supermercados , lunch food and dinners on Camino de Madrid

[baci]

How easy or difficult is it to find coffee stops , supermercados whilst walking the Madrid camino. Also the CSJ guide has given me the impression that it is difficult to find places to eat after 3.30 pm. We enjoy having dinner after walking and was wandering if other walkers had difficulty finding menu del Dai or somewhere to have dinner in the evening .

 

[Kiwi-family]

Here's what I did for food:
Madrid - supermercado because I'm a budget traveller but obviously there are lots of food options
Tres Cantos - supermercado dinner and food for the next day (Sunday)
Mataelpino has a couple of restaurants which I had discovered ahead of time would be closed on Sunday but there were lots open in Colmenar Viejo and Manzanares enroute.
Cercedilla - supermercado and lots of bars and restaurants
La Granja - same options (and I had a lovely long late lunch at a restaurant a few km shy of La Granja
Segovia - big city, use your imagination! The next day I stocked up for the evening at:
Los Huertos - nothing available but I had bought salad (eaten off a serviette because there are no plates at the albergue)
Santa Maria la Real de Nieva - a couple of bars and restaurants but two other pilgrims and I ended up cooking with supplies from the tienda which opened in the early evening

and had this for breakfast in the morning:

Coca has all facilities including supermercados that open on a Saturday afternoon and so did Nave de la Ascunsion (including a fabulous bakery)
Alcazaren has a few bars - we had a great dinner at the only one which would cook for us about 8pm
Puente Duero - I had my first midday meal here and it was awful! I am not a fussy eater but the squid was rubbery and super salty despite being recommended. Unfortunately just a couple of hours later the hospitalero at the albergue put on a massive BBQ for us three pilgrims - I could hardly eat! Incidentally, Valdevillas enroute this day had lots of little food options.
I didn't stop at Simancas but there's no shortage of food there. Cigunuela served up the best tortilla de patatas I've ever had. There is supposed to be a tienda there too but a local guy walked me to the edge of town via a special little pilgrim statue and fountain and I missed it. Penaflor de Hornija has a bar and a tienda apparently run by the same person and she would not open the shop or serve food in the bar so I ended up continuing to Castromonte where the butcher kindly opened up out of hours and provided plenty of food to cook in the well equipped albergue.

When it had seemed there would be no food that day, this turned out to be a feast:
(For the record, my Penaflor experience is what @gittiharre experienced in Castromonte a couple of months before me!!)
Medina de Rioseca - big town, every food option you could think of (nothing in Valverde de Campos on the way)
Villalon de Campos - again everything you could need (and you must stock up for tomorrow). Didn't see anything at Tamariz on the way, but do make sure to stop at Casa La Tata for lunch. Best Experience Ever.

Grajal de Campos has a bar and a tiny tienda
And then you're in Sahagun

Hope some of this helps.

 

[baci]

thank you so much - really appreciate you taking time to share this info. Looks like food was delicious and no real problem .

 

[Kiwi-family]

You do have to be aware of when you need to prepare in advance. And I would suggest the fact that I cooked for myself a lot meant I had more veges than those who relied on restaurants.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

You do have to be aware of when you need to prepare in advance. And I would suggest the fact that I cooked for myself a lot meant I had more veges than those who relied on restaurants.

I may be walking the Madrid this coming spring and combining it with the Salvador and the balance of the Norte. I appreciate your input on food as it sounds like preplanning is definately needed for that..

 

[KinkyOne]

I don't think any special preplanning is needed for CdM. At least it wasn't in 2014 and 2018. But it is good to know what you can expect. Bottom line is that you can't really be picky on such Caminos when it comes to food if you don't want to carry any special items in your pack of course

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I don't think any special preplanning is needed for CdM. At least it wasn't in 2014 and 2018. But it is good to know what you can expect. Bottom line is that you can't really be picky on such Caminos when it comes to food if you don't want to carry any special items in your pack of course

Your post is giving me more confidence for the Madrid without too much worry over food. I am not picky, I enjoy most everything, except being served fish with all the bones still in!

