Recent change to Ruta Lebaniego (which feeds into the Ruta Vadiniense)

[david54]

Until recently the route went from San Vincente to Hortigal and then south west through Bielva to Cades. It now goes west from Hortigal (staying with the Norte for a few K) until Munorrodero. It then follows the river Nansa south to Cades. The walk by the river is great but the new route is quite a few K longer than the old one. Previously walkers could go from San Vincente to La Fuente in one day. That is now very difficult. An albergue is being built in Cades but it has not yet opened. Staying at the hotel Casona del Nansa in Cades may be the best option.

I followed the new route and so cannot say if the signs remain on the old way.

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, David,
Welcome to the forum. This is certainly something for people to follow up on, because it is a major re-routing. I walked several years ago and was able to walk to LaFuente in a day without any problem. Maybe they are trying to get the route off-road, because this is one asphalt-filled camino. I do remember that very pretty hotel in an old stone building alongside the river in Cades, so that's not a terrible option. I also heard that the albergue in LaFuente had closed, so that leaves pilgrims with no place to stay there anyway. It looks to me like "the authorities" are really trying to drum up business on this route:

http://www.caminolebaniego.com/en/ruta-lebaniega/etapa-1

Would love to hear more of your experience. Did you continue on the Vadiniense to Mansilla? I met several people who went to Potes and the monastery as a detour from the Norte and then went back up by bus after visiting the monastery. I continued on the Vadiniense, which also had a TON of road walking, but I have read that the caminos groups there are working to get pilgrims off the asphalt. I'd love to know if they have been successful. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[peregrina2000]

Just a little follow-up because I was curious about what had happened.

From a Spanish pilgrim: In Sept. 2014 the government of Cantabria changed the route. As you said, David, instead of leaving the Norte in Hortigal as it used to, it stays on the Norte until you pass Serdio. There you head towards Muñorrodero and the river walk of the Nansa river, until joining up with the old route in Cades. This new itinerary adds 8 kms to the route.

My notes from that walk estimated that San Vicente to LaFuente was 28, so adding 8 on would make it 36. Doable for many, but the problem is that there is now nowhere to stay in LaFuente!

 

[amancio]

Hola Laurie!

winter time, time to sit by the fireplace and dream...

Cades seems to be ruled out, so a good option might be to start from Serdio, instead of San Vicente de la Barquera, and shave some 9 km, which would be make LaFuente easier to reach on Day 1

I have read your notes, and I am now starting to wonder whether there is actually accommodation in LaFuente

http://www.gronze.com/cantabria/lafuente/albergue-peregrinos-lafuente

The only thing that puts me off a bit is the thought of finding so much tarmac/asphalt on this otherwise lonely camino...

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, amancio,
I agree that winter is a great time to dream about the Camino. I have been told that the albergue in LaFuente, which used to be in the old school, has closed. It was a very nice place, sleeping room downstairs, kitchen upstairs with microwave, etc. But I assume the route still goes through Cícera, after LaFuente, where I've heard there is an albergue, but I haven't stayed there. I think rayrosa's website is great, and I think they walked the Lebañiego/Vadiniense last year or two years ago.

Oh, the amount of tarmac is painful, all the way to Mansilla de las Mulas. It did me in. I took my first bus ever from Gradefes into León so that I could rest my feet for a few days. And the walk into Potes was undoubtedly one of the most dangerous and scary camino stages, through the lovely gorge, along the river, but oh my the traffic was heavy and the shoulder very narrow. I believe, though I'm not sure, that they have re-routed that part, but if you take the recommended route up to Cabañes, you will miss it anyway, I think. The albergue juvenil in Cabañes was full of school children when I called from Lebeña, so I just slogged into Potes.

I would love to go back to that camino, but not till they get rid of a lot of the asphalt. I remember walking into LaFuente, and seeing a local farmer coming down off a path from the hill down to town, and I asked him about paths that parallel the roads. He told me that it would be easy to connect a walking route from San Vicente off road, because there are lots of old farm tracks around, but I guess that's a complicated process. At least from Potes to Fuente De and Fuente De through the Senda de Remoña there is good off road walking, but then the asphalt starts again into Portilla de la Reina and just never ends!

 

[amancio]

Thanks for the update, Laurie, it is a beautiful area of Spain, but the tarmac is making me think twice, really, 200km on tarmac seems a lot to me! Do you know if Camino de Invierno is "wilder" and has less tarmac? It might be a good alternative, I gues...

 

[peregrina2000]

Amancio, I've got a great little guide for you to look at to decide about the Invierno.
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...e-to-the-camino-de-invierno-2016-edition.442/

As far as asphalt goes, there is some, probably more than the Primitivo, but it's not relentless like it is on the Lebaniego/Vadiense. The Invierno isn't "wild" in any way, but it is really beautiful, IMO. And has the hard-to-put-your-finger-on "Camino feeling".

