LIVE from the Camino The Via de la Plata and Sanabrés in December/January

[Yoah]

Note from the mods: If you want to read about the first part @Yoah’s walk, from Tarifa to Sevilla on the Via Serrana, see this thread.

Hello!

A number of wonderful people encouraged me to share (an overview of) my experience on the Via de la Plata. It's December 9 today, and I'm writing to you from the albergue in Torremejia, hoping it might provide some information, enjoyment and/or recognition for you lovely people.

WEEK 1:
Day 1: ~42k from Seville to Castilblanco de los Arroyos. Getting away from Seville not too painful, then lots of dirt tracks. Got a little monotonous, but then soon after Guillena there's a beautiful green stretch, made even better for me by beautiful light as the sun slowly set. Last bit to Castilblanco is along a road but there's a nice single track for walkers. Accomodation: Casa Salvadora (€14 for a private room - nice).

Day 2: ~30k to Almaden de la Plata. First 16k along a (not overly busy) road and then on a dirt track through the Sierra Norte national park, where the trunks of trees (holm oaks?) received an interesting treatment. There's a sudden, short climb and then descent into Almaden - I was starting to wonder where it was with about 2km to go! Accomodation: municipal albergue (€10), where I spent the late afternoon and evening talking to a Russian-Canadian cycle tourist. Very grateful for the company as still no other pilgrims in sight. Very friendly hospitalera, too, who arrived much later than the advertised 20:00 for stamping and payment. Door was simply open.

Day 3: ~35k from Almaden de la Plata to Monesterio. More walking through the Sierra Norte national park for the first ~25k, with lots of trees (holm oaks?) in fields, then alongside big motorways for the last bit, but not unpleasant. Accomodation: was tricky - all the cheap places were closed or otherwise unavailable. Should have perhaps called ahead. Settled for the D.P. El Pilar hostel (€30 ensuite room).

Day 4: ~21k from Monesterio to Fuente de Cantos. Nice to have a short day - slow start in the morning. Pleasant walk all the way, with a bit of variety, pretty much all on dirt roads. Path (in general so far) lends itself really well to walking with others, but a little monotonous on your own. The monotony isn't as bad when the day is shorter, I found today. Accomodation: Casa Vicenta (€15 for a single room).

Day 5: ~25k from Fuente de Cantos to Zafra. Lots of fog all day long so can't comment on the scenery too much! Seemed a little monotonous, through lots of (bare) fields, but also saw more trees in fields of yellow flowers. Accomodation: the convent (€15), where I'm also having dinner (€9) and breakfast tomorrow morning (€2.50). Booked ahead to avoid disappointment.

Day 6: ~20k from Zafra to Villafranca de los Barros. Short and cloudy day. Not much of interest along the way; more olive groves and flowers. Accomodation: Extrenatura Alojamientos (€12) - washing (and drying!) of clothes is included! Recommended. Nice place: clean, spacious, shampoo for pilgrims in the bath/shower, and met my first fellow pilgrim! A woman from Barcelona who didn't seem very interested in my company. Fair enough.

Day 7: ~27k from Villafranca de los Barros to Torremejia. Honestly, a very dull day in terms of walking and surroundings: pretty much a straight shot along what feels like a single, endless, wide dirt track, with nothing but vineyards (cropped for winter) and a few olive groves to look at. The greyness of the day and constant wind did not do much to enhance the experience. Met the Spanish peregrina from yesterday along the way and chatted for a while at the albergue in Torremejia ('Rojo Plata' - €14 for a bed or €24 with dinner and breakfast included, which I opted for), where we're both staying tonight. Good to chat to a fellow pilgrim. She ends her walk in Merida tomorrow and flies back to Barcelona soon after.

Expect an update on my progress in a week from now! Happy to answer questions if you have any in the meantime.

 

[WildPlace]

Great write up thank you! I believe the trees with the “trunk treatment” are the cork oaks

Look forward to hearing more of your journey, buen camino!

 

[Yoah]

I believe the trees with the “trunk treatment” are the cork oaks

Aaah that makes sense!! Thanks for clearing that up for me!

 

[ranthr]

Day 7 was my most boring day on Via de la Plata, so perhaps it’s so for you as well! Buen camino on the rest !

 

[Tassie Kaz]

Wonderful writing again @Yoah
How long do you anticipate the VdlP taking you...especially being winter & the holiday season?
Best wishes & sempre avanti!

 

[nycwalking]

Hello!

A number of wonderful people encouraged me to share (an overview of) my experience on the Via de la Plata. It's December 9 today, and I'm writing to you from the albergue in Torremejia, hoping it might provide some information, enjoyment and/or recognition for you lovely people.

WEEK 1:
Day 1: ~42k from Seville to Castilblanco de los Arroyos. Getting away from Seville not too painful, then lots of dirt tracks. Got a little monotonous, but then soon after Guillena there's a beautiful green stretch, made even better for me by beautiful light as the sun slowly set. Last bit to Castilblanco is along a road but there's a nice single track for walkers. Accomodation: Casa Salvadora (€14 for a private room - nice).

Day 2: ~30k to Almaden de la Plata. First 16k along a (not overly busy) road and then on a dirt track through the Sierra Norte national park, where the trunks of trees (holm oaks?) received an interesting treatment. There's a sudden, short climb and then descent into Almaden - I was starting to wonder where it was with about 2km to go! Accomodation: municipal albergue (€10), where I spent the late afternoon and evening talking to a Russian-Canadian cycle tourist. Very grateful for the company as still no other pilgrims in sight. Very friendly hospitalera, too, who arrived much later than the advertised 20:00 for stamping and payment. Door was simply open.

Day 3: ~35k from Almaden de la Plata to Monesterio. More walking through the Sierra Norte national park for the first ~25k, with lots of trees (holm oaks?) in fields, then alongside big motorways for the last bit, but not unpleasant. Accomodation: was tricky - all the cheap places were closed or otherwise unavailable. Should have perhaps called ahead. Settled for the D.P. El Pilar hostel (€30 ensuite room).