 

[Anniesantiago]

I didn't find it difficult to find food on the Madrid route.
However, that said, I always carry some hard cheese, sausage, bread, jam, and fruit just in case.

 

[KinkyOne]

Yep. I remember that on few occasions (not only on Madrid) my dinner was a bit of hard cheese, few slices of chorizo and a bag of potato chips

 

[HeidiL]

This is when I start talking about the immersion coil, isn't it?

Really useful for making soup, hot chocolate, porridge, tea or coffee...

 

[NualaOC]

Edited to take account of @KinkyOne's observations

Hi @baci,

I walked the Camino de Madrid in May. As others have said, it's important to carry some food items each day. A guide may show that there's a tienda or bar in a village, but it could be closed. Also, some bars don't sell food (other than a small magdalena with your coffee).

The albergues were excellent and most had a small kitchen or food preparation area. Great if you like to start your day with porridge, as I do! I ended up staying in places that had a bar and/or a tienda, so it was always possible to get something to eat and buy fruit etc. for the next day. I didn't plan it that way and it could have worked out differently - some albergues are in small villages with no other services.

My Madrid stages and food recollections are summarised below. (I started on the Camino Mendocino and joined the main route in Manzanares)

1. Manzanares el Real (Ray y Rosa's place) to Cercedilla (about 22kms). I had a nice lunch in Navacerrada. Cercedilla has a big supermercado and plenty of places to eat. I stayed in Albergue Villa Castora, just beyond Cercedilla. Price includes dinner and a picnic breakfast. Functional, rather than delicious - but very welcome.
2. Cercedilla to Segovia. About 29kms with no services en route. Segovia is a big city with plenty of food options.
3. Segovia to Santa María la Real de Nieva (about 33kms). I arrived too late for lunch in the bar, but bought food in a small supermercado. No bars or shops were open in the intermediate places.
4. Santa María Real de Nieve to Coca. (about 21kms). Nice coffee stop in Nava de la Asunción and a great menu del dia in Coca (in a place recommended by the hospitalera). Coca also has a very good supermercado and farmacia.
5. Coca to Alcazarén about 24kms). Breakfast and a warm welcome in the bar in Villeguillo. Limited food options in Alcazarén, but I had a basic lunch in one of the bars and bought food supplies for the next day. The bar closest to the albergue served nice wine with free tapas in the evening.
6. Alcazarén to Ciguñuela (about 36kms). Breakfast in Valledestillas, coffee in Puente Duero and a superb late lunch in Simancas.
7. Ciguñuela to Medina de Rioseca (about 39 kms). I vaguely remember stopping at a small bar and tienda in Castromonte. Medina has plenty of places to eat and to buy supplies for the next day.
8. Medina to Villalón (about 30kms. Plenty of shops and food options in Villalón, including a hotel restaurant near the albergue. I didn't find anywhere open in the intermediate places, but I may have missed something.
9. Villalón to Grajal de Campos (about 30kms). No bars or shops were open in the intermediate places. Lovely menu del dia in the bar in Grajal. I'd highly recommend staying in the Grajal albergue - it's a perfect end to this Camino, before the short walk to Sahagún the next morning.

I hope this is helpful to you and to @Camino Chrissy. Happy planning and Buen Camino!

Nuala

 

[Kiwi-family]

Yep. I remember that on few occasions (not only on Madrid) my dinner was a bit of hard cheese, few slices of chorizo and a bag of potato chips

That’s exactly the kind of preparing I am referring to. It’s important to realise it’s not the Francés with a bar every 3km, but neither is it a remote atoll.

 

[KinkyOne]

Hi @baci,

I walked the Camino de Madrid in May. As others have said, it's important to carry some food items each day. A guide may show that there's a tienda or bar in a village, but it could be closed. Also, some bars don't sell food (other than a small magdalena with your coffee).

