The camino Mozarabe from Almeria spring 2015

Evejen · Nov 9, 2014

Hi folks,

I'm looking for some advice on the Camino Mozarabe. I'm 31 year old Irish woman. Two springs ago I walked most of the Ruta de la Plata from Seville to Santiago, unfortunately I had to skip the part between Merida and Salamanca due to injury, in large part due to pushing myself too hard at the start. I'd like to have another go at the route, but starting from a different place.

I'm drawn to the Mozarabe and I love the idea of starting somewhere on the coast, perhaps Almeria. Given that I'll be travelling solo, I'm wondering what the signage is like along the way. There seems to have been a bit of a revamp of the path in the last couple of years, and I've seen the recent pdf guides produced for part of the path. What are others' experience with the path and signage?

I'm looking for any other advice or comments on the route, particularly from women travelling alone.

I've heard stories of lone travelers being robbed near Seville, but I don't want to let scare stories hold me back.

I'm thinking of going in early spring, some time between February and April.

Gracias!

Eve

amancio · Nov 9, 2014

Hola irlandesa!

I am from Granada, but I have no information about the way from Almería. One thing I believe I can confirm for you is, the muggers near Seville were arrested a few months ago and that is history now, fortunately. You can also consider starting from Malaga, which is waymarked as far as I am aware, and joins the Mozarabe Way from Granada din the Jaen town of Alcaudete.

The Camino is also marked from Cadiz to Seville, and even possibly from Algeciras to Seville via Tarifa.

Buen camino whichever way you choose to go!

Magwood · Nov 9, 2014

Hello @Evejen. I am considering the Mozarabe next year, from Málaga. I may split the camino and walk Málaga to Córdoba in March with a friend (who is restricted to this time frame) and then return to Córdoba in my preferred time of mid-April and continue solo.

Have you seen this publication?
http://www.caminomozarabedesantiago.es/documentos/guia-eng.pdf

AJ · Nov 9, 2014

I walked from Malaga in 2008. It was well marked then. There is an Amigos group there which issues credenciales and used to have a brief, but adequate guide. I like this route although it was solitary.

mikevasey · Nov 10, 2014

I try to keep a eye on the Almeria route its one if I find I have time I would like to do. The amigos there have been active in the last 18 months the route now has good waymarking as far as Granada which is about 180km from the start. There are 3 albergues private and municipal, they also provide a list of places who will give discounts for pilgrims staying there. There is a lot of ascent and descent once you start walking, it runs along the Northern Edge of the Sierra Neveda mountains, the recent way marking has been done with the help of the Andulician mountain federation, I think before there may have been more asphalt but they have shortened the route in length by taking it onto higher trails.
The Amigos on their website are re-walking sections at the moment, this will help improve the signage
About 30 people have asked for credentials from them this year for their start from Almeria, it is a mix of walkers and cyclists.

For me the photos look stunning of this section as do the photos of the path from Granada onwards. Three of my Camino family on the Primitivo came from Cordoba and they made me promise to come and visit them 'My house is your house', so I am thinking of maybe doing something with this section In May next year as part of visiting them, it will be cooler on this stretch at that time of a year by a few degrees, there is a cooling influence from the mountains. Which should make up for Cordoba which is the hotest place in Spain.

LTfit · Nov 10, 2014

Hi @Evejen

I have been home now for almost a week after walking 1,000+ km along the Mozárabe from Granada then the Vía de la Plata from Salamanca to Santiago (had already walked Mérida-Salamanca twice). I started a thread before I left but didn't keep up with it so need to fill in the missing pieces.

I did the Granada-Mérida stretch in 14 days but most need several more days cutting up a few 40km stretches into two.

The guide I bought in Granada includes the variations from Almería (9 days to Granada), Málaga, Jaen and Granada. The Amigos association in Córdoba also have their own guide which I much preferred but includes only the section Córdoba-Mérida.

I can also speak of Granada on but it was a beautiful Camino but...I was ALONE for 16 days (including tourist day in Granada and Córdoba). I started out on September 24th and only one cyclist crossed my path during the entire trip. It wasn't until I was in the Mérida bus station that I met a Basque peregrino who was first one day behind me then one day ahead. He was also alone the entire walk. Too bad as he was quite a pleasant fellow.

So be forewarned. It was quite lonely and there are not many albergues which means that I slept in polideportivos 4 nights. If you want to sleep in hostales then there are more options. Getting through the first week was the hardest. Luckily I spent a night with Dutch hospitalero aquaintances in Cerro Muriano 16 km outside of Córdoba. I had a great evening with them and was determined to finish the last week of the Camino. I am glad I need but I would not underestimate the difficulty of being entirely along. I speak Spanish and so would talk with shopkeepers, bar owners ,etc just to keep my sanity

! Glad I need it but I prefer to have a couple of pilgrims around from time to time.

I do not want to scare people away but you need to be strong, also physically, as there were 4 stages where there were no towns in between (although there are some possibilities to vary the stages).

Landscape is lovely: from Granada-Córdoba olive groves for as far as the eye can see (often through them without much signage). From Córdoba on the signage is great but before...I still need to write the Amigos in Granada a letter.

Feel free to ask any questions. I will post more in the next week or so.

Cheers,
LT

Evejen · Nov 10, 2014

Gracias a todos!`

Wow, LT sounds like you had some adventure. I don't mind walking alone so much, but it's good to have some company. I walked the VDLP in April May 2013 and there was a decent crowd the whole way, maybe 10-20 people per etapa. I guess it varies during the different parts of the year.

