Granada to Córdoba walking solo? (April 2022)

[Luka]

I am planning a little Camino the first half of April (just before Semana Santa) in Andalucía. The Granada - Córdoba stretch is tempting because of these two wonderful cities. And because I have never walked there before. But I am a bit reluctant about walking there on my own. I have walked quite a few quiet Camino's, but somehow I don't feel as brave anymore as I used to do. Fear of dogs, of getting lost in the middle of nowhere without water, of unwanted company from lonely men...

My escape would be part of the Via de la Plata, which I walked about 9 years ago. I loved it back then. Knowing there will be more pilgrims there and more pilgrim infrastructure, it would feel much safer. But not new.

Anything encouraging to say? Any experiences? Do's and don'ts? Anyone else planning to walk around that time?

 

[Saint Mike II]

Hola @Luka, I have never walked this Camino, but books by two fellow Australians hooked me to become a pilgrim. One is "Sinning Across Spain"(A. Piper) and the other is by Tony Kevin. Both were written about 10/15 years ago. If memory serves we have had a few posts from pilgrim who have walked this Camino. Do a little searching. Buen Camino.

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Luka,

I walked the Mozárabe as far as Salamanca in 2018. I walked from Almería to Granada with a few others, though I frequently walked alone. But from Granada to Córdoba I was alone alone. I don’t think I ever saw another pilgrim, actually. I never felt threatened in any way. But I would take a GPS, because I remember that @LTfit, who also walked it alone, got very lost in olive groves soon after Granada, I think.

I have a short blog with pictures, linked in my signature below.

We started on April 13 or 14 from Almería, and my blog says I was in Granada on April 20, so several weeks later than what you are planning. The wildflowers were totally spectacular, and the friends in Almería told us it had rained continually from November through the second week in April. We were lucky that it stopped a day or two before we arrived!

I loved this stretch. There are lots of castles to explore, lots of olive groves (which some people hate but I love), plenty of decent, cheap accommodations. But the albergue situation is not good after Granada.

I do think you have to be ok with total solitude to enjoy the walk from Granada to Córdoba. And that’s something only you can decide. You’ll figure it out. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Former member 31048]

HI Luka That's tricky. It's certainly do-able on your own and I am sure there are those on the forum - women and men - who have done that. Hopefully some with recent experience will chime in. I guess it comes down to your own comfort level.

We walked the Mozarabe in 2015 - Granada to Cordoba - where we had to stop as my husband had a foot infection. Two years later, we 'finished' by walking Cordoba to Merida. Both times, we saw very few pilgrims either along The Way or when we stopped at night. Possibly more on the Cordoba to Merida stretch. But that is some years ago and may be more popular now.

I have walked solo on the Frances and the Le Puy - but I was with my husband on the Mozarabe so difficult to compare. I remember feeling - and said to him - that I was glad I was not walking alone - not because of any particular fear but that it would, for me, have felt a bit lonely and isolated. And I have limited Spanish. If you speak Spanish reasonably well, that may alleviate that feeling.

We did get hopelessly lost one day - in olive groves - but managed to make our way to the road. That said, we weren't using a GPS of any sort.

Have you thought of the Camino Madrid as an option? We walked that path in 2018 and, while there were not a lot of pilgrims, it didn't feel as isolated as the Mozarabe. And has Madrid (day trip to Toledo before you start walking?), Segovia, Coca and some wonderful history and landscape.

Hope that helps rather than confuses. Others with more recent experience, different perspectives, may chime in.

Best wishes
Jenny

 

[Former member 31048]

@peregrina2000 That's funny - our posts crossed! We also loved walking through the olive groves - but sure was tricky once we realised we were lost!! Everywhere you looked, looked the same! So, the GPS is good advice.

 

[OZAJ]

I walked the Mozarabe in 2008, starting from Malaga. My inspiration was Tony Kevin's book - he started from Granada.

I walked alone and saw no other pilgrims before Merida. There was only one pilgrim albergue. I believe there are more now. A good tip for accommodation is to ask the local police. There may be space in a sports hall or other public building which they can open for you. I received a lot of discounts from hostals when I told them I was a pilgrim.