The albergues were excellent and most had a small kitchen or food preparation area. Great if you like to start your day with porridge, as I do! I ended up staying in places that had a bar and/or a tienda, so it was always possible to get something to eat and buy fruit etc. for the next day. I didn't plan it that way and it could have worked out differently - some albergues are in small villages with no other services.

My Madrid stages and food recollections are summarised below. (I started on the Camino Mendocino and joined the main route in Manzanares)

1. Manzanares el Real (Ray y Rosa's place) to Cercedilla (about 22kms). I had a nice lunch in Navacerrada. Cercedilla has a big supermercado and plenty of places to eat. I stayed in Albergue Villa Castora, just beyond Cercedilla. Price includes dinner and a picnic breakfast. Functional, rather than delicious - but very welcome.
2. Cercedilla to Segovia. About 29kms with no services en route. Segovia is a big city with plenty of food options.
3. Segovia to Santa María la Real de Nieva (about 33kms). No services en route. I arrived too late for lunch in the bar, but bought food in a small supermercado.
4. Santa María Real de Nieve to Coca. (about 21kms). Nice coffee stop in Nava de la Asunción and a great menu del dia in Coca (in a place recommended by the hospitalera). Coca also has a very good supermercado and farmacia.
5. Coca to Alcazarén about 24kms). Breakfast and a warm welcome in the bar in Villeguillo. Limited food options in Alcazarén, but I had a basic lunch in one of the bars and bought food supplies for the next day. The bar closest to the albergue served nice wine with free tapas in the evening.
6. Alcazarén to Ciguñuela (about 36kms). Breakfast in Valledestillas, coffee in Puente Duero and a superb late lunch in Simancas.
7. Ciguñuela to Medina de Rioseca (about 39 kms). I vaguely remember stopping at a small bar and tienda in Castromonte. Medina has plenty of places to eat and to buy supplies for the next day.
8. Medina to Villalón (about 30kms. No services en route. Nice lunch in a bar in Villaloń, where there's also a supermercado, bakery and fruit shops.
9. Villalón to Grajal de Campos (about 30kms). No services en route. Lovely menu del dia in the bar in Grajal. I'd highly recommend staying in Grajal albergue - it's a perfect end to this Camino, before the short walk to Sahagún the next morning.

I hope this is helpful to you and to @Camino Chrissy. Happy planning and Buen Camino!

Nuala

I walked full CdM in 2014 so few things might've changed but I also walked certain parts last year and what I experienced certainly don't match your no services en route in three stages:

- no.3: 3 restaurants and small tienda in Zamarramala, bar and tienda in Valseca (+ farmacia), bar in Los Huertos (some sources even have a tienda listed) also bar in Ane but just slight possibility to be opened and that's only for weekends,

- no.8: bar in Tamariz de Campos, 2 restaurants and small tienda in Cuenca de Campos and a restaurant very close to the Villalon de Campos albergue in a hotel on the main road/Camino (next day)

- no.9: 2 bars, small tienda and albergue in Santervas de Campos.

When it comes to bars, ask me. Have a nice day

 

[NualaOC]

I walked full CdM in 2014 so few things might've changed but I also walked certain parts last year and what I experienced certainly don't match your no services en route in three stages:

- no.3: 3 restaurants and small tienda in Zamarramala, bar and tienda in Valseca (+ farmacia), bar in Los Huertos (some sources even have a tienda listed) also bar in Ane but just slight possibility to be opened and that's only for weekends,

- no.8: bar in Tamariz de Campos, 2 restaurants and small tienda in Cuenca de Campos and a restaurant very close to the Villalon de Campos albergue in a hotel on the main road/Camino (next day)

- no.9: 2 bars, small tienda and albergue in Santervas de Campos.

When it comes to bars, ask me. Have a nice day

Thanks @KinkyOne for the feedback!