 

[david54]

Amancio, I've got a great little guide for you to look at to decide about the Invierno.
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...e-to-the-camino-de-invierno-2016-edition.442/

As far as asphalt goes, there is some, probably more than the Primitivo, but it's not relentless like it is on the Lebaniego/Vadiense. The Invierno isn't "wild" in any way, but it is really beautiful, IMO. And has the hard-to-put-your-finger-on "Camino feeling".

Hi Laurie

Are you sure the albergue in La Fuente has closed? It was open in Sept 2015. The decision to open an albergue in Cades may indicate that La Fuente has no future. In addition the short distance between LaFuente and Cicera (6k) may mean that it is not practical to keep both open. Pity, it was spotless and the village has a lot of character.

The Lenaniego / Vadiniense does have a lot tarmac but its far from 100% and I think people should not be put off by the tarmac, the route's good points more than compensate.

David

 

[Tia Valeria]

If we are staying in Cabezon de la Sal where would be a good place to join the route for a day's (return) walk please? We are thinking about parking at Sta Maria de Lebeña and walking from there

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi Laurie

Are you sure the albergue in La Fuente has closed? It was open in Sept 2015. The decision to open an albergue in Cades may indicate that La Fuente has no future. In addition the short distance between LaFuente and Cicera (6k) may mean that it is not practical to keep both open. Pity, it was spotless and the village has a lot of character.

The Lenaniego / Vadiniense does have a lot tarmac but its far from 100% and I think people should not be put off by the tarmac, the route's good points more than compensate.

David

No I'm absolutely NOT sure. Your more recent info suggests it's open. That is very good news, because I totally enjoyed my stay there. This town is splayed along the road for at least a km or two and gave ample opportunity for my two favorite post-walking activities -- visiting old churches and talking with the folks who live in the town.

What were your stages? Still almost totally asphalt? Buen camino, Laurie

 

[peregrina2000]

If we are staying in Cabezon de la Sal where would be a good place to join the route for a day's (return) walk please? We are thinking about parking at Sta Maria de Lebeña and walking from there

Hi, Tia, Well, from Lebeña to Potes is beautiful, but if it's still routed along the highway I would absolutely not recommend that direction. You could go "backwards" from Lebeña up to the top and then maybe even descend to Cicera if you wanted to go longer.

I think the prettiest and most consistently off-road walking in this area (at least if you want to be on a Camino -- because there are TONS of hiking trails), is between Potes and Fuente De. Lots of well marked options. And then day hikes from Fuente De are plentiful and also well marked.

 

[Tia Valeria]

We have driven the route in the past so know what the road is like through the gorge.! Would be planning on 'off road' walking.

 

[peregrina2000]

We have driven the route in the past so know what the road is like through the gorge.! Would be planning on 'off road' walking.

So are you thinking about heading up to the hill behind Lebeña, going backwards? I don't think it would be hard to follow, it is a very pronounced path. My problem when I walked it was that when I was at the top of the hill, looking to go down to Lebeña, I could see the path below but could not for the life of me find where the path hit the ridge I was on. But since you'd be coming up from the other direction, you wouldn't have that problem. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[david54]

No I'm absolutely NOT sure. Your more recent info suggests it's open. That is very good news, because I totally enjoyed my stay there. This town is splayed along the road for at least a km or two and gave ample opportunity for my two favorite post-walking activities -- visiting old churches and talking with the folks who live in the town.

What were your stages? Still almost totally asphalt? Buen camino, Laurie

Hi Laurie

My stages were as follows:

Hortigal (I got there by taxi) to La Fuente - the new walk by the river introduces some off road walking but its still 65% to 70% tarmac
Potes. After Lebena I took the unpleasant and potentially dangerous road option so my day was probably 75% tarmac, really only the mountain before Lebana was off road.
Fuente de. There are a number of off road options, running parallel to the road. If you took them all you might get 30% off road (wild guess)
Portilla de la Reina. First half off road, second all tarmac.
Riano. The water in the lake was very low so I was able to escape from the tarmac for 3 or 4k by walking on a road that is normally submerged.
Cremenes. First half mainly on tarmac, second half off.
Cisteirna 90% off road
Gradefes 70% tarmac
Mansilla 90% tarmac.

I know that it's a lot of tarmac but it's worth it.

David

La Fuente gave me an opportunity for my favorite post walking activity, enjoying a beer in a very quaint bar.