Day 4: ~21k from Monesterio to Fuente de Cantos. Nice to have a short day - slow start in the morning. Pleasant walk all the way, with a bit of variety, pretty much all on dirt roads. Path (in general so far) lends itself really well to walking with others, but a little monotonous on your own. The monotony isn't as bad when the day is shorter, I found today. Accomodation: Casa Vicenta (€15 for a single room).

Day 5: ~25k from Fuente de Cantos to Zafra. Lots of fog all day long so can't comment on the scenery too much! Seemed a little monotonous, through lots of (bare) fields, but also saw more trees in fields of yellow flowers. Accomodation: the convent (€15), where I'm also having dinner (€9) and breakfast tomorrow morning (€2.50). Booked ahead to avoid disappointment.

Day 6: ~20k from Zafra to Villafranca de los Barros. Short and cloudy day. Not much of interest along the way; more olive groves and flowers. Accomodation: Extrenatura Alojamientos (€12) - washing (and drying!) of clothes is included! Recommended. Nice place: clean, spacious, shampoo for pilgrims in the bath/shower, and met my first fellow pilgrim! A woman from Barcelona who didn't seem very interested in my company. Fair enough.

Day 7: ~27k from Villafranca de los Barros to Torremejia. Honestly, a very dull day in terms of walking and surroundings: pretty much a straight shot along what feels like a single, endless, wide dirt track, with nothing but vineyards (cropped for winter) and a few olive groves to look at. The greyness of the day and constant wind did not do much to enhance the experience. Met the Spanish peregrina from yesterday along the way and chatted for a while at the albergue in Torremejia ('Rojo Plata' - €14 for a bed or €24 with dinner and breakfast included, which I opted for), where we're both staying tonight. Good to chat to a fellow pilgrim. She ends her walk in Merida tomorrow and flies back to Barcelona soon after.

Expect an update on my progress in a week from now! Happy to answer questions if you have any in the meantime.

I am writing a virtual camino on social media. It’s funny because I am on Stage 7 today.

Wish I were truly there.

Keep us posted.

Buen camino.

 

[LTfit]

I've walked most of those same stages on three different occasions (July 2011, February 2014 and June 2016). I especially remember that seemingly endless straight walk into Torremejía during the last time I walked it alone. That stage seemed much shorter while chatting with a fellow pilgrim!

Ultreia!

 

[rnwinters]

Hello!

A number of wonderful people encouraged me to share (an overview of) my experience on the Via de la Plata. It's December 9 today, and I'm writing to you from the albergue in Torremejia, hoping it might provide some information, enjoyment and/or recognition for you lovely people.

WEEK 1:
Day 1: ~42k from Seville to Castilblanco de los Arroyos. Getting away from Seville not too painful, then lots of dirt tracks. Got a little monotonous, but then soon after Guillena there's a beautiful green stretch, made even better for me by beautiful light as the sun slowly set. Last bit to Castilblanco is along a road but there's a nice single track for walkers. Accomodation: Casa Salvadora (€14 for a private room - nice).

Day 2: ~30k to Almaden de la Plata. First 16k along a (not overly busy) road and then on a dirt track through the Sierra Norte national park, where the trunks of trees (holm oaks?) received an interesting treatment. There's a sudden, short climb and then descent into Almaden - I was starting to wonder where it was with about 2km to go! Accomodation: municipal albergue (€10), where I spent the late afternoon and evening talking to a Russian-Canadian cycle tourist. Very grateful for the company as still no other pilgrims in sight. Very friendly hospitalera, too, who arrived much later than the advertised 20:00 for stamping and payment. Door was simply open.

Day 3: ~35k from Almaden de la Plata to Monesterio. More walking through the Sierra Norte national park for the first ~25k, with lots of trees (holm oaks?) in fields, then alongside big motorways for the last bit, but not unpleasant. Accomodation: was tricky - all the cheap places were closed or otherwise unavailable. Should have perhaps called ahead. Settled for the D.P. El Pilar hostel (€30 ensuite room).

Day 4: ~21k from Monesterio to Fuente de Cantos. Nice to have a short day - slow start in the morning. Pleasant walk all the way, with a bit of variety, pretty much all on dirt roads. Path (in general so far) lends itself really well to walking with others, but a little monotonous on your own. The monotony isn't as bad when the day is shorter, I found today. Accomodation: Casa Vicenta (€15 for a single room).

Day 5: ~25k from Fuente de Cantos to Zafra. Lots of fog all day long so can't comment on the scenery too much! Seemed a little monotonous, through lots of (bare) fields, but also saw more trees in fields of yellow flowers. Accomodation: the convent (€15), where I'm also having dinner (€9) and breakfast tomorrow morning (€2.50). Booked ahead to avoid disappointment.

Day 6: ~20k from Zafra to Villafranca de los Barros. Short and cloudy day. Not much of interest along the way; more olive groves and flowers. Accomodation: Extrenatura Alojamientos (€12) - washing (and drying!) of clothes is included! Recommended. Nice place: clean, spacious, shampoo for pilgrims in the bath/shower, and met my first fellow pilgrim! A woman from Barcelona who didn't seem very interested in my company. Fair enough.

Day 7: ~27k from Villafranca de los Barros to Torremejia. Honestly, a very dull day in terms of walking and surroundings: pretty much a straight shot along what feels like a single, endless, wide dirt track, with nothing but vineyards (cropped for winter) and a few olive groves to look at. The greyness of the day and constant wind did not do much to enhance the experience. Met the Spanish peregrina from yesterday along the way and chatted for a while at the albergue in Torremejia ('Rojo Plata' - €14 for a bed or €24 with dinner and breakfast included, which I opted for), where we're both staying tonight. Good to chat to a fellow pilgrim. She ends her walk in Merida tomorrow and flies back to Barcelona soon after.