Re. no.3: I agree that these services exist, but they weren't open when I passed through. I was particularly disappointed to find everything closed in Los Huertos - a local lady told me that the bar would open at 1pm. To be fair, the CSJ guide made it clear that this was likely to be the case.

no. 8: I didn't walk through Tamariz, so you're probably right about that. Re. Cuenca de Campos -my recollection is a bit hazy, so I took a look at it on google maps. I see that there is a bar, but again, I think it was closed. I recall a few of us sitting outside it. I'm now thinking that we could have missed the other place/s.
Re. Villalon - yes, lots of places to eat there. And thanks for the reminder about that hotel - four of us had an evening meal there. I had forgotten all about that.

no. 9: I'm 100% sure that nothing was open in Santerveras, as one of my companions had a medical condition and needed a toilet. A very friendly local man sat with us and we shared food with him. He arranged for us to use the toilets in the community centre.

I suppose the point I was making is that there may be bars and tiendas in the small towns and villages, but depending on the day of the week or the time you pass through, they could be closed. Not a big deal if you're prepared for that eventuality.

Thinking about the CdeM has reminded me of how much I liked it. Definitely one that I'll walk again.

Hope you have a nice day too

 

[KinkyOne]

Thanks @KinkyOne for the feedback!

Re. no.3: I agree that these services exist, but they weren't open when I passed through. I was particularly disappointed to find everything closed in Los Huertos - a local lady told me that the bar would open at 1pm. To be fair, the CSJ guide made it clear that this was likely to be the case.

no. 8: I didn't walk through Tamariz, so you're probably right about that. Re. Cuenca de Campos -my recollection is a bit hazy, so I took a look at it on google maps. I see that there is a bar, but again, I think it was closed. I recall a few of us sitting outside it. I'm now thinking that we could have missed the other place/s.
Re. Villalon - yes, lots of places to eat there. And thanks for the reminder about that hotel - four of us had an evening meal there. I had forgotten all about that.

no. 9: I'm 100% sure that nothing was open in Santerveras, as one of my companions had a medical condition and needed a toilet. A very friendly local man sat with us and we shared food with him. He arranged for us to use the toilets in the community centre.

I suppose the point I was making is that there may be bars and tiendas in the small towns and villages, but depending on the day of the week or the time you pass through, they could be closed. Not a big deal if you're prepared for that eventuality.

Thinking about the CdeM has reminded me of how much I liked it. Definitely one that I'll walk again.

Hope you have a nice day too

If I would be first timer on CdM I would understand your post as carved in stone. Well, maybe that's just a language barrier or even a bit of culture. But you posted that there's NO service on certain stretches. You just weren't lucky to find them opened or weren't paying attention as you admit already but then you should mention that as well. Otherwise it is fake (extremely subjective without explanation/warning) info and when helping others I don't think we want that. I too ran into closed bars (sad moments) but they were there nonetheless

 

[baci]

Edited to take account of @KinkyOne's observations

Hi @baci,

I walked the Camino de Madrid in May. As others have said, it's important to carry some food items each day. A guide may show that there's a tienda or bar in a village, but it could be closed. Also, some bars don't sell food (other than a small magdalena with your coffee).

The albergues were excellent and most had a small kitchen or food preparation area. Great if you like to start your day with porridge, as I do! I ended up staying in places that had a bar and/or a tienda, so it was always possible to get something to eat and buy fruit etc. for the next day. I didn't plan it that way and it could have worked out differently - some albergues are in small villages with no other services.

My Madrid stages and food recollections are summarised below. (I started on the Camino Mendocino and joined the main route in Manzanares)

