From Zaragoza to Logrono

[SabsP]

First of all : thank you Ivar for making this thread possible.

Well, I've been reading a bit about the Ruta del Ebro, starting in Tortosa and connecting in Logrono with the Camino Frances.
http://www.mundicamino.com/ruta.cfm?p=d ... pci%C3%B3n
This mundicamino link already gives some valuable info.

I'm particularly interested in walking from Zaragoza to Logrono and stop there. Reaching SdC is not a goal for me this time.

So if anyone here on the forum walked ( part ) of the Ruta del Ebro I hope you will share some of your ideas / opinions about this part of Spain.
A big plus is that Ryanair flies in directly from Brussel to Zaragoza, took that flight last year when I started my CF. In Zaragoza I took bus to Pamplona and so on...

Anyway....all ideas welcome. Cheers in advance.

 

[SabsP]

haha will reply to myself.
Bought the well written and informative guide from jacbeo.net about the Ruta del Ebro.
http://www.jacobeo.net/index.php?modulo=18 This guide also includes the part from Montserrat to Zaragoza ( Catalan Route ).

Also found this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogzpIxTV ... r_embedded

Will find out in April 2013....

 

[jennysa]

Sabine - I was with a pilgrim who walked this route last year with a friend. Apparently it was a bit hair-raising - they got lost many a time, walked across ploughed fields, had to call at police stations to get places opened up and ended up staying casa rurals most of the time. They also did not meet another pilgrim along the way. So, it sounds as if it is badly sign-posted with little support and possibly not something to be done on one's own until it becomes more popular. If you pm me with your email address, I can ask her to tell you about her experiences.

 

[SabsP]

Sabine - I was with a pilgrim who walked this route last year with a friend. Apparently it was a bit hair-raising - they got lost many a time, walked across ploughed fields, had to call at police stations to get places opened up and ended up staying casa rurals most of the time. They also did not meet another pilgrim along the way. So, it sounds as if it is badly sign-posted with little support and possibly not something to be done on one's own until it becomes more popular. If you pm me with your email address, I can ask her to tell you about her experiences.

Jenny , thanks for the support. Did your fellow pilgrim start in Zaragoza or before there? Because from Zaragoza on it is a quite populated region , populated in terms of every five or six k. a village with facilities. I'm corresponding with someone who also walked from Zaragoza on and this person assures me the signposting ( again from Zaragoza ) is pretty ok. I'm aware that I will have to book pensions or hostals. One of the few albergues en route only takes in groups from ten persons on...
Still time to decide though...

 

[jennysa]

Sabine, I think they started in Barcelona.

 

[SabsP]

Sabine, I think they started in Barcelona.

Jenny, indeed that first part is quite a rough walk. The more I read about the second part ( starting from Zaragoza ) the more I doubt walking it. The walk itself is not that hard but It seems the waymarking needs some improving, like your pilgrim friend said. Easy parts are the parallel road in between the Ebro at one side and the railway on the other side...but there are difficult parts too.
So combination of poor waymarking and lonely Camino might be not such a good idea for me personally.
Might end up starting in Pamplona or Roncesvalles...

 

[jennysa]

Sabine, I think you are wise. She also said that they did not meet another pilgrim on that camino, so having learned my lesson walking on my own on the Camino Aragones, I would never walk one of these lonely caminos on my own again.

 

[SabsP]

Have to fly into Zaragoza anyway. So will start there and see how it goes the first two days. If it proves too hard then I will hop on the bus to Pamplona. I discovered also that there's a good trainconnection along the route. So will take the train on a certain etapa ( 36 k. is too much for me, know this from two years ago ) to be sure that I get into the next town with facilities. Then again I don't want to jinx my next Camino by talking about it too much, lots can happen ( as I already noticed this year ).

 

[PANO]

Have to fly into Zaragoza anyway. So will start there and see how it goes the first two days. If it proves too hard then I will hop on the bus to Pamplona. I discovered also that there's a good trainconnection along the route. So will take the train on a certain etapa ( 36 k. is too much for me, know this from two years ago ) to be sure that I get into the next town with facilities. Then again I don't want to jinx my next Camino by talking about it too much, lots can happen ( as I already noticed this year ).

Hi Sabine; I found this thread by chance and wonder if you finally did that stretch from Zaragoza to Logroño. If so, what is it like in terms of accommodation, walking conditions, etc?