 

[peregrina2000]

According to gronze, the alternative to the dangerous roadside walk to Tama from Lebena is the route up through Cabanes. That is nothing new, it has always been marked as an alternative as far as I know. When I got to Lebena, I called Cabanes and learned that the albergue (which is a youth hostel not a pilgrim albergue) was full, so I just went straight to Potes. In hindsight, I should have gone from Lebena up to Cabanes and then to Potes, but I had lost hours in the descent from the Colldo to Lebena since I was unable to find the trail at the top.

http://www.gronze.com/guia-del-camino-vadiniense/etapas/etapa-2-lafuente-potes

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi Laurie

My stages were as follows:

Hortigal (I got there by taxi) to La Fuente - the new walk by the river introduces some off road walking but its still 65% to 70% tarmac
Potes. After Lebena I took the unpleasant and potentially dangerous road option so my day was probably 75% tarmac, really only the mountain before Lebana was off road.
Fuente de. There are a number of off road options, running parallel to the road. If you took them all you might get 30% off road (wild guess)
Portilla de la Reina. First half off road, second all tarmac.
Riano. The water in the lake was very low so I was able to escape from the tarmac for 3 or 4k by walking on a road that is normally submerged.
Cremenes. First half mainly on tarmac, second half off.
Cisteirna 90% off road
Gradefes 70% tarmac
Mansilla 90% tarmac.

I know that it's a lot of tarmac but it's worth it.

David

La Fuente gave me an opportunity for my favorite post walking activity, enjoying a beer in a very quaint bar.

Thanks, David, I thought the day from Potes to Fuente De was a knockout. I took all the off road options and I'd say that there was a lot more off road than 30% on that stage. The only sustained asphalt I remember was leaving Potes and then again the last few kms into Fuente De. But memories do fade....

And I had forgotten about all the off road into Cremenes and then from Cremenes to Cistierna.

 

[amancio]

well, less and less tarmac, that sounds good!!! thanks for all this valuable information, I will come back for more information in may!

 

[Aglass]

Hi all
I am quite surprised at all the references to tarmac on the Lebaniego - I did it in 2014 and there was almost none (maybe 6-10km if I remember).
Did anyone who did the Vadiniense meet anybody else? I saw nobody in 2 1/2 days on the Lebaniego in July 14. Regards
Andrew

 

[oursonpolaire]

Hi all
I am quite surprised at all the references to tarmac on the Lebaniego - I did it in 2014 and there was almost none (maybe 6-10km if I remember).
Did anyone who did the Vadiniense meet anybody else? I saw nobody in 2 1/2 days on the Lebaniego in July 14. Regards
Andrew

I did Potes to Mansilla in 2011 and saw no-one, aside from inhabitants and Rebekah and Paddy who drove up to Cistierna to have lunch with me. While the Vadiniense is well-marked, let's just say that passing lanes are not yet required for pilgrim traffic. I skipped a bit of pavement by taking the overland route through Alpine meadows from Cosgaya to the N-621 and Llanaves de la Reina which, while spectacular, should not be done alone as it is an unpaved country road through the hills which is rarely used by traffic. I had bussed from San Vicente to Potes, having read of the narrow shoulder and heavy traffic--- a little penance is good in a pilgrimage, but ....

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Andrew,
I think they have re-routed some of the Lebaniego, so you may have had less than those of us who walked earlier, but my memory is just like what David reports above about Tarmac/asphalt on the Vadiniense. Very little is on busy roads, but roads nonetheless.

I met one guy on the Lebaniego, but he was going back to rejoin the Norte after visiting the monastery. On the Vadiniense I met no other pilgrims.

 

[david54]

Hi, Andrew,
I think they have re-routed some of the Lebaniego, so you may have had less than those of us who walked earlier, but my memory is just like what David reports above about Tarmac/asphalt on the Vadiniense. Very little is on busy roads, but roads nonetheless.

I met one guy on the Lebaniego, but he was going back to rejoin the Norte after visiting the monastery. On the Vadiniense I met no other pilgrims.

My experience was similar to Laurie's, I met 2 people on the Lebaniego, walking together, and no-one on the Vadiniense

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Andrew,
I think they have re-routed some of the Lebaniego, so you may have had less than those of us who walked earlier, but my memory is just like what David reports above about Tarmac/asphalt on the Vadiniense. Very little is on busy roads, but roads nonetheless.

I met one guy on the Lebaniego, but he was going back to rejoin the Norte after visiting the monastery. On the Vadiniense I met no other pilgrims.

Well, I should correct that to say that on the Vadiniense I met no other pilgrims walking, but dear Reb (peregrina extraordinaria) drove over to see me in Gradefes, and then took me across the river to a place where we had a magnificent salad -- which was pure heaven for my vegetable-starved body!