1. Manzanares el Real (Ray y Rosa's place) to Cercedilla (about 22kms). I had a nice lunch in Navacerrada. Cercedilla has a big supermercado and plenty of places to eat. I stayed in Albergue Villa Castora, just beyond Cercedilla. Price includes dinner and a picnic breakfast. Functional, rather than delicious - but very welcome.
2. Cercedilla to Segovia. About 29kms with no services en route. Segovia is a big city with plenty of food options.
3. Segovia to Santa María la Real de Nieva (about 33kms). I arrived too late for lunch in the bar, but bought food in a small supermercado. No bars or shops were open in the intermediate places.
4. Santa María Real de Nieve to Coca. (about 21kms). Nice coffee stop in Nava de la Asunción and a great menu del dia in Coca (in a place recommended by the hospitalera). Coca also has a very good supermercado and farmacia.
5. Coca to Alcazarén about 24kms). Breakfast and a warm welcome in the bar in Villeguillo. Limited food options in Alcazarén, but I had a basic lunch in one of the bars and bought food supplies for the next day. The bar closest to the albergue served nice wine with free tapas in the evening.
6. Alcazarén to Ciguñuela (about 36kms). Breakfast in Valledestillas, coffee in Puente Duero and a superb late lunch in Simancas.
7. Ciguñuela to Medina de Rioseca (about 39 kms). I vaguely remember stopping at a small bar and tienda in Castromonte. Medina has plenty of places to eat and to buy supplies for the next day.
8. Medina to Villalón (about 30kms. Plenty of shops and food options in Villalón, including a hotel restaurant near the albergue. I didn't find anywhere open in the intermediate places, but I may have missed something.
9. Villalón to Grajal de Campos (about 30kms). No bars or shops were open in the intermediate places. Lovely menu del dia in the bar in Grajal. I'd highly recommend staying in the Grajal albergue - it's a perfect end to this Camino, before the short walk to Sahagún the next morning.

I hope this is helpful to you and to @Camino Chrissy. Happy planning and Buen Camino!

Nuala

Thank you - very helpful and appreciate your time in sharing

 

[peregrina2000]

I don’t do much in the way of food planning, like Annie I always carry nuts, fruit and yoghurt in my pack so I know I will survive. But there were two days on the Madrid when my lack of planning could have been a problem. Segovia to Santa María on a Sunday. Absolutely nothing open. About 5 kms outside of Santa María, we passed a casa rural that was being rented by a couple of madrileño families. They were sitting outside enjoying the day and when we asked for water, they invited us in for drinks. My two camigos had to be dragged away after a few beers (and no, Kinky was not one of them).

The other time was in Castromonte. I arrived with no food, went into Bar Caribe where Sr. Braulio Martín was still working. (Link to a GREAT story about him. https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...e-bar-owner-now-almost-100.42686/#post-437191)

The bar was filled with workers, all eating and drinking. I asked Sr. Braulio if I could eat there; he said, sure, did you bring your lunch? I then realized all the workers had their lunch pails and were just getting drinks from the bar. When I said no, he summoned his wife, who went over to their house and picked a few eggs out of the chicken coop, some lettuce from the garden, some chorizo off the hook, and I had a feast. (No doubt, all of it in violation of EU regulations).

BTW, I wonder if anyone has news about Sr. Braulio. I know the bar has been closed for a few years, what a wonderful memory.

 

[JabbaPapa]

How easy or difficult is it to find coffee stops , supermercados whilst walking the Madrid camino. Also the CSJ guide has given me the impression that it is difficult to find places to eat after 3.30 pm. We enjoy having dinner after walking and was wandering if other walkers had difficulty finding menu del Dai or somewhere to have dinner in the evening .

It's a LOT easier than it used to be, and quite frequently, el menu del peregrino will be a dinner rather than lunch.

 

[David Tallan]

I didn't find it difficult to find food on the Madrid route.
However, that said, I always carry some hard cheese, sausage, bread, jam, and fruit just in case.

I did the same on the Frances (minus the jam). I called it my insurance food. They say that what we pack mirrors our fears and I think what I feared was a hangry teenager. I don't think I carried quite so much on the Camino Portugues when I was traveling solo.