 

[SabsP]

Hi Pano, I only walked two days from Zaragoza to Alagon and then to Gallur.... Heavy heavy rain and mudslides...Detours also because the paths near the Ebro were not reachable at certain parts. In normal conditions it is a beautiful walk ( the parts I did anyway... and also the view I had on train from Gallur Tudela and Logrono were very promising ). Also met only one pilgrim and we both decided to stop at the same point. The lovely people at the albergue in Gallur ( also the cafeteria of the trainstation ) let us stay till two in afternoon so we kept dry till we could take te train.
Every bigger town has an albergue but not all open for one person ( at least for a group of ten like in Tudela and Calahorra ) but there are decent cheap options like pensiones. I had a complete appartment to myself in Alagon for only 15 €!!
The paperguide I had was sufficient too.

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

Thanks for the update, Sabine.
I think this is definitely on my 'list' maybe for next year or for 2016 .... [how long does it take to get rid of this "camino bug"?!?]

 

[Ramblanista]

I walked part of the Ruta del Ebro this June, I keep meaning to post my experiences on here but I'm trying to keep up with my PhD research.

It was a very tough walk, hot and dry with long distances between towns or places of refreshment. I started from Tortosa (lost my guidebook in the station!) to Benifallet (the town, not the station! That's another story), Benifallet to Gandesa, Gandesa to Batea (the only time I strayed from the path which is relatively well marked in Catalunya), Batea to Fabara (no 'formal' accommodation here), Fabara to Caspe and Caspe to Sastago where I'm afraid I quite. Took a bus to Zaragoza then Santander and followed the Norte, Liebana and Vadiniense. Much cooler and a better infrastructure.

I would really like to have another crack at this, starting from the delta and carrying on to Zaragoza but this was only my second camino and I wasn't quite up to it. I didn't meet a single other pilgrim en route and the locals invariably thought I was a bit crazy. Probably a walk for spring or autumn; I will write up my notes and post them on here. Promise!

 

[peregrina2000]

I walked part of the Ruta del Ebro this June, I keep meaning to post my experiences on here but I'm trying to keep up with my PhD research.

It was a very tough walk, hot and dry with long distances between towns or places of refreshment. I started from Tortosa (lost my guidebook in the station!) to Benifallet (the town, not the station! That's another story), Benifallet to Gandesa, Gandesa to Batea (the only time I strayed from the path which is relatively well marked in Catalunya), Batea to Fabara (no 'formal' accommodation here), Fabara to Caspe and Caspe to Sastago where I'm afraid I quite. Took a bus to Zaragoza then Santander and followed the Norte, Liebana and Vadiniense. Much cooler and a better infrastructure.

I would really like to have another crack at this, starting from the delta and carrying on to Zaragoza but this was only my second camino and I wasn't quite up to it. I didn't meet a single other pilgrim en route and the locals invariably thought I was a bit crazy. Probably a walk for spring or autumn; I will write up my notes and post them on here. Promise!

Ramblanista, far be it from me to interfere with your Ph.D. research, but inquiring minds want to know at some point..... tell us more about the Ruta del Ebro!!! Looks like a couple of us may be walking there next year, so there's really no rush! Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Ramblanista]

Okay! Here's my take on the Ruta del Ebro from Tortosa to Sastago. Any queries, please do get in touch. I might do it again, in full, next June.

http://ramblanista.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/one-hundred-hours-of-solitude-walking.html

 

[peregrina2000]

Okay! Here's my take on the Ruta del Ebro from Tortosa to Sastago. Any queries, please do get in touch. I might do it again, in full, next June.

http://ramblanista.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/one-hundred-hours-of-solitude-walking.html

Oh, this is GREAT, thanks so much! Laurie

 

[Ramblanista]

Oh, this is GREAT, thanks so much! Laurie

Thank you. The Camino del Ebro is part of the PhD research so I've also managed to keep my supervisor happy!

Looking forward to learning more about your research on the Castellano-Aragones - that's next year's fieldwork.

 

[craigmiller]

Sabine, I think you are wise. She also said that they did not meet another pilgrim on that camino, so having learned my lesson walking on my own on the Camino Aragones, I would never walk one of these lonely caminos on my own again.

Hi Jenny:
We are considering the Camino Aragones, starting in Pau or Oloron in France and walking to Puenta la Reina. Could you relate your experiences on the Aragones, both good and bad.
thanks.

 

[Castilian]

Jenny, indeed that first part is quite a rough walk. The more I read about the second part ( starting from Zaragoza ) the more I doubt walking it. The walk itself is not that hard but It seems the waymarking needs some improving, like your pilgrim friend said. Easy parts are the parallel road in between the Ebro at one side and the railway on the other side...but there are difficult parts too.