How long were the etapas with no towns in between? On the VDLP I managed an average of about 30km per day; my longest day was 50km.

How did you find the way marking?

I speak a little Spanish, enough to get by and chat with willing company.

Thanks Magwood, I have seen that guide. It gives a great introduction, but It's a little vague in places.

This guide by the Córdoba amigos looks pretty good and covers the part from Granada to Merida. http://caminomozarabe.es/images/pdf/guia_mozarabe.pdf

For anyone else interested, the website of the Almeria amigos has plenty of info, and, as Mike mentioned, they seem to be quite active.
http://www.almeriajacobea.blogspot.co.uk/

It's great to see this route being upgraded, it's a part of Spain that I'm keen to explore. Incidentally, has anyone got any good book recommendations about Al Andalus. In English, or easy Spanish.

Eve

lemgoperegrino · Jan 16, 2015

Evejen said:
Hi folks,

I'm looking for some advice on the Camino Mozarabe. I'm 31 year old Irish woman. Two springs ago I walked most of the Ruta de la Plata from Seville to Santiago, unfortunately I had to skip the part between Merida and Salamanca due to injury, in large part due to pushing myself too hard at the start. I'd like to have another go at the route, but starting from a different place.

I'm drawn to the Mozarabe and I love the idea of starting somewhere on the coast, perhaps Almeria. Given that I'll be travelling solo, I'm wondering what the signage is like along the way. There seems to have been a bit of a revamp of the path in the last couple of years, and I've seen the recent pdf guides produced for part of the path. What are others' experience with the path and signage?

I'm looking for any other advice or comments on the route, particularly from women travelling alone.

I've heard stories of lone travelers being robbed near Seville, but I don't want to let scare stories hold me back.

I'm thinking of going in early spring, some time between February and April.

Gracias!

Hi Eve,

I'm from Germany and I walked the camino mozarabe last April starting in Almería. Until Granada I was totally alone but it was a wonderful time, looking back seeing the Mediterranean Sea, looking forward you see the snow of the Sierra Nevada for several days. There was no guide but I got information in Almería by the association Almería jacobea. The camino in the Province of Almería is well designed with flechas but not in the province of Granada, I think it is even wrong sometimes, at least irritating. You have casas rurales for the night, two albergues, one of them in Alboloduy new and well kept, and hostales of course. One time I stayed in a motorhighway hostel. The second and the third day are difficult because of steep mountains and long distances in dry rivers. In the province of Almería the landscape has the character of desert. It was very hot and you need a lot of water. From Granada to Córdoba no problems.
Try it! I think you will not regret it.

Buen camino

Eve

nalod · Jan 17, 2015

Hello, In Feb 2013 I walked from Granada to Salamanca, (I had previously walked the Via de la Plata). From Granada toMerida I did not meet one pilgrim, not many albergues. It rained a lot that year and the problem is the number of streams, rivers that you have to cross. I made many detours. The route is well marked. You will be alone it is a nice route.
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...the-mozarabe-contd-from-mozarabe-forum.16914/

I hope the above link works. I had started writing it in the Camino Mozarabe forum so you can check that for Feb 2013, then I moved it to the Camino Live forum. It is my account of the journey.

Eve I too am from Ireland, West Coast.
Dermot

Kevin F. O*brien · Apr 14, 2015

Just a word to you all. Lovely to see LT Fit on the line again, with another Camino walked!! I have a good friend who has been suffering from (it seems) terminal prostate cancer. He walked from Almeria via Granada to Baen (just before Cordoba) late last year. He wrote a glowing report on the Norwegian forum. Apparently the signage is good and updated. He couldn't walk very far every day, but there seemed to a wealth of hostals, and at least some albergues. His walk has inspired me to have a go myself later this year. So, signage ok, plenty of places to stay. Hope this helps Eve. Oh yes, NO other pilgrims. As the others have said, its a solitary one! Best of Luck and Buen Camino

george.g · Apr 14, 2015

I'm on the Mozarabe right now, if you plan to start in Malaga you will find this Camino very tough but rewarding.
We have found the route to be well marked except in some of the towns, nothing new there!
So far only come across one stream with any amount of water and that ankle deep.
Most towns have albergues except Lucena, we found a hotel.
Train hard and pack light everything is at the top of a hill!
For an in depth report see Maggie's blog on www.magwood.me
PS I'm "poor george"
Regards
George

george.g · Apr 16, 2015

Departed Santa Cruz this am after a night of heavy rain, the locals were most emphatic that we should take the road route, explaining that the tracks would be almost impassable, so along the road we went
Some guides suggest there is parish accommodation in Santa Cruz, not so!
Bar Casa Jose on the main road OK.
Regards
George

aquabilly · Apr 26, 2015

Hi...George is right about the trail in the rain...can be treacherous. I found the mud constantly caking on my boots...getting bigger and bigger, making walking almost impossible.10k will feel like 100k. When the trail is dry...its stable and well marked. A solitary route but not difficult. Know your limits, pace yourself and rest when you have to.I can hardly wait to go back and continue.

Kevin F. O*brien · Jul 3, 2015

Hello Evejen, How did it go? If it sounded a bit TOO lonely and empty then I quite understand. It was hard on the Levante as well, being alone for two weeks. If you have any updates/info I'll be very grateful. I'm starting from Almeria round the 15th of September or so. The idea is to at least walk to Merida, and then see how I feel.