I did not get lost. The route was mostly well marked. I had a slim guide produced from the Malaga Amigos, no GPS or anything like that. I didn't even have a mobile phone, smart or dumb.

It was a wonderful experience. Some basic Spanish would be VERY useful - I did 4 weeks intensive in Granada before setting off.

Just do it!!!

 

[apoivre]

I walked this stretch (well, but for the last bit) in 2019 and, frankly, I don't remember anything particularly worrying. The way out of Granada is boring but other than that, it's a fine walk. (Just don't be like me and get lost in the mountains at sundown because you decided to take a picturesque detour off the marked trail for a couple of days).

 

[peregrina2000]

I remember feeling - and said to him - that I was glad I was not walking alone - not because of any particular fear but that it would, for me, have felt a bit lonely and isolated.

I think this is the absolute key, much more than any concerns about personal safety. I will hazard the unsolicited opinion that anyone who walks alone without a cell phone is taking a big risk on these untraveled caminos. Knowing that emergency services are 3 numbers away (112) is a huge source of confidence.

@Jenny’s words about feeling lonely or isolated are much more fundamental for @Luka, I think. I don’t know why I have morphed into someone who truly feels in the groove when I’m walking alone, when it’s remote, and when I can just soak up whatever the Spanish landscape has to offer me as a backdrop for my thoughts. But if this isn’t you, I think you just won’t enjoy this camino, even though I think you will be safe.

 

[Robi Diaz De Vivar]

I am planning a little Camino the first half of April (just before Semana Santa) in Andalucía. The Granada - Córdoba stretch is tempting because of these two wonderful cities. And because I have never walked there before. But I am a bit reluctant about walking there on my own. I have walked quite a few quiet Camino's, but somehow I don't feel as brave anymore as I used to do. Fear of dogs, of getting lost in the middle of nowhere without water, of unwanted company from lonely men...

My escape would be part of the Via de la Plata, which I walked about 9 years ago. I loved it back then. Knowing there will be more pilgrims there and more pilgrim infrastructure, it would feel much safer. But not new.

Anything encouraging to say? Any experiences? Do's and don'ts? Anyone else planning to walk around that time?

I walked Granada - Cordoba in March 2019 and it was fantastic. The first day was testing because to Piños Puente it is pretty much tarmac all the way. Between Moclin and Alcala La Real you have walk through olive groves and the route is not well signed. Otherwise I met no unfriendly dogs and there is no difficulty with finding water. It is not a Camino well travelled but the Spaniards and Belgians that I met on the way were all real peregrinos, i.e. open, friendly and unthreatening. When my friend and I got to Cordoba we arrived at about 13:15 and so went directly to the Mezquita to get our credenciales stamped. As they used to be the queue was about 100 metres long but as we had no choice we joined it. The security guard came up to us to say that we could not go into the Mezquita with our backpacks. When we told him that we just wanted our stamps, he went to the ticket office and insisted that they open a new window and took us to be the first in the queue. It was great.

 

[klimmo]

Hi, I did this in november 2019. It was my first (and only) camino and I wasn't very lucky with the weather (it was cold and rainy for most of it). I've never felt unsafe at all, but then again, I didn't meet many people either. It was a very lonely and solitary experience. Looking back my only regret is that I hadnt brought my puffer, as I mostly remember being cold and uncomfortable. I had booked ahead in small hotels (luckily), there too more often than not I was the only person. It was beautiful though, the endless olive groves, the castles, villages, and the bridge coming into old town of Cordoba.

Maybe that is a comfort for you, to book small hotels ahead, so that you know someone is waiting for you.