Expect an update on my progress in a week from now! Happy to answer questions if you have any in the meantime.

 

[rnwinters]

Hello!

A number of wonderful people encouraged me to share (an overview of) my experience on the Via de la Plata. It's December 9 today, and I'm writing to you from the albergue in Torremejia, hoping it might provide some information, enjoyment and/or recognition for you lovely people.

WEEK 1:
Day 1: ~42k from Seville to Castilblanco de los Arroyos. Getting away from Seville not too painful, then lots of dirt tracks. Got a little monotonous, but then soon after Guillena there's a beautiful green stretch, made even better for me by beautiful light as the sun slowly set. Last bit to Castilblanco is along a road but there's a nice single track for walkers. Accomodation: Casa Salvadora (€14 for a private room - nice).

Day 2: ~30k to Almaden de la Plata. First 16k along a (not overly busy) road and then on a dirt track through the Sierra Norte national park, where the trunks of trees (holm oaks?) received an interesting treatment. There's a sudden, short climb and then descent into Almaden - I was starting to wonder where it was with about 2km to go! Accomodation: municipal albergue (€10), where I spent the late afternoon and evening talking to a Russian-Canadian cycle tourist. Very grateful for the company as still no other pilgrims in sight. Very friendly hospitalera, too, who arrived much later than the advertised 20:00 for stamping and payment. Door was simply open.

Day 3: ~35k from Almaden de la Plata to Monesterio. More walking through the Sierra Norte national park for the first ~25k, with lots of trees (holm oaks?) in fields, then alongside big motorways for the last bit, but not unpleasant. Accomodation: was tricky - all the cheap places were closed or otherwise unavailable. Should have perhaps called ahead. Settled for the D.P. El Pilar hostel (€30 ensuite room).

Day 4: ~21k from Monesterio to Fuente de Cantos. Nice to have a short day - slow start in the morning. Pleasant walk all the way, with a bit of variety, pretty much all on dirt roads. Path (in general so far) lends itself really well to walking with others, but a little monotonous on your own. The monotony isn't as bad when the day is shorter, I found today. Accomodation: Casa Vicenta (€15 for a single room).

Day 5: ~25k from Fuente de Cantos to Zafra. Lots of fog all day long so can't comment on the scenery too much! Seemed a little monotonous, through lots of (bare) fields, but also saw more trees in fields of yellow flowers. Accomodation: the convent (€15), where I'm also having dinner (€9) and breakfast tomorrow morning (€2.50). Booked ahead to avoid disappointment.

Day 6: ~20k from Zafra to Villafranca de los Barros. Short and cloudy day. Not much of interest along the way; more olive groves and flowers. Accomodation: Extrenatura Alojamientos (€12) - washing (and drying!) of clothes is included! Recommended. Nice place: clean, spacious, shampoo for pilgrims in the bath/shower, and met my first fellow pilgrim! A woman from Barcelona who didn't seem very interested in my company. Fair enough.

Day 7: ~27k from Villafranca de los Barros to Torremejia. Honestly, a very dull day in terms of walking and surroundings: pretty much a straight shot along what feels like a single, endless, wide dirt track, with nothing but vineyards (cropped for winter) and a few olive groves to look at. The greyness of the day and constant wind did not do much to enhance the experience. Met the Spanish peregrina from yesterday along the way and chatted for a while at the albergue in Torremejia ('Rojo Plata' - €14 for a bed or €24 with dinner and breakfast included, which I opted for), where we're both staying tonight. Good to chat to a fellow pilgrim. She ends her walk in Merida tomorrow and flies back to Barcelona soon after.

Expect an update on my progress in a week from now! Happy to answer questions if you have any in the meantime.

Wonderful report with useful info. My wife and I will be walking the same route in April. I look forward to your next post.

 

[Ptermini]

Hello!

A number of wonderful people encouraged me to share (an overview of) my experience on the Via de la Plata. It's December 9 today, and I'm writing to you from the albergue in Torremejia, hoping it might provide some information, enjoyment and/or recognition for you lovely people.

WEEK 1:
Day 1: ~42k from Seville to Castilblanco de los Arroyos. Getting away from Seville not too painful, then lots of dirt tracks. Got a little monotonous, but then soon after Guillena there's a beautiful green stretch, made even better for me by beautiful light as the sun slowly set. Last bit to Castilblanco is along a road but there's a nice single track for walkers. Accomodation: Casa Salvadora (€14 for a private room - nice).

Day 2: ~30k to Almaden de la Plata. First 16k along a (not overly busy) road and then on a dirt track through the Sierra Norte national park, where the trunks of trees (holm oaks?) received an interesting treatment. There's a sudden, short climb and then descent into Almaden - I was starting to wonder where it was with about 2km to go! Accomodation: municipal albergue (€10), where I spent the late afternoon and evening talking to a Russian-Canadian cycle tourist. Very grateful for the company as still no other pilgrims in sight. Very friendly hospitalera, too, who arrived much later than the advertised 20:00 for stamping and payment. Door was simply open.

Day 3: ~35k from Almaden de la Plata to Monesterio. More walking through the Sierra Norte national park for the first ~25k, with lots of trees (holm oaks?) in fields, then alongside big motorways for the last bit, but not unpleasant. Accomodation: was tricky - all the cheap places were closed or otherwise unavailable. Should have perhaps called ahead. Settled for the D.P. El Pilar hostel (€30 ensuite room).

Day 4: ~21k from Monesterio to Fuente de Cantos. Nice to have a short day - slow start in the morning. Pleasant walk all the way, with a bit of variety, pretty much all on dirt roads. Path (in general so far) lends itself really well to walking with others, but a little monotonous on your own. The monotony isn't as bad when the day is shorter, I found today. Accomodation: Casa Vicenta (€15 for a single room).

