Camino Mozárabe Report and Stage List - April 2024

[BikeHikeChai]

Attached is a summary PDF of the stages between Almeria and Mérida that I have just completed.

I’ve also included it as an image.

It may help someone with planning.

At the very least it will show just how many places needed booking, where a Municipal Albergue did not exist. This is not normally my style at all, but it turned out to be a good policy on this route.

Temperatures ranged between 5°C (41°F) and 29°C (84°F), with the hottest being in the days before Cordoba and the coldest in the mornings near the end. A Panama hat turned out to be a very useful addition.

Close to zero rain.
No river crossing issues of any kind.
No navigational difficulties of any significance.

By and large very few people. The maximum “lump” (before hitting Mérida) was about 10 pilgrims in one place, but happily that soon spread out.

Sundays are highlighted as a reminder about food supplies (though through long habit I carry a buffer supply).

I have deliberately not included timing because only elapsed time is recorded which includes sitting having a coffee or two and other pauses.

But for what it’s worth the average elapsed time per day was almost exactly 6 hours.

I have also not included any of the fantastic contact information that can be found in the Almeria Association’s mighty document.

Buen Camino

 

[sun is shining]

Thank you! I’m looking at the Monzárabe as my next Camino and this is very helpful in planning. How did you enjoy your time?

 

[BikeHikeChai]

Thank you! I’m looking at the Monzárabe as my next Camino and this is very helpful in planning. How did you enjoy your time?

I had heard about it from a friend who walked it in October a couple of years back and was concerned at the tales of 30°C heat. So springtime seemed the obvious solution.

Then I read a couple of reports on this forum. One in particular stuck in my mind which stated that their favourite section was the first (Almería to Granada) then the second (Granada to Córdoba) and finally the least enjoyable was the third (Córdoba to Mérida).

However my experience was the reverse. I enjoyed it more and more as I went along. Partly that’s getting trail hardened again after a comparatively inactive winter, but mostly it’s a settling into the walk and accepting each day as it comes.

I think I benefitted hugely from the terribly wet Easter that I just escaped by starting walking on the 1st April. The abundant flowers later on were surely a product of those rains.

There were some wonderful little villages, small bars for a coffee and tostada and some brilliant little albergues of various sorts.

The ladies at the Almería Association were so friendly and helpful at the start which helped to launch one out into the stream as it were. Then the Camino seems to carry you along.

I’m fine with relatively solitary walking, and yet there were a few other Pilgrims around for about two thirds of the time. A Spanish friend joined me for some days near the end which was nice too.

To say my Spanish is not good is an understatement, nonetheless over time it’s improved and I was able to reserve a bed by phone or have a simple exchange with a farmer on his tractor by the side of the trail. So that’s something to build on another time.

Some people have described it as being like the Francés used to be. And I can see that even though I did the Francés only 14 years ago. It’s quieter, simpler and not pilgrim centric. I like that.

I hope you do too.

 

[Portach]

Attached is a summary PDF of the stages between Almeria and Mérida that I have just completed.

I’ve also included it as an image.
View attachment 169540
It may help someone with planning.

At the very least it will show just how many places needed booking, where a Municipal Albergue did not exist. This is not normally my style at all, but it turned out to be a good policy on this route.

Temperatures ranged between 5°C (41°F) and 29°C (84°F), with the hottest being in the days before Cordoba and the coldest in the mornings near the end. A Panama hat turned out to be a very useful addition.

Close to zero rain.
No river crossing issues of any kind.
No navigational difficulties of any significance.

By and large very few people. The maximum “lump” (before hitting Mérida) was about 10 pilgrims in one place, but happily that soon spread out.

Sundays are highlighted as a reminder about food supplies (though through long habit I carry a buffer supply).

I have deliberately not included timing because only elapsed time is recorded which includes sitting having a coffee or two and other pauses.

But for what it’s worth the average elapsed time per day was almost exactly 6 hours.

I have also not included any of the fantastic contact information that can be found in the Almeria Association’s mighty document.

