from Granada?

[hel&scott]

Interested in this route, any information?

 

[Debinq]

Hi Hel/Scott
having briefly looked at the mundicamino website, it -Granada via Cordoba to Merida - seems to me the etapas are pretty daunting i.e. on average 33-35 km long; there seemed to be very few refugios as such and rather alot more of 'casas parroqial' - is that just a Andalucian name for a refugio? Generally though it seemed to be mostly downhill, the drop in altitude from Granada to Merida apprx 250m. I am hoping to walk it next year Mar/April - any tips - do you know a good blog for the C Mozarabe?

happy trails

Peter

 

[bjorgts]

... not exactly downhill...
Two months ago I wrote from my walking from Granada to Cordoba on this forum. You find it by looking down the list, but here it is: camino-mozarabe-and-via-de-la-plata/topic8801.html
Bjørg

 

[Debinq]

Many thanks Bjorg - very helpful link; I'll study it all a bit more thoroughly as a 40km stretch in one day is just too much for this 'ol' fella 8) ( and I'm pretty sure my beloved companiera will baulk too) Would you say Mar/Apr is the best time for Granada - Merida??

Peter

 

[bjorgts]

I just know April, and it was just fine! Good temperature. If you look at the temperatures for f eks Cordoba during the year, you will see that it is very hot in summer and cold in winter. For myself I would think that March could be fine, but could also suddenly be a bit too cold. You never know. My husband and I have walked 2 weeks on different caminos every April since 2003, and have had ALL sort of weather, but at least this April from Granada to Cordoba was perpect (cold nights, nice days).

As you can see, we slept in Hostales. There are almost no albergues. I think the parroqial places was not ment for modern pilgrims originally. The church helped people who needed a place to sleep by having those places. We have found that they are often closed now, may be because they were ment for other people than us. Relativly wealthy modern pilgrims - out for a modern walk - have may be done something to this institutions which is not all good? I am not sure of this. It is just a growing feeling from several years of walking. Bjørg

 

[Debinq]

You are probably right Bjorg - it seems the casas parroquial were intended for different sort of people, not for relatively well-off westerners who can afford to spend some period of their life indulging in the 'peregrino' lifestyle and then returning to the rat race (so to speak)
But the C Mozarabe from Granada and the C Del Norte would seem to be the least frequented - hence their attraction I suppose ....

Life arranges itself

buen camino
Peter

 

[hel&scott]

Thanks Bjorg, we looked long and hard at this section when we did the VdlP a couple of years ago, but ended up starting in Seville as memories of the hills around Granada and stories of lack of accommodation made us think twice – Hel was also not keen on lugging a tent over this route.

We also tend to go to Europe in the Autumn which we find perfect walking conditions. The VdlP was a great walk and we are contemplating doing it again from Granada , may even look at spring.

 

[bjorgts]

Accommodation is absolutely no problem if hostales are an alternative. People are friendly, not "tired" of too many walkers, and proud of beeing at a camino. Bjørg

 

[hel&scott]

Good to know.