Stage 3 Via de la Plata help

[Tezza]

Hi all!
I'm planning on walking for a couple of weeks from Seville. All the stages look manageable expect Stage 3 from Castiblanco de los Arroyos to Almaden de la Plata - it's too long for me to manage. I can't see any way to shorten it! Any suggestions?
Many thanks
Buen Camino

 

[C clearly]

Many people take a taxi for the first 16 km or so (on the road), to the entrance of the parque/finca El Berrocal. The taxis in Castiblanco are very familiar with this!

 

[Paul-CH]

You may also check on GRONZE VdlP for accommodations and other hints.

 

[Antonius Vaessen]

If you want to walk all the way you can walk to the entrance of the national park and phone a taxi from there and go back to Castilblanco or to Almaden and next day take a taxi back to the enteance. I did this stage twice and did not bother to walk the first 16 dull asphaltkilometers. Most of the times you can share a taxi, the hospitalero is used to this and will arrange this

 

[Tezza]

Many people take a taxi for the first 16 km or so (on the road), to the entrance of the parque/finca El Berrocal. The taxis in Castiblanco are very familiar with this!

Ah, interesting, thank you!

 

[Tezza]

If you want to walk all the way you can walk to the entrance of the national park and phone a taxi from there and go back to Castilblanco or to Almaden and next day take a taxi back to the enteance. I did this stage twice and did not bother to walk the first 16 dull asphaltkilometers. Most of the times you can share a taxi, the hospitalero is used to this and will arrange this

Thanks, that's really helpful

 

[Tezza]

You may also check on GRONZE VdlP for accommodations and other hints.

Thanks, I've checked Gronze, there's no intermediate services, also checked Google maps to be sure.

 

[jungleboy]

Many people take a taxi for the first 16 km or so (on the road)

I did this stage twice and did not bother to walk the first 16 dull asphalt kilometers.

I checked Gronze just out of curiosity (having never walked the VdlP) and they say only the first nine km is asphalt and the next seven is a dirt path. Are they wrong?

Podemos dividir la larga jornada en tres partes: la primera, hasta la entrada a la finca El Berrocal, son 16 kilómetros —9 por carretera local y 7 por pista de tierra—, en moderado ascenso

 

[alexwalker]

When I walked there in 2012 it was raining heavily in the morning. We were 4 people who shared a taxi to the park entrance. No point in walking 16 kms in soaking rain and destroy the day. That first stretch (@jungleboy is correct) is on a small/narrow asphalt road for many kms, dangerous (much traffic), and then along the roadside, if I remember correctly.

At the park, the rain had stopped, and we had a splendid, peaceful sunshine day through the park. Many black pigs (friendly) that now must have been converted into delicious hamon iberico, on that walk.

In medieval times pilgrims would have done the same, but with horse and cart

 

[Bradypus]

I checked Gronze just out of curiosity (having never walked the VdlP) and they say only the first nine km is asphalt and the next seven is a dirt path. Are they wrong?

I think that within the last year there has been some rerouting on to an off-road path for the last few km before El Berrocal. Perhaps @geraldkelly can confirm that.