 

[David Tallan]

If I would be first timer on CdM I would understand your post as carved in stone. Well, maybe that's just a language barrier or even a bit of culture. But you posted that there's NO service on certain stretches. You just weren't lucky to find them opened or weren't paying attention as you admit already but then you should mention that as well. Otherwise it is fake (extremely subjective without explanation/warning) info and when helping others I don't think we want that. I too ran into closed bars (sad moments) but they were there nonetheless

To be fair, only for no. 2 was the claim that there were "no services en route". For the other ones (the ones that you took exception to, the claim was different. It was that none were open:
no. 3: "No bars or shops were open in the intermediate places"
no. 8: "I didn't find anywhere open in the intermediate places, but I may have missed something"
no. 9: "No bars or shops were open in the intermediate places"

Although it is possible this is the result of editing after your comments above.

 

[KinkyOne]

To be fair, only for no. 2 was the claim that there were "no services en route". For the other ones (the ones that you took exception to, the claim was different. It was that none were open:
no. 3: "No bars or shops were open in the intermediate places"
no. 8: "I didn't find anywhere open in the intermediate places, but I may have missed something"
no. 9: "No bars or shops were open in the intermediate places"

Although it is possible this is the result of editing after your comments above.

@NualaOC OP was last edited on August 26th and I posted my post the day before that so she edited it after my observations

 

[baci]

Edited to take account of @KinkyOne's observations

Hi @baci,

I walked the Camino de Madrid in May. As others have said, it's important to carry some food items each day. A guide may show that there's a tienda or bar in a village, but it could be closed. Also, some bars don't sell food (other than a small magdalena with your coffee).

The albergues were excellent and most had a small kitchen or food preparation area. Great if you like to start your day with porridge, as I do! I ended up staying in places that had a bar and/or a tienda, so it was always possible to get something to eat and buy fruit etc. for the next day. I didn't plan it that way and it could have worked out differently - some albergues are in small villages with no other services.

My Madrid stages and food recollections are summarised below. (I started on the Camino Mendocino and joined the main route in Manzanares)

1. Manzanares el Real (Ray y Rosa's place) to Cercedilla (about 22kms). I had a nice lunch in Navacerrada. Cercedilla has a big supermercado and plenty of places to eat. I stayed in Albergue Villa Castora, just beyond Cercedilla. Price includes dinner and a picnic breakfast. Functional, rather than delicious - but very welcome.
2. Cercedilla to Segovia. About 29kms with no services en route. Segovia is a big city with plenty of food options.
3. Segovia to Santa María la Real de Nieva (about 33kms). I arrived too late for lunch in the bar, but bought food in a small supermercado. No bars or shops were open in the intermediate places.
4. Santa María Real de Nieve to Coca. (about 21kms). Nice coffee stop in Nava de la Asunción and a great menu del dia in Coca (in a place recommended by the hospitalera). Coca also has a very good supermercado and farmacia.
5. Coca to Alcazarén about 24kms). Breakfast and a warm welcome in the bar in Villeguillo. Limited food options in Alcazarén, but I had a basic lunch in one of the bars and bought food supplies for the next day. The bar closest to the albergue served nice wine with free tapas in the evening.
6. Alcazarén to Ciguñuela (about 36kms). Breakfast in Valledestillas, coffee in Puente Duero and a superb late lunch in Simancas.
7. Ciguñuela to Medina de Rioseca (about 39 kms). I vaguely remember stopping at a small bar and tienda in Castromonte. Medina has plenty of places to eat and to buy supplies for the next day.
8. Medina to Villalón (about 30kms. Plenty of shops and food options in Villalón, including a hotel restaurant near the albergue. I didn't find anywhere open in the intermediate places, but I may have missed something.
9. Villalón to Grajal de Campos (about 30kms). No bars or shops were open in the intermediate places. Lovely menu del dia in the bar in Grajal. I'd highly recommend staying in the Grajal albergue - it's a perfect end to this Camino, before the short walk to Sahagún the next morning.

I hope this is helpful to you and to @Camino Chrissy. Happy planning and Buen Camino!

Nuala

thank you so much for sharing this info

 

[Anthony Rocco]

thank you so much for sharing this info

Many thanks. Very helpful. We start tomorrow, September 22.