On the Camino Mozarabe

[Carel5]

On 2 April I set out from Almeria to Merida. The route is very well signposted. All stage places now have albergues or hostals. The new one in Guadix, in a lovely old house in the centre, opened a few months ago. Members of the Almeria associacion keep each other informed on the progress of the few pilgrims. It is a very scenic route through the mountains with a lot of climbing in some stages.

I am now in Alcala La Real and have not seen other walkers yet The route out of Granada is well signposted. Between Atarfe and Pinos Puente the route is changed due to railway works but with yellow signs all over.

Another change is in the last miles before Olivares which made the stage to Moclin about 2 kilometers longer. Pilgrims now can stay in the Information Centre in Moclin for 20 euro's including breakfast.

The problems in the olive groves after the N434 crossing from Moclin seem to be solved. Clear signposting made it impossible to get lost.

 

[AlanSykes]

Sounds wonderful. If you have the time and inclination, it would be great to hear about what stages you did, and where you stayed. I'm hoping to follow in your footsteps in October, doing (depending on albergues/hotels/weather/stuff) roughly: Almería-Rioja (new albergue opening there this week)-Alboloduy-Huenéja-Alquife-Guadix-La Peza-Qúentar-Granada. Quite short days, but it seemed that there was plenty to enjoy en route, what with Los Millares and the castle at La Calahorra etc.

 

[LTfit]

Good to hear about the improvement after Moclin as I got terribly lost in an olive grove which made for really long day as I didn't stop in Moclín but in the next town. I was so pissed off at one point (in front of a mojón and arrow then nothing) that I called the amigos office in Granada. Ended up back tracking and walking along the road.

I had several difficulties till Cordoba but after no problems.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I set off from Malaga on the 18th - I hope THOSE olive trees are sorted out.
I looked at the maps on Google Earth.
Good LORD, there are a lot of olive groves!
Like a maze! lol!

 

[Carel5]

Alansykes I will report more on the Almeria camino when I am home.

 

[Carel5]

Yesterday on the way to Baena I was overtaken by Eric from Canada, the first pilgrim I sas since Almeria.

 

[Carel5]

Eric took this photo from me.

 

[Carel5]

Meanwhile I have reached Hinojosa del Duque. Cordoba was wonderful. The climb to Cerro Muriano was in the pouring rain

I was lucky to stay in the albergue of my fellow Dutchmen Gert Jan and Maria who did everything to get me warm, dry and comfortable

The etappe from Villaharta to Alcarinejos was long and difficult. It has rained a lot before I came and the rivers were high or wide.

I managed to cross both of them. Here a picture of the second river. The first was not so wide but the water was welk above my knees.

The landscape since Cordoba is very attractive

 

[Kevin F. O*brien]

Sounds wonderful. If you have the time and inclination, it would be great to hear about what stages you did, and where you stayed. I'm hoping to follow in your footsteps in October, doing (depending on albergues/hotels/weather/stuff) roughly: Almería-Rioja (new albergue opening there this week)-Alboloduy-Huenéja-Alquife-Guadix-La Peza-Qúentar-Granada. Quite short days, but it seemed that there was plenty to enjoy en route, what with Los Millares and the castle at La Calahorra etc.

Alan, Abloduy to Hueneja would be more than fifty km, so I recommend the Hostal Mirasierra in Abla which is about 27 km from Aboloduy. Last November they charged 18 Euros for a room with breakfast. There is an awful lot of "riverbed bashing" but you are surrounded by beautiful sierra, and there are remains of mines, farms and all sorts of human activity over the centuries along the river. Laurie has posted a walking guide, Almeria to Granada which I sent to her after Granada.
October sounds like good timing. Buen Camino!

 

[Carel5]

Abdolobuy to Abla is a long stage with a hard climb in the first part. I slept also at Mirasierra which is the best option. 50 km a day would be crazy in these hills.

 

[Carel5]

Yesterday a second biker passed me. Daan from Belgium. So we chatted in Dutch. Daan wants to go from Merida to the South, riding the Via de la Plata in the"wrong" Way to Zafra and Huelva. Since Malaga Daan had seen nobody.

So I am lucky to meet two bikers and (for 30 seconds) one walker.