Day 5: ~25k from Fuente de Cantos to Zafra. Lots of fog all day long so can't comment on the scenery too much! Seemed a little monotonous, through lots of (bare) fields, but also saw more trees in fields of yellow flowers. Accomodation: the convent (€15), where I'm also having dinner (€9) and breakfast tomorrow morning (€2.50). Booked ahead to avoid disappointment.

Day 6: ~20k from Zafra to Villafranca de los Barros. Short and cloudy day. Not much of interest along the way; more olive groves and flowers. Accomodation: Extrenatura Alojamientos (€12) - washing (and drying!) of clothes is included! Recommended. Nice place: clean, spacious, shampoo for pilgrims in the bath/shower, and met my first fellow pilgrim! A woman from Barcelona who didn't seem very interested in my company. Fair enough.

Day 7: ~27k from Villafranca de los Barros to Torremejia. Honestly, a very dull day in terms of walking and surroundings: pretty much a straight shot along what feels like a single, endless, wide dirt track, with nothing but vineyards (cropped for winter) and a few olive groves to look at. The greyness of the day and constant wind did not do much to enhance the experience. Met the Spanish peregrina from yesterday along the way and chatted for a while at the albergue in Torremejia ('Rojo Plata' - €14 for a bed or €24 with dinner and breakfast included, which I opted for), where we're both staying tonight. Good to chat to a fellow pilgrim. She ends her walk in Merida tomorrow and flies back to Barcelona soon after.

Expect an update on my progress in a week from now! Happy to answer questions if you have any in the meantime.

Could this be done on a bicycle? Thanks for posting!

 

[geraldkelly]

Buen Camino! You've been lucky with the weather so far!

 

[Noud Jacobs]

Hello!

A number of wonderful people encouraged me to share (an overview of) my experience on the Via de la Plata. It's December 9 today, and I'm writing to you from the albergue in Torremejia, hoping it might provide some information, enjoyment and/or recognition for you lovely people.

WEEK 1:
Day 1: ~42k from Seville to Castilblanco de los Arroyos. Getting away from Seville not too painful, then lots of dirt tracks. Got a little monotonous, but then soon after Guillena there's a beautiful green stretch, made even better for me by beautiful light as the sun slowly set. Last bit to Castilblanco is along a road but there's a nice single track for walkers. Accomodation: Casa Salvadora (€14 for a private room - nice).

Day 2: ~30k to Almaden de la Plata. First 16k along a (not overly busy) road and then on a dirt track through the Sierra Norte national park, where the trunks of trees (holm oaks?) received an interesting treatment. There's a sudden, short climb and then descent into Almaden - I was starting to wonder where it was with about 2km to go! Accomodation: municipal albergue (€10), where I spent the late afternoon and evening talking to a Russian-Canadian cycle tourist. Very grateful for the company as still no other pilgrims in sight. Very friendly hospitalera, too, who arrived much later than the advertised 20:00 for stamping and payment. Door was simply open.

Day 3: ~35k from Almaden de la Plata to Monesterio. More walking through the Sierra Norte national park for the first ~25k, with lots of trees (holm oaks?) in fields, then alongside big motorways for the last bit, but not unpleasant. Accomodation: was tricky - all the cheap places were closed or otherwise unavailable. Should have perhaps called ahead. Settled for the D.P. El Pilar hostel (€30 ensuite room).

Day 4: ~21k from Monesterio to Fuente de Cantos. Nice to have a short day - slow start in the morning. Pleasant walk all the way, with a bit of variety, pretty much all on dirt roads. Path (in general so far) lends itself really well to walking with others, but a little monotonous on your own. The monotony isn't as bad when the day is shorter, I found today. Accomodation: Casa Vicenta (€15 for a single room).

Day 5: ~25k from Fuente de Cantos to Zafra. Lots of fog all day long so can't comment on the scenery too much! Seemed a little monotonous, through lots of (bare) fields, but also saw more trees in fields of yellow flowers. Accomodation: the convent (€15), where I'm also having dinner (€9) and breakfast tomorrow morning (€2.50). Booked ahead to avoid disappointment.

Day 6: ~20k from Zafra to Villafranca de los Barros. Short and cloudy day. Not much of interest along the way; more olive groves and flowers. Accomodation: Extrenatura Alojamientos (€12) - washing (and drying!) of clothes is included! Recommended. Nice place: clean, spacious, shampoo for pilgrims in the bath/shower, and met my first fellow pilgrim! A woman from Barcelona who didn't seem very interested in my company. Fair enough.

Day 7: ~27k from Villafranca de los Barros to Torremejia. Honestly, a very dull day in terms of walking and surroundings: pretty much a straight shot along what feels like a single, endless, wide dirt track, with nothing but vineyards (cropped for winter) and a few olive groves to look at. The greyness of the day and constant wind did not do much to enhance the experience. Met the Spanish peregrina from yesterday along the way and chatted for a while at the albergue in Torremejia ('Rojo Plata' - €14 for a bed or €24 with dinner and breakfast included, which I opted for), where we're both staying tonight. Good to chat to a fellow pilgrim. She ends her walk in Merida tomorrow and flies back to Barcelona soon after.

Expect an update on my progress in a week from now! Happy to answer questions if you have any in the meantime.

Hello Yoah,
Thank you for your report.
Good to read that there are currently also enough sleeping places available.
I will start next year on March 9th with the VDLP from Seville.
I wish you "buen Camino"

 

[Tom Conklin]

Thanks so much for sharing. You seem to be doing some really long stretches. I know this is true for the Via as a whole but are you extending them even more? Are you doing this because of the lack of services and accommodations?

Also, it sounds a little tedious. Is that true or am I reading that into your post? Regardless, I really appreciate all of your reflections both positive and negative.

 

[C clearly]

Could this be done on a bicycle?

Definitely! Here are some threads in the VDLP forum that are tagged with "bicycling". Also this very detailed planning thread has input from @Peregrinopaul, who has done it on bicycle three times, I think. Feel free to start a new thread for more discussion.