Buen Camino

This is very useful, thank you. Did Granada to Cordoba last year and Cordoba to Mérida is very much on the wish list!

 

[Darleen Taylor]

Wow!! That is so helpful. I am hoping to do the Mozarabe soon. My original plan was to start in Malaga, but I have not been able to find a GPS track yet and the logistics seem better from Almeria. I will probably be walking solo, unless I can find someone interested in doing it with me.

 

[BikeHikeChai]

Wow!! That is so helpful. I am hoping to do the Mozarabe soon. My original plan was to start in Malaga, but I have not been able to find a GPS track yet and the logistics seem better from Almeria. I will probably be walking solo, unless I can find someone interested in doing it with me.

This Spanish site has the files for Malaga but… only as 17 separate KML files

https://centrodedescargas.cnig.es/CentroDescargas/loadCamSan.do

There is a Dutch website from which in the past I have downloaded KMZ files for entire countries. After a bit of effort I found it again, but looking at the address you might wonder why that seemed so hard!

Downloads - Santiago

Indeling – Per land vind je hier een overzicht van praktische downloads voor onderweg, ingedeeld in onderstaande drie categorieën. Handleiding – Wil je meer weten over hoe je de bestanden samen met een geschikte app in je smartphone kunt installeren, lees dan de handleidingen. Overzicht – Alle...

www.santiago.nl

Anyway to save further effort I’ve extracted just the Malaga section till it reaches the Almeria Mozárabe at Baena and attached it here.

On my Organic Maps app it looks like this:



I hope this helps you on your way.

Note: I was not able to attach a KML. This is a zipped version renamed as a KMZ. It should open in most mapping apps. It opens directly in Organic Maps as I’ve just tested it.

 

[BikeHikeChai]

Wow!! That is so helpful. I am hoping to do the Mozarabe soon. My original plan was to start in Malaga, but I have not been able to find a GPS track yet and the logistics seem better from Almeria. I will probably be walking solo, unless I can find someone interested in doing it with me.

It just occurred to me that by GPS track you really did mean a file to go into a GPS device (as opposed to a phone). In which case you might prefer the GPX version attached. Although once again I am obliged to zip it before attaching. So you’ll need to unzip it to reveal the GPX within.

 

[Darleen Taylor]

This Spanish site has the files for Malaga but… only as 17 separate KML files

https://centrodedescargas.cnig.es/CentroDescargas/loadCamSan.do

There is a Dutch website from which in the past I have downloaded KMZ files for entire countries. After a bit of effort I found it again, but looking at the address you might wonder why that seemed so hard!

Downloads - Santiago

Indeling – Per land vind je hier een overzicht van praktische downloads voor onderweg, ingedeeld in onderstaande drie categorieën. Handleiding – Wil je meer weten over hoe je de bestanden samen met een geschikte app in je smartphone kunt installeren, lees dan de handleidingen. Overzicht – Alle...

www.santiago.nl

Anyway to save further effort I’ve extracted just the Malaga section till it reaches the Almeria Mozárabe at Baena and attached it here.

On my Organic Maps app it looks like this:

View attachment 169635

I hope this helps you on your way.

Note: I was not able to attach a KML. This is a zipped version renamed as a KMZ. It should open in most mapping apps. It opens directly in Organic Maps as I’ve just tested it.

Thankyou so much....that is amazing!!

 

[BikeHikeChai]

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=14CNl8F1mtO-mA531TMGVkV748bSbJCI&usp=sharing

This Google map has all the Albergues mentioned on the above PDF (as small green dots) as well as my recorded tracks with all their various idiosyncrasies. These are coloured blue, green and red for the three main sections.

In general where there is disagreement I follow Yellow Arrows on the ground rather than the KML line (which here I have made a pale grey) unless I have a strong reason not to. But they agree for 98% of the time. Just occasionally I vary from both (eg to eliminate some wasteful hairpins on a long hot day).