Buen camino

 

[markgrubb]

I walked the Camino Mozarabe from Almeria to Cordoba at the end of March 2019 and it was a good time to do it, nice temperatures during the day but quite cold in the mornings.
In Granada I met with a friend a Spanish native and he told me to watch out in Pinos Puente as it has a bad reputation for minor crime and drugs. The albergue there is extremely basic and you have to walk through the town to get there. We were conscious of being stared at as we walked through the street to the hostel. It is one of the most basic hostels I have ever stayed in. A kind of barn/garage in the grounds of a private house with no cooking facilities and a shower and toilet in an outbuilding about 20m away. We went into the town to eat and enjoyed La Cruz de Granada which has an old fashioned dining room and service on trolleys at cheap prices. Good fun. The town was not particularly nice with lots of people zipping about on mopeds until late. A solo female pilgrim had booked into a hotel by the main road and I would say this would a much better option than the hostel.
The Mozarabe is brilliantly waymarked with yellow arrows everywhere and I never had problems with navigation. You pass through some lovely mountainous territory and there are some lovely small hilltop towns.
When we started the Camino the organiser Nely met us and gave us her Whatsapp contact for the first week and was always available if needed. She gave us contact details of another organiser for the second week but we didn't need to get in touch.
It was very different from the other 3 caminos I have done but well worth the effort and the bonus of the amazing cities of Granada and Cordoba to visit.

 

[malingerer]

I think this is the absolute key, much more than any concerns about personal safety. I will hazard the unsolicited opinion that anyone who walks alone without a cell phone is taking a big risk on these untraveled caminos. Knowing that emergency services are 3 numbers away (112) is a huge source of confidence.

@Jenny’s words about feeling lonely or isolated are much more fundamental for @Luka, I think. I don’t know why I have morphed into someone who truly feels in the groove when I’m walking alone, when it’s remote, and when I can just soak up whatever the Spanish landscape has to offer me as a backdrop for my thoughts. But if this isn’t you, I think you just won’t enjoy this camino, even though I think you will be safe.

your reasons are why I not just like the vdlp but why I feel at home both in it and on it.

samarkand.

 

[C clearly]

When I walked the Mozarabe, it was with the famous "mob" in 2018, so I had company most evenings and knew there were others on the trail. However, I would not be particularly fearful of walking Granada to Cordoba by myself. As for loneliness, it is only about a week long, so I don't see that as an issue, either.

 

[Carles]

Hi, Luka. Te recomiendo que utilices la guía-web del Camino Mozárabe de gronze.com. Entra en la página de cada etapa, además de alojamientos. encontrarás las solapas de Al Loro (los puntos más importantes a tener en cuenta) y Recorrido (descripción de la ruta en detalle), incluso hay una solapa con fotos de cada jornada. La guía está completa y editada entre Granada y Córdoba, el resto de tramos (Almería, Jaén) se podrán consultar a mediados de 2022. Te recomiendo evitar los albergues de Pinos Puente y de Castro del Río, en mi opinión son muy básicos. No te preocupes, pues hay otros alojamientos y son baratos. Al llegar a Pinos Puente, si lo deseas, puedes volver en autobús a Granada, dormir en tu alojamiento y tomar de nuevo otro autobús a la mañana siguiente para retomar el camino. Te gustará, ya verás.

Hi, Luka. I recommend that you use the web-guide of the Mozarabic Way at gronze.com. Enter the page of each stage, in addition to accommodation. You will find the flaps of Al Loro (the most important points to take into account) and Tour (description of the route in detail), there is even a flap with photos of each day. The guide is complete and published between Granada and Córdoba, the rest of the sections (Almería, Jaén) will be available in mid-2022. I recommend you avoid the Pinos Puente and Castro del Río hostels, in my opinion they are very basic. Do not worry, because there are other accommodations and they are cheap. Upon arrival in Pinos Puente, if you wish, you can return by bus to Granada, sleep at your accommodation and take another bus the next morning to get back on track. You'll like it, you'll see.

[Edited to add English translation (per Google). Except for the new Spanish Conversational Thread, all posts should be included in English.]

 

[Luka]

Thanks for all your informative and elaborate replies!

@peregrina2000 I read your blog and now I am of course even more looking forward to this Camino! Thanks for the heads up about getting lost. I will have a look if I can find the stages in Wikiloc.