 

[Ronald Boivin]

Hello!

A number of wonderful people encouraged me to share (an overview of) my experience on the Via de la Plata. It's December 9 today, and I'm writing to you from the albergue in Torremejia, hoping it might provide some information, enjoyment and/or recognition for you lovely people.

WEEK 1:
Day 1: ~42k from Seville to Castilblanco de los Arroyos. Getting away from Seville not too painful, then lots of dirt tracks. Got a little monotonous, but then soon after Guillena there's a beautiful green stretch, made even better for me by beautiful light as the sun slowly set. Last bit to Castilblanco is along a road but there's a nice single track for walkers. Accomodation: Casa Salvadora (€14 for a private room - nice).

Day 2: ~30k to Almaden de la Plata. First 16k along a (not overly busy) road and then on a dirt track through the Sierra Norte national park, where the trunks of trees (holm oaks?) received an interesting treatment. There's a sudden, short climb and then descent into Almaden - I was starting to wonder where it was with about 2km to go! Accomodation: municipal albergue (€10), where I spent the late afternoon and evening talking to a Russian-Canadian cycle tourist. Very grateful for the company as still no other pilgrims in sight. Very friendly hospitalera, too, who arrived much later than the advertised 20:00 for stamping and payment. Door was simply open.

Day 3: ~35k from Almaden de la Plata to Monesterio. More walking through the Sierra Norte national park for the first ~25k, with lots of trees (holm oaks?) in fields, then alongside big motorways for the last bit, but not unpleasant. Accomodation: was tricky - all the cheap places were closed or otherwise unavailable. Should have perhaps called ahead. Settled for the D.P. El Pilar hostel (€30 ensuite room).

Day 4: ~21k from Monesterio to Fuente de Cantos. Nice to have a short day - slow start in the morning. Pleasant walk all the way, with a bit of variety, pretty much all on dirt roads. Path (in general so far) lends itself really well to walking with others, but a little monotonous on your own. The monotony isn't as bad when the day is shorter, I found today. Accomodation: Casa Vicenta (€15 for a single room).

Day 5: ~25k from Fuente de Cantos to Zafra. Lots of fog all day long so can't comment on the scenery too much! Seemed a little monotonous, through lots of (bare) fields, but also saw more trees in fields of yellow flowers. Accomodation: the convent (€15), where I'm also having dinner (€9) and breakfast tomorrow morning (€2.50). Booked ahead to avoid disappointment.

Day 6: ~20k from Zafra to Villafranca de los Barros. Short and cloudy day. Not much of interest along the way; more olive groves and flowers. Accomodation: Extrenatura Alojamientos (€12) - washing (and drying!) of clothes is included! Recommended. Nice place: clean, spacious, shampoo for pilgrims in the bath/shower, and met my first fellow pilgrim! A woman from Barcelona who didn't seem very interested in my company. Fair enough.

Day 7: ~27k from Villafranca de los Barros to Torremejia. Honestly, a very dull day in terms of walking and surroundings: pretty much a straight shot along what feels like a single, endless, wide dirt track, with nothing but vineyards (cropped for winter) and a few olive groves to look at. The greyness of the day and constant wind did not do much to enhance the experience. Met the Spanish peregrina from yesterday along the way and chatted for a while at the albergue in Torremejia ('Rojo Plata' - €14 for a bed or €24 with dinner and breakfast included, which I opted for), where we're both staying tonight. Good to chat to a fellow pilgrim. She ends her walk in Merida tomorrow and flies back to Barcelona soon after.

Expect an update on my progress in a week from now! Happy to answer questions if you have any in the meantime.

Thank you very much for this unselfish act of writing. I am using this info for my Via Camino next year.

[Edited to correct error mentioned in post #32 below]

 

[peregrina2000]

Hello!

A number of wonderful people encouraged me to share (an overview of) my experience on the Via de la Plata. It's December 9 today, and I'm writing to you from the albergue in Torremejia, hoping it might provide some information, enjoyment and/or recognition for you lovely people.

WEEK 1:
Day 1: ~42k from Seville to Castilblanco de los Arroyos. Getting away from Seville not too painful, then lots of dirt tracks. Got a little monotonous, but then soon after Guillena there's a beautiful green stretch, made even better for me by beautiful light as the sun slowly set. Last bit to Castilblanco is along a road but there's a nice single track for walkers. Accomodation: Casa Salvadora (€14 for a private room - nice).

Day 2: ~30k to Almaden de la Plata. First 16k along a (not overly busy) road and then on a dirt track through the Sierra Norte national park, where the trunks of trees (holm oaks?) received an interesting treatment. There's a sudden, short climb and then descent into Almaden - I was starting to wonder where it was with about 2km to go! Accomodation: municipal albergue (€10), where I spent the late afternoon and evening talking to a Russian-Canadian cycle tourist. Very grateful for the company as still no other pilgrims in sight. Very friendly hospitalera, too, who arrived much later than the advertised 20:00 for stamping and payment. Door was simply open.

Day 3: ~35k from Almaden de la Plata to Monesterio. More walking through the Sierra Norte national park for the first ~25k, with lots of trees (holm oaks?) in fields, then alongside big motorways for the last bit, but not unpleasant. Accomodation: was tricky - all the cheap places were closed or otherwise unavailable. Should have perhaps called ahead. Settled for the D.P. El Pilar hostel (€30 ensuite room).

Day 4: ~21k from Monesterio to Fuente de Cantos. Nice to have a short day - slow start in the morning. Pleasant walk all the way, with a bit of variety, pretty much all on dirt roads. Path (in general so far) lends itself really well to walking with others, but a little monotonous on your own. The monotony isn't as bad when the day is shorter, I found today. Accomodation: Casa Vicenta (€15 for a single room).

