Itinerary Assistance Request with Granada Stage

[Sara_Dhooma]

Hello,

I have limited time due to flights. I would like to visit the Alhambra when I pass through Granada.

For those who have walked this Camino, what would you suggest for the day after the ‘Quentar to Granada’ stage?

Option 1:
-Sightsee in the morning & leave before 1pm to walk to Pinos Puente (19 km)

Option 2:
-Spend a second in Granada dedicated to sightseeing
-Combine Pinos Puente & Moclin stages together for a long day (33 km)

There is also Option 3 of not ending my Camino in Baena, so I am in less of a rush. Also that way I would have time to split the Quentar stage to stay at the new albergue in Tocon.

 

[peregrina2000]

I will resist the urge to act like your mother, or should I say maybe grandmother. . I walked from Granada to Moclín in one day, it was 9 hours of walking for me (excluding rest stops), but I was 68 when I did that. Since you have a penchant for leaving in the morning at a, shall we say, leisurely time, if you are walking in short days you will likely have to make the ascent to Moclín in darkness even though you will undoubtedly need fewer hours of walking than I did. It’s a stiff ascent, but I didn’t find it as awful as some have described. It’s one of those exhilarating climbs where you get closer and closer to the castle and you just have to get in the groove. I got to Moclín by 4 or so, and was also able to then visit the castle. It’s quite cool. You wouldn’t be able to do that if you arrive after dark.

Granada to Pinos Puente is a pretty uninspiring walk, lots of it through suburbs, lots of asphalt, some along a dirty canal if I remember correctly. Very flat. Lots of plastic bags blowing around. So my advice would be to visit the Alhambra as early as possible (come on Sara, you can get out the door early for a special occasion). The added benefit would be that the crowds are a lot less if you get there early. Walking 20 km starting at noon or 1 is not my cup of tea but choices sometimes require you to choose the “less bad” option. Pinos Puente seemed like a lively little place, I had a good long Fanta boots-off break there. Talked with some nice people.

I personally love walking through olive groves, and the stage from Pinos Puente to Moclín and beyond is just loaded with them. I sing Andaluces de Jaén, and just generally enjoy being somewhere where you turn in a circle and see the exact same thing in every direction. Row after row, I love them! Anyway, I think either option is doable, but I would probably go for the Pinos-Puente-on-the-first-day option.

And if you are going to visit the Alhambra, make sure to buy your ticket ahead of time.

When are you going Sara? Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Deleted member 73526]

Sara is already on the trail

My advice - if you have a limited time on this camino - is to skip the stage from Granada to Pinos Puente. Start early in Granada. Pre-book the earliest morning visit the Alhambra. Take the bus from Granada to Pinos Puente and walk to Moclin. (If you start later in the day, take the bus as far as Olivares, and then you only have a short, steep, climb to Moclin).

 

[C clearly]

I shared a taxi to Pinos Puente and then walked to Moclin. If you are likely to be late getting off in the morning, you would be arriving quite late! That is a long steep rise at the end, without lighting. You would miss the view.

If you can see the Alhambra in the morning, I vote for heading on to PP.

Don't let @peregrina2000 fool you with any suggestion that she is a slow walker. She isn't .

 

[peregrina2000]

I must have missed something, because I had no idea you were heading out again so soon. So you are walking in short days, that is another reason NOT to walk to Moclín from Granada. That ascent would not be fun in the dark.

One thing I have learned from Sara’s videos is that she loves Día supermarkets. I do not. I avoid them whenever possible. But her fulsome praise has made me think I must be missing something else. So on my next camino, I will give them another try. Thanks, Sara, buen camino!+

Oh, and to any others starting out, it’s too bad Sara couldn’t take the underground tunnels/civil defense tour. It is well worth a visit.

 

[Mima1965]

I will resist the urge to act like your mother, or should I say maybe grandmother. . I walked from Granada to Moclín in one day, it was 9 hours of walking for me (excluding rest stops), but I was 68 when I did that. Since you have a penchant for leaving in the morning at a, shall we say, leisurely time, if you are walking in short days you will likely have to make the ascent to Moclín in darkness even though you will undoubtedly need fewer hours of walking than I did. It’s a stiff ascent, but I didn’t find it as awful as some have described. It’s one of those exhilarating climbs where you get closer and closer to the castle and you just have to get in the groove. I got to Moclín by 4 or so, and was also able to then visit the castle. It’s quite cool. You wouldn’t be able to do that if you arrive after dark.

Granada to Pinos Puente is a pretty uninspiring walk, lots of it through suburbs, lots of asphalt, some along a dirty canal if I remember correctly. Very flat. Lots of plastic bags blowing around. So my advice would be to visit the Alhambra as early as possible (come on Sara, you can get out the door early for a special occasion). The added benefit would be that the crowds are a lot less if you get there early. Walking 20 km starting at noon or 1 is not my cup of tea but choices sometimes require you to choose the “less bad” option. Pinos Puente seemed like a lively little place, I had a good long Fanta boots-off break there. Talked with some nice people.

