Granada to Córdoba in December?

[HeidiL]

My student son says he'd like to walk with me again this winter - after his exams are over.

Since we had such a good time walking from Cádiz to Sevilla last year (do not remind me of blisters and viscious dogs, please), I was thinking that this might be a good stretch.

Any advice? Recommendations? Links?

 

[peregrina2000]

Oh, lucky you! I assume you have gone through the several sticky posts, there is quite a lot of good info. Granada to Córdoba has about a castle every 20 kms. And the bookends of Granada and Córdoba are pretty amazing. But Almería to Granada has better pilgrim infrastructure, a very attentive amigos association, and some great mountain scenery. The couple of days into Granada are fantastic. The first few days out of Almería can be tough on the feet, lots of riverbed walking, but I really enjoyed it.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/my-stages-on-the-mozárabe-from-almer%C3%ADa-april-2018.55899/

Both Almería to Granada and Granada to Córdoba are in the 7-9 day range. Not sure about which section is more likely to get bad weather, but maybe @amancio will see this and weigh in.

Why not Almería to Granada this year and Granada to Córdoba next year? And then of course you can continue on to Mérida the following year.

 

[HeidiL]

There's too much climbing out of Almería for my knee, I believe - but please let me know if I have mistaken what I have seen on Gronze and elsewhere!

 

[Colette Z]

My student son says he'd like to walk with me again this winter - after his exams are over.

Since we had such a good time walking from Cádiz to Sevilla last year (do not remind me of blisters and viscious dogs, please), I was thinking that this might be a good stretch.

Any advice? Recommendations? Links?

Hey Heidi, I thought about this also as I’m driving across southern Spain on route to the Algarve in Mid Nov for the winter (now in Ottawa which is way too cold for this pilgrim). Hope it works out.

 

[Colette Z]

Oh, lucky you! I assume you have gone through the several sticky posts, there is quite a lot of good info. Granada to Córdoba has about a castle every 20 kms. And the bookends of Granada and Córdoba are pretty amazing. But Almería to Granada has better pilgrim infrastructure, a very attentive amigos association, and some great mountain scenery. The couple of days into Granada are fantastic. The first few days out of Almería can be tough on the feet, lots of riverbed walking, but I really enjoyed it.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/my-stages-on-the-mozárabe-from-almer%C3%ADa-april-2018.55899/

Both Almería to Granada and Granada to Córdoba are in the 7-9 day range. Not sure about which section is more likely to get bad weather, but maybe @amancio will see this and weigh in.

Why not Almería to Granada this year and Granada to Córdoba next year? And then of course you can continue on to Mérida the following year.

You always provide such great guidance .....I’m always passing on your PDF re El Norte ! Thanks and I’ll keep this gem of guidance in my Camino Mozarabe file

 

[apoivre]

There's too much climbing out of Almería for my knee, I believe - but please let me know if I have mistaken what I have seen on Gronze and elsewhere!

Hi, Heidi. I walked the route this March and frankly, the couple of climbs I do remember were elsewhere. There's a short but sharpish climb out of the riverbed a few kilometres past Alboloduy and the famous scramble up to Moclin, a day or two after Granada. If you don't have the time to do the whole walk, you could probably start in Abla. This would cut out most of that river bed walking everybody loves to complain about (and the climb after Alboloduy, too).

 

[HeidiL]

OK, I think we're settled - we have a flight to Malaga on December 14th, and bus tickets from Malaga to Granada the same evening.

Now I just have to concentrate on NOT overplanning everything...

 

[Deleted member 73526]

Now I just have to concentrate on NOT overplanning everything...

One thing which you might want to plan is your time in Granada. Since you know your arrival date, you have the opportunity to book rooms at the convent (Comendadoras de Santiago de Granada) and reserve places to visit the Alhambra palace - unless you want to skip the Alhambra and get straight on the Camino.
The convent and the Alhambra are sometimes filled to capacity (and you can't buy same-day tickets to the Alhambra), so it's worth making your reservations in advance.

 

[JohnMcM]

OK, I think we're settled - we have a flight to Malaga on December 14th, and bus tickets from Malaga to Granada the same evening.

Now I just have to concentrate on NOT overplanning everything...

Without over-planning try to find time to visit the Mezquita mosque and Christian church (both in the same building). I think you may find it's worth the effort. Free entry 0830-0930 hrs.

The hotel Mezquita is on it's doorstep and not overly expensive given its location.

 

[HeidiL]

Oh, we've been to Granada twice before as tourists and seen these sites - but thank you for reminding me!

This time I think we'll just start walking when we get up, I've reserved a hotel room very near the Cathedral.

 

[HeidiL]

This will be a luxury walk - we have hotels the whole way, so we'll leave our sleeping bags at home.

This feels very, very strange.

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

This will be a luxury walk - we have hotels the whole way, so we'll leave our sleeping bags at home.

This feels very, very strange.

Please tell us how it goes! I will also leave around December 14 - if I decide to go (but from Málaga).

I am very interested in temperatures in December, and what the conditions are like on the ground (MUD...???)

Take care!

BP

 

[HeidiL]

Will do!

 

[HeidiL]

A couple of weeks ago, my son managed to twist his ankle quite badly in a badminton match. He will not be able to go before the ligaments heal. (We're still walking at Easter, unless something goes seriously wrong.)

Fortunately, a good friend, a woman I took for a week's walk on the Francés a few years ago, has the whole month of December off - and managed to find a cheap flight.

The hotel rooms are the same, so no extra charge - and ALSA, upon enquiry, changed my son's name to hers on the bus tickets - free! Long live ALSA!

The walk is still on.

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

And as for me (as I mentioned my plans above), there is no time to walk the Mozárabe this Winter. All I can afford would be about a week on the Baby Baztán, before Christmas. Oh well…

/BP