@Jenny@zen Yes, I do speak Spanish reasonably well. I also have experience with lonely routes. For example in northern France. But I bailed out on the Camino de Invierno in 2015 because I was so frightened about the dogs I encountered that I didn't enjoy walking anymore.

I will save the Camino de Madrid for another time. The thing is that I will already be in Andalucía then. I am going to show my parents around in Granada and Sevilla. So that would make either one of these cities a logical starting point.

@Carles, voy a echar un ojo a Gronze, gracias! Pensaba que la guía todavía estaba pendiente de elaborar, pero el tramo de Granada a Córdoba parece bastante completo.

Thanks also for the warnings about the state of/lack of albergues. I already noticed that in the guide of the Amigos. I am now considering staying in hostals/hotels, so I could leave my sleepingbag at home.

 

[Bernice M]

Luka,
I am planning to walk the Mozarabe from Almeria solo. I will be at least 68 by the time I get to it. My reason for not doing it now and being imprecise about timing is that I can leave New Zealand, but at present can't get back into the country without difficulty.

I am using the 130 page guide of the Association of Friends of the Mozarabe Way, www.caminomozarabedesantiago.es for planning.

I walked Arles-SDC largely alone and after Toulouse through the Pyrenees to Puente la Reina entirely alone, also part of the Ruta de la Lana alone. Only once did I feel entirely unsafe - a young man stopped in his car on a gravel road and spoke to me in French, which I don't speak. I realised soon after that he was telling me of a boar hunt in the area, as I passed a bunch of elderly men sitting at 200m intervals on camp chairs, wearing hi-viz jackets and each with a rifle across their laps. Some of them were asleep. The dogs were doing the work of flushing out the boar.

I carried a GPS tracker on the Lana, which my brother monitored, with my path showing on Google Earth. He'd email and say things like, 'I see you took a wrong turn in Villena, but worked it out fairly quickly', or 'You spent a long time behind that barn, was it lunch?' The device was a SPOT GEN3. There might be newer versions now. I knew that if I got into difficulty that communications were possible, and I could also use an emergency function for real emergencies.

For Wikilocs, take the paid version, as it allows downloading of the route.

Interestingly, the only people who queried me for walking alone at 60-plus were elderly people.

Keep us all posted with your walk.
B

 

[Luka]

Wow @Bernice M, another woman not scared of a solitary adventure! So your brother literally always knew where you were? I have a GPS-tracker for my cats that I could use for that purpose, but I wonder if I really want to be tracked like that. However I can imagine it feels rather safe.

And yes, I found that guide. It is great! And yes, I have the paid version of Wikiloc. For years already.

 

[Former member 31048]

Hi Luka. Just another thought. You mentioned it would be a short Camino and that you wanted to visit Granda and Cordoba so that stretch was appealing.

My memory of the Mozarabe - and I could be mistaken - is that the stretch from Cordoba to Merida felt less isolated than Granada to Cordoba, we saw a few more people and there were some lovely new Albergues. The locals very welcoming of pilgrims.

So one option could be to visit Granada, take a train to Cordoba and walk from there to Merida - as you have walked the VdeP already, you’ll know that a second visit to Merida is no hardship

Oops, sorry I had not caught up with the most recent replies - sounds like you are feeling reassured that Granda to Cordoba will be fine for you. And if you speak Spanish I think that makes a difference. Buen Camino

 

[Luka]

@Jenny@zen thanks for the tip! I haven't decided anything yet and Córdoba - Mérida is definitely one of the other options to explore.

 

[Bernice M]

Wow @Bernice M, another woman not scared of a solitary adventure! So your brother literally always knew where you were? I have a GPS-tracker for my cats that I could use for that purpose, but I wonder if I really want to be tracked like that. However I can imagine it feels rather safe.

And yes, I found that guide. It is great! And yes, I have the paid version of Wikiloc. For years already.

Yes, my brother knew where I was, although he didn't watch all the time. The limitations were heavy cloud cover - device is satellite based - and my forgetting to turn it on occasionally.