I personally love walking through olive groves, and the stage from Pinos Puente to Moclín and beyond is just loaded with them. I sing Andaluces de Jaén, and just generally enjoy being somewhere where you turn in a circle and see the exact same thing in every direction. Row after row, I love them! Anyway, I think either option is doable, but I would probably go for the Pinos-Puente-on-the-first-day option.

And if you are going to visit the Alhambra, make sure to buy your ticket ahead of time.

When are you going Sara? Buen camino, Laurie

To a kindred spirit Peregrina 2000!

Currently I am compiling songs and poems to take with me on different caminos, so I can sing and read poems that have the heart and the soul of the places I am walking through!
Happy to share with anybody interested!
Saludos

 

[amancio]

I must have missed something, because I had no idea you were heading out again so soon. So you are walking in short days, that is another reason NOT to walk to Moclín from Granada. That ascent would not be fun in the dark.

One thing I have learned from Sara’s videos is that she loves Día supermarkets. I do not. I avoid them whenever possible. But her fulsome praise has made me think I must be missing something else. So on my next camino, I will give them another try. Thanks, Sara, buen camino!+

Oh, and to any others starting out, it’s too bad Sara couldn’t take the underground tunnels/civil defense tour. It is well worth a visit.

this is another hater of Dia, haha!! awful places, indeed!

 

[amancio]

Hello,

I have limited time due to flights. I would like to visit the Alhambra when I pass through Granada.

For those who have walked this Camino, what would you suggest for the day after the ‘Quentar to Granada’ stage?

Option 1:
-Sightsee in the morning & leave before 1pm to walk to Pinos Puente (19 km)

Option 2:
-Spend a second in Granada dedicated to sightseeing
-Combine Pinos Puente & Moclin stages together for a long day (33 km)

There is also Option 3 of not ending my Camino in Baena, so I am in less of a rush. Also that way I would have time to split the Quentar stage to stay at the new albergue in Tocon.

Hola Sarah!
this is Amancio, from Granada!

Laurie's words are very wise indeed; I have also done this part of Mozárabe and can tell you Granada-Pinos Puente is indeed the part of Camino that you can give a miss to without thinking about it twice.

There are 2 possible ways to face the ascent from Olivares to Moclín

1) the official Camino, which is a very demanding steep slope
2) the Río Vadillo gorge through Ruta de los Golliznos
This second option is well signposted (not as camino, but as a walking route) and follows rio Vadillo through a fantastic gorge, aerial walkboards and cliffs, you might even spot the otters in river Vadillo!


This map below shows the route; the orange route follows the cool gorge, a bit longer, but much more gentle, whereas the grean route shows the official camino, steep, sun scorched ascent


I do not know if you are familiar with GPS and technology, you can find this track in

Ruta del Gollizno, PR-A 84 desde Olivares. Circular (Granada).

Ruta Ruta del Gollizno, PR-A 84 desde Olivares. Circular (Granada). de Senderismo en Los Olivares, Andalucía (España). Descarga el track GPS y sigue el recorrido del itinerario del sendero desde un mapa. Bonita ruta recorriendo la ultima frontera Nazarí...Salimos desde Olivares y subimos...

es.wikiloc.com

As you see, the orange route is not so steep. You can stop in Olivares and have a nice beer and tapas in Bar La Ruta, good food!

Pinos Puente-Olivares-Moclín would be a lovely stage if you take the Gollizno gorge route, indeed.

another thing is: BEWARE!!! there is snow alert for Monday and Tuesday in Granada, you might be near Cordoba by then, but the danger is there.

PS: should you want to have a beer or a chat, please do not hesitate to PM me, I will be very happy to show you around Granada a bit if I find a gap at work, especially if you are around here over the weekend.

Buen Camino, and enjoy Granada!!!

 

[Sara_Dhooma]

When are you going Sara? Buen camino, Laurie

Excellent information Laurie!
Thank you!

I am walking into Baena, taking an evening bus from Baena to Granada airport, flying to Barcelona, sleeping overnight on the airport floor, and then flying to Santiago early in the morning.

SANTIAGO, Chile that it!!!

 

[Sara_Dhooma]

My advice - if you have a limited time on this camino - is to skip the stage from Granada to Pinos Puente.

Thanks for the suggestion Raggy! I’m not sure how I feel about have a gap in connected footsteps. I suppose it really doesn’t matter unless I apply for a distance certificate from the pilgrim office when I eventually connect this Camino credential to Santiago (I am 95% sure I won’t bother with the compostela or distance certificate). Something to think on!

 

[Sara_Dhooma]

C Cleary - thank you for chiming in with your vote to bus past the first section out of Granada. Thumbs up

Mima - I appreciate the song link! Having the lyrics displayed in the screen is very helpful.

DIA supermarket——- They are cheap, have beer, Aquarius, chocolate, and usually sell my favourite Spanish salad kits. All I need.

Amancio!!!!! I downloaded the tracks to my iPhone. Seems this a wonderful alternative for the Moclin stage!!!!!! I will send you a message about Granada. I am *always* up for a beer and Camino chat!!!!!