Day 5: ~25k from Fuente de Cantos to Zafra. Lots of fog all day long so can't comment on the scenery too much! Seemed a little monotonous, through lots of (bare) fields, but also saw more trees in fields of yellow flowers. Accomodation: the convent (€15), where I'm also having dinner (€9) and breakfast tomorrow morning (€2.50). Booked ahead to avoid disappointment.

Day 6: ~20k from Zafra to Villafranca de los Barros. Short and cloudy day. Not much of interest along the way; more olive groves and flowers. Accomodation: Extrenatura Alojamientos (€12) - washing (and drying!) of clothes is included! Recommended. Nice place: clean, spacious, shampoo for pilgrims in the bath/shower, and met my first fellow pilgrim! A woman from Barcelona who didn't seem very interested in my company. Fair enough.

Day 7: ~27k from Villafranca de los Barros to Torremejia. Honestly, a very dull day in terms of walking and surroundings: pretty much a straight shot along what feels like a single, endless, wide dirt track, with nothing but vineyards (cropped for winter) and a few olive groves to look at. The greyness of the day and constant wind did not do much to enhance the experience. Met the Spanish peregrina from yesterday along the way and chatted for a while at the albergue in Torremejia ('Rojo Plata' - €14 for a bed or €24 with dinner and breakfast included, which I opted for), where we're both staying tonight. Good to chat to a fellow pilgrim. She ends her walk in Merida tomorrow and flies back to Barcelona soon after.

Expect an update on my progress in a week from now! Happy to answer questions if you have any in the meantime.

One bit of unsolicited advice — ENJOY MÉRIDA!!! The Roman theater, the Moorish Alcazaba, the Roman museum, the villa, the lively plaza. Hope you have/had a great time.

 

[Ronald Boivin]

Hello!

A number of wonderful people encouraged me to share (an overview of) my experience on the Via de la Plata. It's December 9 today, and I'm writing to you from the albergue in Torremejia, hoping it might provide some information, enjoyment and/or recognition for you lovely people.

WEEK 1:
Day 1: ~42k from Seville to Castilblanco de los Arroyos. Getting away from Seville not too painful, then lots of dirt tracks. Got a little monotonous, but then soon after Guillena there's a beautiful green stretch, made even better for me by beautiful light as the sun slowly set. Last bit to Castilblanco is along a road but there's a nice single track for walkers. Accomodation: Casa Salvadora (€14 for a private room - nice).

Day 2: ~30k to Almaden de la Plata. First 16k along a (not overly busy) road and then on a dirt track through the Sierra Norte national park, where the trunks of trees (holm oaks?) received an interesting treatment. There's a sudden, short climb and then descent into Almaden - I was starting to wonder where it was with about 2km to go! Accomodation: municipal albergue (€10), where I spent the late afternoon and evening talking to a Russian-Canadian cycle tourist. Very grateful for the company as still no other pilgrims in sight. Very friendly hospitalera, too, who arrived much later than the advertised 20:00 for stamping and payment. Door was simply open.

Day 3: ~35k from Almaden de la Plata to Monesterio. More walking through the Sierra Norte national park for the first ~25k, with lots of trees (holm oaks?) in fields, then alongside big motorways for the last bit, but not unpleasant. Accomodation: was tricky - all the cheap places were closed or otherwise unavailable. Should have perhaps called ahead. Settled for the D.P. El Pilar hostel (€30 ensuite room).

Day 4: ~21k from Monesterio to Fuente de Cantos. Nice to have a short day - slow start in the morning. Pleasant walk all the way, with a bit of variety, pretty much all on dirt roads. Path (in general so far) lends itself really well to walking with others, but a little monotonous on your own. The monotony isn't as bad when the day is shorter, I found today. Accomodation: Casa Vicenta (€15 for a single room).

Day 5: ~25k from Fuente de Cantos to Zafra. Lots of fog all day long so can't comment on the scenery too much! Seemed a little monotonous, through lots of (bare) fields, but also saw more trees in fields of yellow flowers. Accomodation: the convent (€15), where I'm also having dinner (€9) and breakfast tomorrow morning (€2.50). Booked ahead to avoid disappointment.

Day 6: ~20k from Zafra to Villafranca de los Barros. Short and cloudy day. Not much of interest along the way; more olive groves and flowers. Accomodation: Extrenatura Alojamientos (€12) - washing (and drying!) of clothes is included! Recommended. Nice place: clean, spacious, shampoo for pilgrims in the bath/shower, and met my first fellow pilgrim! A woman from Barcelona who didn't seem very interested in my company. Fair enough.

Day 7: ~27k from Villafranca de los Barros to Torremejia. Honestly, a very dull day in terms of walking and surroundings: pretty much a straight shot along what feels like a single, endless, wide dirt track, with nothing but vineyards (cropped for winter) and a few olive groves to look at. The greyness of the day and constant wind did not do much to enhance the experience. Met the Spanish peregrina from yesterday along the way and chatted for a while at the albergue in Torremejia ('Rojo Plata' - €14 for a bed or €24 with dinner and breakfast included, which I opted for), where we're both staying tonight. Good to chat to a fellow pilgrim. She ends her walk in Merida tomorrow and flies back to Barcelona soon after.

Expect an update on my progress in a week from now! Happy to answer questions if you have any in the meantime.

I really appreciate your information about lodging and cost and services.

 

[Yoah]

Wonderful writing again @Yoah
How long do you anticipate the VdlP taking you...especially being winter & the holiday season?
Best wishes & sempre avanti!

Many thanks! Without really considering it very carefully, I'm anticipating about a month, probably a couple days more. One of the hospitaleras I've come across said there are 36 stages, so presuming I can stick to that, that works out.

I'm naively assuming I'll be able to find lodging without too much (though I'm definitely anticipating some) trouble between Christmas and New Year's - hopefully that's the case!