 

[BruceNZ]

Hi ... am sure it has been all said and so can just confirm it is a lovely walk . We (3) walked 2018 and didn't see many others tho staying in small hotels, AirBnB etc didn't help for socialising. Those we met were great. It is worth getting the bus or taxi out of Granada to Pinos Puente as makes the first day to Moclin a 15km walk with big climb at the end. We did Granada to Merida with regular days off to enjoy the bigger cities etc. Happy to send our route as still have the excel spread sheet with accom details etc.
We had no problems with loose dogs. There were some locked inside yards (securitry) but none out.
Oh to get the chance to walk again instead of being held hostage here in New Zealand by a government not letting anyone back in.

 

[Luka]

Ah yes, I already thought about bussing Granada to Pinos Puente and then walking to Moclín. Makes sense. Thanks for the offer of the excel sheet! I will let you know if that would come in handy. And good to know you had no encounters with loose dogs!

 

[filly]

Lovely reading this blog as I was set to hike from Almeria in April of this year.... now planned for mid-May ‘22. Reading your excellent ‘Pengiun’ report Laurie, I now realise I can make it easily to Córdoba.

May I recommend reading a short biography of life in the Sierra Nevada pre WW2 - Gerald Brennan’s ‘South from Granada’.

 

[filly]

Lovely reading this blog as I was set to hike from Almeria in April of this year.... now planned for mid-May ‘22. Reading your excellent ‘Pengiun’ report Laurie, I now realise I can make it easily to Córdoba.

May I recommend reading a short biography of life in the Sierra Nevada pre WW2 - Gerald Brennan’s ‘South from Granada’.

... mea culpa... erratum. Should read BRENAN.

 

[jill___a]

Hi ... am sure it has been all said and so can just confirm it is a lovely walk . We (3) walked 2018 and didn't see many others tho staying in small hotels, AirBnB etc didn't help for socialising. Those we met were great. It is worth getting the bus or taxi out of Granada to Pinos Puente as makes the first day to Moclin a 15km walk with big climb at the end. We did Granada to Merida with regular days off to enjoy the bigger cities etc. Happy to send our route as still have the excel spread sheet with accom details etc.
We had no problems with loose dogs. There were some locked inside yards (securitry) but none out.
Oh to get the chance to walk again instead of being held hostage here in New Zealand by a government not letting anyone back in.

I’d love to have the spreadsheet. Did I miss where you’ve posted it?

 

[Luka]

Just a little update. In the end I am not going to walk alone. A friend will join me. We will walk Granada - Córdoba from April 4th till April 10th (covidvirus willing)

 

[Anniesantiago]

Heeeeeey Luka! I hope you will post your lodgings/experience as you walk.
I'll look forward to following you. This is a route I have not yet walked.
YAY!

 

[Luka]

Heeeeeey Luka! I hope you will post your lodgings/experience as you walk.
I'll look forward to following you. This is a route I have not yet walked.
YAY!

I will try to, and otherwise I'll post them after I am back home

 

[BruceNZ]

I’d love to have the spreadsheet. Did I miss where you’ve posted it?

Hi... did I send this ?? I sent it to someome but having a senior moment .. If not email me on marketedgenz@gmail.com
Cheers bruce

 

[jill___a]

Hi... did I send this ?? I sent it to someome but having a senior moment .. If not email me on marketedgenz@gmail.com
Cheers bruce

I’ll email now. Thanks!

 

[LTfit]

Just a little update. In the end I am not going to walk alone. A friend will join me. We will walk Granada - Córdoba from April 4th till April 10th (covidvirus willing)

Having a second set of eyes is welcome when walking untrodden Caminos. The signage has improved since 2014 (I've been told) when I walked Granada - Mérida. Good to hear since I bitched to myself on several occasions during the first few stages. I even called the Amigos in Granada on day two when the arrows stopped in an olive grove. Apparently I was following an old route! I had to backtrack adding too many km to my already long stage.

Hope it works out Luka.

Ultreia!

 

[Luka]

Thanks for the headsup, @LTfit! Maybe it would be a good idea to search for tracks on wikiloc.