In parts where the camino sign posting isn't good, an alternative could be to follow the Ebro hiking route (GR-99). The Ebro hiking route 'follows' the Ebro river all the way from its source in Fontibre to Riumar (i.e. in the opposite direction than the camino). Tracks for the Ebro hiking route can be found on this web (click in each Etapa -stage- to find tracks and maps of it as well as some other interesting info):

http://www.caminosnaturales.com/ebro

The Ebro hiking route meets the Camino castellano-aragonés in Gallur, the French Way in Logroño, the Camino vasco del interior in Haro (or in Briñas, depending on the variant you choose), the Vía de Bayona in Miranda de Ebro, the Camino olvidado in Arija and the Ruta del Besaya (a pretty unknown -AFAIK (mostly) unmarked- camino route) in Reinosa. Those willing to go all the way till Fontibre, can backtrack to Reinosa (roughly 5 kms away) and take a train or bus to Santander to continue in the Camino del norte or, take a bus to Aguilar de Campoo (or a train but the train station is a few kilometers away from downtown Aguilar de Campoo) and continue on the Olvidado or to give a try to the Ruta del Besaya...

 

[peregrina2000]

Again, I appreciate your help, Castilian. I have taken this route off my list for 2015, but it is certainly one I hope to walk some day. You sound like you have a huge wealth of information, especially for those of us who focus on the less travelled caminos.

Too many caminos, too little time.... Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Kialoa3]

My wife and I will be starting the Camino Ignaciano on January 14th from Azpeitia, Basque Country, to Manresa (a day's walk from Montserrat). It crosses the CF at Navarette and Logrono before heading off to Zaragoza, Montserrat and finally Manresa.
This pilgrimage follows the path walked by St. Ignatius of Loyola in 1522 as he was making his way to Jerusalem. We just hope to make it to
Manresa. We will be walking east along the Ebro for part of this journey. Our research points out this journey is poorly marked in the early stages, but gps tracks are provided on the
Camino website, CaminoIgnaciano.org. We are expecting this to be a wet, muddy, solitary journey. Most of our lodging will be in pensions, casa rurals or hotels. It is my understanding that Ignatius walked this route in Februrary, and he made it. Perhaps our luck will hold.

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

Just for anybody's information, I am walking this route in May, starting at San Carlas de la Rapida, then heading north to Logrono.
Wish me luck!

 

[SabsP]

Good luck! And do stay in the municipal of Gallur!

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Stephen,
Looks like a great choice. Where is San Carlas (Carlos?) de la Rapida? A guick skim through mundicamino didn't bring it up. What are you doing for a guide? Looking forward to hearing all about it. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[SabsP]

Hi, Stephen,
Looks like a great choice. Where is San Carlas (Carlos?) de la Rapida? A guick skim through mundicamino didn't bring it up. What are you doing for a guide? Looking forward to hearing all about it. Buen camino, Laurie

A typing error is my guess...Do check out San Carlos de la Rapita.

 

[SabsP]

Here you go...coastal town in Catalunya
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sant_Carles_de_la_Ràpita

http://www.mapacaminosantiago.es/jacobeoebro/01-deltebre-santcarlesdelarapita.htm

 

[peregrina2000]

Oh, I see. Mundicamino starts inland a bit in Tortosa, this San Carlos is a coastal town -- much nicer to start from the coast! Thanks, Sabine.

 

[SabsP]

De nada

 

[mspath]

My wife and I will be starting the Camino Ignaciano on January 14th from Azpeitia, Basque Country, to Manresa (a day's walk from Montserrat). It crosses the CF at Navarette and Logrono before heading off to Zaragoza, Montserrat and finally Manresa.
This pilgrimage follows the path walked by St. Ignatius of Loyola in 1522 as he was making his way to Jerusalem. We just hope to make it to Manresa...

John,

Good to learn that you both will soon be starting off again! When in Navarette if you are looking for a good menu del dia try El Molino which is centrally located near the church. It is good, popular, cheap, and copious, ie a find.
Buen camino and Ultreia,
Margaret

 

[Kialoa3]

John,

Good to learn that you both will soon be starting off again! When in Navarette if you are looking for a good menu del dia try El Molino which is centrally located near the church. It is good, popular, cheap, and copious, ie a find.
Buen camino and Ultreia,
Margaret

Hi Margaret,

Thanks for the restaurant tip. Robin and I are leaving for Bilbao in 3 hours. Hope this finds you well. Off again.