My recorded line includes visits to bars/cafes, supermarkets, benches, and perhaps the Ajuntamiento on the way to the Albergue. And also some mistakes! So while useful as a guide it should not be followed too closely.

 

[JerryStroebele]

Almería to Granada and Malaga to Cordoba are very well marked. I did find Mapy.cz useful in the cities. Buen Camino

 

[sun is shining]

Some people have described it as being like the Francés used to be. And I can see that even though I did the Francés only 14 years ago. It’s quieter, simpler and not pilgrim centric. I like that.

I hope you do too.

Thank you so much for your thoughts - all this sounds absolutely wonderful. Now I’ve got some serious re-scheduling to do to fit the Monzerabe in.

I’ve just finished the Camino San Salvador which might be something you’d enjoy too. Just as you describe, quiet, not commercialised and very simple (not the ups and downs but the feeling).

 

[sun is shining]

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=14CNl8F1mtO-mA531TMGVkV748bSbJCI&usp=sharing

This Google map has all the Albergues mentioned on the above PDF (as small green dots) as well as my recorded tracks with all their various idiosyncrasies. These are coloured blue, green and red for the three main sections.

In general where there is disagreement I follow Yellow Arrows on the ground rather than the KML line (which here I have made a pale grey) unless I have a strong reason not to. But they agree for 98% of the time. Just occasionally I vary from both (eg to eliminate some wasteful hairpins on a long hot day).

My recorded line includes visits to bars/cafes, supermarkets, benches, and perhaps the Ajuntamiento on the way to the Albergue. And also some mistakes! So while useful as a guide it should not be followed too closely.

You are an absolute star! Thank you!

 

[KFH]

Attached is a summary PDF of the stages between Almeria and Mérida that I have just completed.

I’ve also included it as an image.
View attachment 169540
It may help someone with planning.

At the very least it will show just how many places needed booking, where a Municipal Albergue did not exist. This is not normally my style at all, but it turned out to be a good policy on this route.

Temperatures ranged between 5°C (41°F) and 29°C (84°F), with the hottest being in the days before Cordoba and the coldest in the mornings near the end. A Panama hat turned out to be a very useful addition.

Close to zero rain.
No river crossing issues of any kind.
No navigational difficulties of any significance.

By and large very few people. The maximum “lump” (before hitting Mérida) was about 10 pilgrims in one place, but happily that soon spread out.

Sundays are highlighted as a reminder about food supplies (though through long habit I carry a buffer supply).

I have deliberately not included timing because only elapsed time is recorded which includes sitting having a coffee or two and other pauses.

But for what it’s worth the average elapsed time per day was almost exactly 6 hours.

I have also not included any of the fantastic contact information that can be found in the Almeria Association’s mighty document.

Buen Camino

Thank you for this!

 

[Peter Nordberg]

Attached is a summary PDF of the stages between Almeria and Mérida that I have just completed.

I’ve also included it as an image.
View attachment 169540
It may help someone with planning.

At the very least it will show just how many places needed booking, where a Municipal Albergue did not exist. This is not normally my style at all, but it turned out to be a good policy on this route.

Temperatures ranged between 5°C (41°F) and 29°C (84°F), with the hottest being in the days before Cordoba and the coldest in the mornings near the end. A Panama hat turned out to be a very useful addition.

Close to zero rain.
No river crossing issues of any kind.
No navigational difficulties of any significance.

By and large very few people. The maximum “lump” (before hitting Mérida) was about 10 pilgrims in one place, but happily that soon spread out.

Sundays are highlighted as a reminder about food supplies (though through long habit I carry a buffer supply).

I have deliberately not included timing because only elapsed time is recorded which includes sitting having a coffee or two and other pauses.

But for what it’s worth the average elapsed time per day was almost exactly 6 hours.

I have also not included any of the fantastic contact information that can be found in the Almeria Association’s mighty document.

Buen Camino

Thanks for sharing this. I'm planning to start in Almeria in February next year and this will be very useful to me.