 

[LTfit]

Thanks for the headsup, @LTfit! Maybe it would be a good idea to search for tracks on wikiloc.

As I said, I've heard that the signage has improved.

 

[peregrina2000]

Thanks for the headsup, @LTfit! Maybe it would be a good idea to search for tracks on wikiloc.

I would take tracks on my phone. There are lots on wikiloc. I know you are used to dreary days walking out of cities, but Granada is one of the most dreary. I have a memory of millions of plastic bags and garbage along a gloomy grey canal. But things improve dramatically after Pinos Puente!

I did not stay in Pinos Puente, and I was not aware that it had the reputation that one forum member mentioned above. Some members of the “Mozárabe mob” took public transport or a taxi and walked from Pinos Puente, but I’m stubborn and walked it. Granada to Moclín would be a tough first day, though — 19 flat boring kms followed by olive groves and a short but steep ascent at the end.

I remember that @jpflavin1 had some rough going after Pinos Puente that involved crossing the river. I never did figure out how he got where he got. But he made it. He describes it in this post .

Are you going to start with a visit to the Alhambra? The ticket system is now much improved, and numbers have been reduced because of covid. I went there last June as a tourist and it was absolutely glorious to walk around the grounds without crowds!

 

[Luka]

I would take tracks on my phone. There are lots on wikiloc. I know you are used to dreary days walking out of cities, but Granada is one of the most dreary. I have a memory of millions of plastic bags and garbage along a gloomy grey canal. But things improve dramatically after Pinos Puente!

I did not stay in Pinos Puente, and I was not aware that it had the reputation that one forum member mentioned above. Some members of the “Mozárabe mob” took public transport or a taxi and walked from Pinos Puente, but I’m stubborn and walked it. Granada to Moclín would be a tough first day, though — 19 flat boring kms followed by olive groves and a short but steep ascent at the end.

I remember that @jpflavin1 had some rough going after Pinos Puente that involved crossing the river. I never did figure out how he got where he got. But he made it. He describes it in this post .

Are you going to start with a visit to the Alhambra? The ticket system is now much improved, and numbers have been reduced because of covid. I went there last June as a tourist and it was absolutely glorious to walk around the grounds without crowds!

Sorry for my late reply! Thanks for the heads up, I already thought about catching a bus from Granada to Pinos Puente and start walking from there. And I will have a closer look at that river crossing. Found all the tracks on wikiloc.

And yes, I already reserved tickets for the Alhambra! I went there before, but that must have been at least 15 years ago. I remember the crowds, so would be nice if numbers are still down.

 

[Luka]

I remember that @jpflavin1 had some rough going after Pinos Puente that involved crossing the river. I never did figure out how he got where he got. But he made it. He describes it in this post .

This is what Gronze says about that:

1,5 Carretera local GR-3408. La seguimos a la derecha, en ligera subida y sin dejarla en ningún momento, en dirección al norte hacia Tiena y Olivares. Caminaremos con cuidado por su arcén, aunque el tráfico sea escaso. Avanzamos siempre en paralelo al río Velillos, que queda a nuestra izquierda [Nota: antes el camino iba por la orilla contraria, pero ello implicaba cruzar un vado peligroso, pues solía llevar mucho caudal de agua en ciertas épocas del año]. Al cabo de 2 km pasamos junto a una represa del río, y seguimos por el arcén hasta el Cortijo de Búcor.

So they now bypassed that overgrown track by adding more roadwalk it seems, to avoid having to cross the river.

 

[Luka]

Back from the Mozárabe! It has been great.

Day 1: Pinos Puente - Moclín (15)
We bussed from Granada to Pinos Puente and started walking from there. First (clowdy/rainy) day to Moclín. A short stage with a climb at the end. It starts with quite a lot of roadwalking because of the adjustment described in my former post. But after that it gets beautiful with some nice views.

We stayed at Casa La Cabra, which was totally recommendable. Our own little apartment. The owner warned us beforehand that the only shop and bar would be closed on Monday, so we carried our groceries uphill from Olivares. When we arrived the owner had left us a bottle of wine, which was a very nice and welcoming surprise.