John

 

[peregrina2000]

De nada

And I see I shouldn't have been so quick to correct you -- it's Sant Carles de la Rapita in Catalan!

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi Margaret,

Thanks for the restaurant tip. Robin and I are leaving for Bilbao in 3 hours. Hope this finds you well. Off again.

John

Hi, John,
Not sure how I missed this earlier post. May you have a wonderful camino, I'll be peeking at your great blog for updates.

Just reading your itinerary, it looks like you will be walking some of the Cami Catala "backwards". Safe travels and buen camino, Laurie

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

Hi, Stephen,
Looks like a great choice. Where is San Carlas (Carlos?) de la Rapida? A guick skim through mundicamino didn't bring it up. What are you doing for a guide? Looking forward to hearing all about it. Buen camino, Laurie

Carles, Carlos, Carlas .... es todo mismo

Yes, on the coast. We lived for eight years only 20 miles away, to the south in Calig, near Peniscola, and would often see the yellow arrows pointing across the main roads: so I've wanted to do this trip for some time.
Not many guides, Laurie, but I've got "Camino Jacobeo del Ebro y Camino Catalan" published by Jacobeo.net. It's in Spanish, but I get by [though far from fluent!]
I don't expect to see many other peregrinos on the route, but am happy with my own company - and it gives me time to say a prayer and talk to all the animals [and sometimes insects!] that I see
Buen camino!

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

Ten weeks to go....
Leaving for Vinaros on March 3rd.
Working for the local church for two months, then ..... the wonderful Ebro river!!
Buen camino a todos!

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

Okay! Here's my take on the Ruta del Ebro from Tortosa to Sastago. Any queries, please do get in touch. I might do it again, in full, next June.

http://ramblanista.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/one-hundred-hours-of-solitude-walking.html

Super blog!
Plan to walk it in May this year!
Buen camino!

 

[Charlie Colburn]

Hey Stephen,

Am looking at walking from Zaragoza to Logrono, and there joining the Camino Frances, in a couple of weeks. I know that the Camino Frances is very well supported in terms of accommodation. I'm just not sure about the section from Zaragoza to Logrono, especially in mid-April. Do you (or anyone else, for that matter!) happen to know much about the state of accommodation along this route, around this time? Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks!

Charlie

 

[SabsP]

Hi Charlie,
When I walked I used this guide...http://www.jacobeo.net/index.php?modulo=18
Plenty of hostels/ pensiones and even a youth hostel in Zaragoza. Not all albergues will open for one person, they will only open for bigger groups. But then there is always a cheap variant like a pension/hostal. The albergue municipal in Gallur is very nice.

Also take a look here at the mundicamino website
http://www.mundicamino.com/ruta.cfm...in=Torres de Berrellén&xne=10&quees=Albergues

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

Hey Stephen, Do you (or anyone else, for that matter!) happen to know much about the state of accommodation along this route, around this time? Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks! Charlie

Hi Charlie! Sabine has beaten me to the reply .
The attached jpeg shows where there are albergues, hostals, banks, and Tourist Information Offices.
Don't expect all albergues to be open or accept single peregrinos [though I think that very sad!]
I shall be stopping at many of the 'intermediate' towns - my feet won't survive 30+ kms!
Hope this helps!
Buen camino, amigo!

June 2015: PLEASE NOTE: the hotel in Rincon de Sota closed in 2011. You'll need to walk or bus to Calahorra - see my later comment.

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

Okay! Here's my take on the Ruta del Ebro from Tortosa to Sastago. Any queries, please do get in touch. I might do it again, in full, next June. http://ramblanista.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/one-hundred-hours-of-solitude-walking.html

Smashing web page, Ramblanista, and I've saved it to read several times before departure in May. I don't walk the long distances you do - maximum around 20 kms a day - but if I have to take a bus ... so be it! The page has a lot of great information - and I love your writing style!
Buen camino!

 

[Charlie Colburn]

Dear Sabine and Stephen,
Thank you both VERY MUCH for your speedy and very helpful response. Pretty sure I will start my Camino on this lonesome stretch, before heading onto the probably much busier French route.
Shame you're starting later, Stephen, we could have walked a section or two together. Another time maybe!
Best regards to the both of you,

Charlie

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

Dear Sabine and Stephen,
Thank you both VERY MUCH for your speedy and very helpful response. Pretty sure I will start my Camino on this lonesome stretch, before heading onto the probably much busier French route. Shame you're starting later, Stephen, we could have walked a section or two together. Another time maybe! Charlie

Charlie - I leave on April 27th, walking from San Carles de la Rapita.
The French camino will be MUCH busier than this remote Ruta del Ebro .
I have never walked the French camino, as I prefer a bit of solitude: but after the Ebro I may long for a bit of peregrino companionship! We shall see.
Vaya con Dios, y buen camino, amigo!