 

[Yoah]

Definitely! Here are some threads in the VDLP forum that are tagged with "bicycling". Also this very detailed planning thread has input from @Peregrinopaul, who has done it on bicycle three times, I think. Feel free to start a new thread for more discussion.

Just wanted to echo what @C clearly said here: you could definitely do the bit I did so far on a bicycle. The climb up the hill before Almaden de la Plata would be tough, but it's not very long and you could always hike the bike up.

I'm not sure if the nature of the route and the terrain will change very much moving further north, but so far, this camino would be an excellent choice for cycling: it's long, it's pretty flat, and it's mostly on dirt roads.

 

[Yoah]

Thanks so much for sharing. You seem to be doing some really long stretches. I know this is true for the Via as a whole but are you extending them even more? Are you doing this because of the lack of services and accommodations?

Also, it sounds a little tedious. Is that true or am I reading that into your post? Regardless, I really appreciate all of your reflections both positive and negative.

I did two stages on the first day, mainly because one of them was about 18k and I didn't want to have such a short day at that stage. On days 2-7, I followed the stages as they're laid out on Gronze, so no extending there. So far, there isn't always a lot of choice in terms of how far you want to go, particularly if you want to stay in albergues and/or towns/villages with shops and bars.

As a little sneak preview of day eight, I deviated from the Gronze stages today because that would have meant 15k to Merida (where the albergue was also closed) for the day; I'm writing to you from El Carrascalejo (~30k) instead.

I hope I'm not painting a very bleak picture as that's not what I mean to do, but yes, a lot of the walking has been quite uninteresting so far. There have been some lovely stretches, but also a lot of boring ones.

Walking the VdlP so close to winter is, I suspect, a very different experience from walking in spring, summer or autumn. The challenges of contending with the heat and making sure you have enough water are basically non-issues - it's just been quite lonely. I may have said this elsewhere but the long dirt roads lend themselves well to walking while chatting with fellow walkers. On your own, they leave you (me, at least) a little wanting. I still enjoy it - walking is still great exercise, there's a lot of time to reflect, and Spain is still a lovely country to visit, explore and experience. I do find myself wishing for more interesting landscape and terrain as well, though.

Hope that helps! It depends on what you're after, but, for most people, I'd probably recommend walking this camino in spring or autumn - unless more people start walking in the off-season!

 

[Yoah]

Buen Camino! You've been lucky with the weather so far!

No real rain yet, touch wood! Clear blue skies for the first couple of days, whereas the last three days have been grey and cloudy.

I should have probably mentioned this, but it's chilly in the early morning (~5 Celsius on average, perhaps) but it then warms up to about 15 Celsius or thereabouts in the afternoon. I'm sure it will get colder though.

 

[Tassie Kaz]

Thank you very much for this selfish act of writing. I am using this info for my Via Camino next year.

@Ronald Boivin ...would you mind explaining what you mean by 'selfish act of writing'?
I know some writing can be viewed as self-indulgent but in this case @Yoah is responding to requests from members (incl myself) to write of his experiences including insights & helpful info which to me, is an unselfish act.
It takes commitment, time & energy to write/respond while on the trail...not always easy to do.
I understand you're thanking Yoah & using his info but just wanted to clarify that comment as it seems very jarring.
Best wishes for your own planning & journey!

 

[Yoah]

@Ronald Boivin ...would you mind explaining what you mean by 'selfish act of writing'?
I know some writing can be viewed as self-indulgent but in this case @Yoah is responding to requests from members (incl myself) to write of his experiences including insights & helpful info which to me, is an unselfish act.
It takes commitment, time & energy to write/respond while on the trail...not always easy to do.
I understand you're thanking Yoah & using his info but just wanted to clarify that comment as it seems very jarring.
Best wishes for your own planning & journey!

Probably a typo or autocorrect being silly - I keep having to make corrections myself!

 

[Tom Conklin]

I did two stages on the first day, mainly because one of them was about 18k and I didn't want to have such a short day at that stage. On days 2-7, I followed the stages as they're laid out on Gronze, so no extending there. So far, there isn't always a lot of choice in terms of how far you want to go, particularly if you want to stay in albergues and/or towns/villages with shops and bars.

As a little sneak preview of day eight, I deviated from the Gronze stages today because that would have meant 15k to Merida (where the albergue was also closed) for the day; I'm writing to you from El Carrascalejo (~30k) instead.

I hope I'm not painting a very bleak picture as that's not what I mean to do, but yes, a lot of the walking has been quite uninteresting so far. There have been some lovely stretches, but also a lot of boring ones.

Walking the VdlP so close to winter is, I suspect, a very different experience from walking in spring, summer or autumn. The challenges of contending with the heat and making sure you have enough water are basically non-issues - it's just been quite lonely. I may have said this elsewhere but the long dirt roads lend themselves well to walking while chatting with fellow walkers. On your own, they leave you (me, at least) a little wanting. I still enjoy it - walking is still great exercise, there's a lot of time to reflect, and Spain is still a lovely country to visit, explore and experience. I do find myself wishing for more interesting landscape and terrain as well, though.

Hope that helps! It depends on what you're after, but, for most people, I'd probably recommend walking this camino in spring or autumn - unless more people start walking in the off-season!

This is exactly what I wanted to hear. Thanks so much for the clarification.

 

[Tassie Kaz]

Probably a typo or autocorrect being silly - I keep having to make corrections myself!

Yep...I hope that was the case! I have to read & re-read carefully what I write as its very easy for something unintentional to slip in...
Happy trails @Yoah...looking forward to your next instalment.

 

[Nancyheathcote]

Hello!

A number of wonderful people encouraged me to share (an overview of) my experience on the Via de la Plata. It's December 9 today, and I'm writing to you from the albergue in Torremejia, hoping it might provide some information, enjoyment and/or recognition for you lovely people.