Day 2: Moclín - Alcalá la Real (22)
Another rainy day. A pity, because especially the first half is a beautiful walk that we would have enjoyed more with dry weather. I found Alcalá a bit dreadful and ugly. As a vegetarian I walked around for 45 minutes to find something to eat. The village has 4 pizzerías, but all 4 were closed.

Our stay was lovely again. We stayed at Mirador Tierra de Frontera and we had the most wonderful view on the village and the castle from our bedroom.



Day 3: Alcalá la Real - Alcaudete (25,5)
I don't recall much of this walk, apart from a dangerous detour along a curvy road without a shoulder. We were supposed to take a little tunnel that we missed. Yellow arrows led us along that road, so maybe that tunnel is out of use now.

When we arrived at Hostal Hidalgo in the rain, tired and hungry, we asked if we could still have lunch. It was 15.45h and the kitchen would close at 16.00h. The person that attended us gave us a straightforward no. No flexibility, no considerateness, no alternatives offered. Our room was small and simple and smelled like an ashtray.

 

[Luka]

Day 4: Alcalá la Real - Baena (18, but actually 25)
The sun was out! Nice walk through olive groves (what else). After 1,5 hours or so of walking, we found our Waterloo. Heavy clay uphill. Our shoes collected a kilo of clay each and with the backpack on it felt more like a bootcamp than a pilgrimage. We crawled through the clay for an hour or so and then we saw a bench somewhere in the distance. We forgot about the yellow arrows and started crawling in the direction of the bench. It happened to be a viewpoint next to a Via Verde (old railway track, now used by cyclists). We had a rest, tried to get the clay off our shoes and continued on that Via Verde.



After about 18 kms we were exhausted. The heavy clay had cost us a lot of energy. We saw a car coming, stopped it and asked where the 2 farmers in it were going.
To Baena.
Could we get a ride?
Of course.
The Camino provides.

We stayed in another really nice apartment in Baena, called Camino Mozárabe. There was even a washing machine that we could use. For drying our clothes we had to be creative (we took them with a bottle of wine to a bench on the sunny side of the street).

Day 5: Baena - Castro del Río (21)
An easy day. First a bit downhill and then 12 kms on a never ending road along a little river through endless olive groves. Landscape wise we found the first days of walking more interesting than the last days. Weather wise it was the other way around.

Castro del Río has a beautiful little old town of narrow streets. We stayed in Casa Rural La Villa, which was perfect: 3 bedrooms and a shared kitchen (we vegetarians are always happy when we can cook ourselves). We stayed there with one other pilgrim from New York.

Day 6: Castro del Río - Santa Cruz (23)
More olive trees. Another picknick underneath an olive tree. We took the little detour to the beautiful village of Espejo. Worth the climb, also because there are no other villages in between (like most days on the Mozárabe).



We didn't stay in Santa Cruz. We smelled the city. The next day it would get 27ºC, we already got pretty sunburnt and 25+ hot kms through rather boring landscape wasn't very tempting. So we took a taxi to Córdoba after arriving in Santa Cruz and enjoyed the processions of Domingo de Ramos.

 

[Luka]

The next day - walking with our packs through Córdoba - we were stopped by a cyclist who recognized us as peregrinas. He happened to be the treasurer of the pilgrims association in Córdoba.

My trip felt more like a hike than a pilgrimage and I felt more like a tourist than a pilgrim. Which was totally fine and as expected. It was a combination of city trips and the Camino Mozárabe. I first visited Sevilla and Granada, then walked for 6 days and ended my holiday in cities again: Córdoba and Madrid.

I don't think this stretch is the most beautiful or most interesting part of the Camino Mozárabe, but I liked the idea of linking Granada and Córdoba. And it is very likely that I looked with different eyes, being more in a holiday mode than a pilgrim mode. I was happy to walk with a friend and would have found it a bit boring alone. We met 3 other pilgrims in total.