 

[trevorcc]

haha will reply to myself.
Bought the well written and informative guide from jacbeo.net about the Ruta del Ebro.
http://www.jacobeo.net/index.php?modulo=18 This guide also includes the part from Montserrat to Zaragoza ( Catalan Route ).

Also found this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogzpIxTV ... r_embedded

Will find out in April 2013....

Do you know if it comes in English please.

 

[SabsP]

No Trevor, not that I know...saw only the spanish version.

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

Do you know if it comes in English please.

Only in Spanish I'm afraid.
However, to my mind it's worth it even if just for the route maps.
Remember it was written in 2007 and some things have changed since then: the routes may be marginally different: the final stage into Logrono is very different. And it's best to check accommodation if you can - some of the hotels may have closed down. I know one for certain closed four years ago .
From San Carles to Zaragoza the route marking is ... OK .... 6/10.
From Zaragoza to Logrono much better 9/10.
I returned five days ago: have completed processing the 500 photos and am now writing up my diary. It's a beautiful route in places: one or two hairy mountain passes: the poppies are wonderful at this time of year!
Let me know if I can help: remember this is a very lonely path. Personally, I'm happy with that. In three weeks I met three other pilgrims [all going the other way!]
Buen camino!

 

[KinkyOne]

Only in Spanish I'm afraid.
However, to my mind it's worth it even if just for the route maps.
Remember it was written in 2007 and some things have changed since then: the routes may be marginally different: the final stage into Logrono is very different. And it's best to check accommodation if you can - some of the hotels may have closed down. I know one for certain closed four years ago .
From San Carles to Zaragoza the route marking is ... OK .... 6/10.
From Zaragoza to Logrono much better 9/10.
I returned five days ago: have completed processing the 500 photos and am now writing up my diary. It's a beautiful route in places: one or two hairy mountain passes: the poppies are wonderful at this time of year!
Let me know if I can help: remember this is a very lonely path. Personally, I'm happy with that. In three weeks I met three other pilgrims [all going the other way!]
Buen camino!

View attachment 18853

Please, Stephen, by all means do post your diary!!!
There are a lot of us who seek less walked routes and infos about them. I can't say I'll be walking it next year or a year after that but it's surely on my "lonesome" bucket list

Have a nice day!

 

[peregrina2000]

Ok, Mr. Trailblazer, let´s see the diary. Definitely high on my list for the future.

 

[trevorcc]

Only in Spanish I'm afraid.
However, to my mind it's worth it even if just for the route maps.
Remember it was written in 2007 and some things have changed since then: the routes may be marginally different: the final stage into Logrono is very different. And it's best to check accommodation if you can - some of the hotels may have closed down. I know one for certain closed four years ago .
From San Carles to Zaragoza the route marking is ... OK .... 6/10.
From Zaragoza to Logrono much better 9/10.
I returned five days ago: have completed processing the 500 photos and am now writing up my diary. It's a beautiful route in places: one or two hairy mountain passes: the poppies are wonderful at this time of year!
Let me know if I can help: remember this is a very lonely path. Personally, I'm happy with that. In three weeks I met three other pilgrims [all going the other way!]
Buen camino!

View attachment 18853

Thanks for your help.

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

Please, Stephen, by all means do post your diary!!!
There are a lot of us who seek less walked routes and infos about them. I can't say I'll be walking it next year or a year after that but it's surely on my "lonesome" bucket list Have a nice day!

Don't hold your breath! [Or you, 2000!]
I got back a week ago, have processed and annotated the 500 photos, and have reached the 3rd day of 22 days in the diary. My daughter's getting married in ten days, and we're in the process of moving!
I don't now about "less walked" route: it seemed more like an "unwalked route"!
All my diaries are downloadable from my web site.
But the Ebro is a lovely river. I'll add just one more picture [check out Fontcalda] and wish you all a buen camino ...

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

NOTE WELL: the hotel in Rincon de Sota closed in 2011. There is NO accommodation there, and you may have to walk [or catch a bus] to Calahorra [where there is an amazing new albergue, with en-suite twin rooms!]