Yesterday it rained some time. Everything was wet so I decided to skip the Rio Zujar crossing and take the carretera.

Today a short and beautiful walk through the dehesa to Castuera, where the local police brought me to the excellent albergue. I think only Abdolobuy on the Almeria part is even better. Great job by the people in Castuera.

 

[Carel5]

Today I did a short stage to Campanario where the albergue in the station building is well open. For the first time I am not the only guest as a French couple arrived later after finishing their stage from Monterrubio.

The weather is fine now. It seems that I have been lucky as the area of Almeria and Granada has got less rain than the more western regions of South Spain.

 

[Carel5]

After meeting nobody for three weeks, except two bikers and a passing walker, in Medellin there were suddenly eight fellow travellers, the French couple, two Italians, two Spanish and finally a Dutch couple that started more than a week before me from Almeria but took their time.

After Merida the French and I walked via Yelbes, opting for the route via Torrefresnada suggested in the official guide. After Yelbes however there were no yellow signs for the suggested route. However the yellow brought us in a more western direction. A few kilometers outside Yelbes all route marking stopped. Luckily there were many people around working in the fields and they showed us the way to a crossing of the Bordalo river. They said that this was actually the Camino despite the lack of signposting.

The water was not higher than the knees despite some rain in the weeks before. After the ford there were some faded arrows towards San Pedro de Merida.

This route was 6 kilometers shorter than the official way and saved us a lot of walking parallel to the motor way. I don't understand why this route is not waymarked any more as it should be, because only after heavy rains it is impossible to cross the river.

My walking is over now. Yesterday in Merida I finished the Camino Mozarabe. Today I fly home from Sevilla. If I return I don't know yet. It was a very beautiful walk but also a very demanding.

 

[Al the optimist]

Thanks for you postings Carel5 I am starting from Almeria next Wednesday (whoopee - only 3 days to my flight!). You observations are most informative and timely for me. I look forward with eager anticipation to your fuller report. I hope the river levels have subsided when I get to them!

 

[Carel5]

Hi Allan,

First of all the Amigos from Almeria are very helpful.
There was a credencial ready at my hotel desk and Mercedes asked me to call her.
The members inform each other about your progress. A safe feeling if you walk alone through the mountains.

Since I started there is a new albergue opened in Rioja, which is handy for those making a late start in the day.
I had no problems with the mostly flat first stage to Santa Fe.
The albergue is one kilometer before the village.
You must go on to the bar to get the key, but the neighbours will surely keep an eye on your rucksack when you are away for the key.
Next day you can return the key at breakfast.

Alboloduy has an excellent albergue, one of the best on the Camino Mozarabe.

In Abla I slept at Hostal Mirasierra for a reasonable price.

The albergue in Hueneja is in a flat near the school.
You must get to a ermita on the hill to get the key. Luckily I could leave my bag at the bar, the one at the right when you reach the river running through Hueneja. The albergue is 500 meters to the left. Again you can return the key the next morning as the ermita is on the road to Alquife.

In Alquife I stayed at La Balsa, run by the friendly Dutch woman Marion. She drove to the village center to pick me up and her husband returned me the next day. There are two other albergues in the village. In this case I preferred to stay with fellow countrymen.

The albergue in Guadix is in the upper floor of the home of Guil, a sculptor who founded an albergue a few months ago.
It is in the center of the town.

In La Peza the hospitalero José (if I remember the name well) came to the bar to show me the way.
The next morning he made breakfast.

In Quentar I stayed in the hotel but I heard that there is an albergue as well.

The entry to Granada via the road to Sacromonte is splendid.

 

[AlanSykes]

Thank you very much for the details. It sounds as if you had a wonderful time and I'm so looking forward to following in your footsteps in (counts down excitedly) just over five months. Ultreia

 

[Carel5]

Alan, the amigos in Almeria just posted a new Spanish language guide but the maps and the phone numbers of the accomodations can be very useful for non-Spanish speakers.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6y5pMfqcK4RMFJGRkpoWXRVcW8/view?pref=2&pli=1

 

[Al the optimist]

Thanks for the information Carel. I got just now as I am killing time befopre heading to the airport. So very timely!