WEEK 1:
Day 1: ~42k from Seville to Castilblanco de los Arroyos. Getting away from Seville not too painful, then lots of dirt tracks. Got a little monotonous, but then soon after Guillena there's a beautiful green stretch, made even better for me by beautiful light as the sun slowly set. Last bit to Castilblanco is along a road but there's a nice single track for walkers. Accomodation: Casa Salvadora (€14 for a private room - nice).

Day 2: ~30k to Almaden de la Plata. First 16k along a (not overly busy) road and then on a dirt track through the Sierra Norte national park, where the trunks of trees (holm oaks?) received an interesting treatment. There's a sudden, short climb and then descent into Almaden - I was starting to wonder where it was with about 2km to go! Accomodation: municipal albergue (€10), where I spent the late afternoon and evening talking to a Russian-Canadian cycle tourist. Very grateful for the company as still no other pilgrims in sight. Very friendly hospitalera, too, who arrived much later than the advertised 20:00 for stamping and payment. Door was simply open.

Day 3: ~35k from Almaden de la Plata to Monesterio. More walking through the Sierra Norte national park for the first ~25k, with lots of trees (holm oaks?) in fields, then alongside big motorways for the last bit, but not unpleasant. Accomodation: was tricky - all the cheap places were closed or otherwise unavailable. Should have perhaps called ahead. Settled for the D.P. El Pilar hostel (€30 ensuite room).

Day 4: ~21k from Monesterio to Fuente de Cantos. Nice to have a short day - slow start in the morning. Pleasant walk all the way, with a bit of variety, pretty much all on dirt roads. Path (in general so far) lends itself really well to walking with others, but a little monotonous on your own. The monotony isn't as bad when the day is shorter, I found today. Accomodation: Casa Vicenta (€15 for a single room).

Day 5: ~25k from Fuente de Cantos to Zafra. Lots of fog all day long so can't comment on the scenery too much! Seemed a little monotonous, through lots of (bare) fields, but also saw more trees in fields of yellow flowers. Accomodation: the convent (€15), where I'm also having dinner (€9) and breakfast tomorrow morning (€2.50). Booked ahead to avoid disappointment.

Day 6: ~20k from Zafra to Villafranca de los Barros. Short and cloudy day. Not much of interest along the way; more olive groves and flowers. Accomodation: Extrenatura Alojamientos (€12) - washing (and drying!) of clothes is included! Recommended. Nice place: clean, spacious, shampoo for pilgrims in the bath/shower, and met my first fellow pilgrim! A woman from Barcelona who didn't seem very interested in my company. Fair enough.

Day 7: ~27k from Villafranca de los Barros to Torremejia. Honestly, a very dull day in terms of walking and surroundings: pretty much a straight shot along what feels like a single, endless, wide dirt track, with nothing but vineyards (cropped for winter) and a few olive groves to look at. The greyness of the day and constant wind did not do much to enhance the experience. Met the Spanish peregrina from yesterday along the way and chatted for a while at the albergue in Torremejia ('Rojo Plata' - €14 for a bed or €24 with dinner and breakfast included, which I opted for), where we're both staying tonight. Good to chat to a fellow pilgrim. She ends her walk in Merida tomorrow and flies back to Barcelona soon after.

Expect an update on my progress in a week from now! Happy to answer questions if you have any in the meantime.

What has the weather been like? What clothing have you needed?

 

[peregrina2000]

What has the weather been like? What clothing have you needed?

Check post number 21 above.

 

[Former member 99290]

Wonderful report with useful info. My wife and I will be walking the same route in April. I look forward to your next post.

We plan to set out from Seville on 1 April. How about you?

 

[Yoah]

What has the weather been like? What clothing have you needed?

I've been wearing the following: a long-sleeve base layer/shirt with a hood (a 'sun hoodie') and a cheap (€4) fleece jumper/sweater on top of that every single day so far. I usually start out with a thickish (~400g in size large, I think) rain jacket against the early morning cold. Some days it doesn't come off (if it's windy or cloudy and doesn't warm up much) but most days it does. I'm carrying fleece gloves and those have been great from time to time - usually my hands get a bit cold. Nothing unbearable but just ever so slightly uncomfortable, and at those times it's nice to put the gloves on for a bit. Usually my hands get a bit too warm from them, so I take them off after a while.

Although I'm carrying long trousers/pants as well, I've only worn (running) shorts so far, saving the trousers/pants for when it gets too cold for shorts.

All this has worked very well so far. I'm a bit cold every now and then but that's okay with me. I'm carrying some more cold-weather stuff like a fleece hat and a puffy jacket, but those are more for when it gets properly cold.

Hope that helps!

 

[Cicada]

Hello!

A number of wonderful people encouraged me to share (an overview of) my experience on the Via de la Plata. It's December 9 today, and I'm writing to you from the albergue in Torremejia, hoping it might provide some information, enjoyment and/or recognition for you lovely people.

WEEK 1:
Day 1: ~42k from Seville to Castilblanco de los Arroyos. Getting away from Seville not too painful, then lots of dirt tracks. Got a little monotonous, but then soon after Guillena there's a beautiful green stretch, made even better for me by beautiful light as the sun slowly set. Last bit to Castilblanco is along a road but there's a nice single track for walkers. Accomodation: Casa Salvadora (€14 for a private room - nice).

Day 2: ~30k to Almaden de la Plata. First 16k along a (not overly busy) road and then on a dirt track through the Sierra Norte national park, where the trunks of trees (holm oaks?) received an interesting treatment. There's a sudden, short climb and then descent into Almaden - I was starting to wonder where it was with about 2km to go! Accomodation: municipal albergue (€10), where I spent the late afternoon and evening talking to a Russian-Canadian cycle tourist. Very grateful for the company as still no other pilgrims in sight. Very friendly hospitalera, too, who arrived much later than the advertised 20:00 for stamping and payment. Door was simply open.

Day 3: ~35k from Almaden de la Plata to Monesterio. More walking through the Sierra Norte national park for the first ~25k, with lots of trees (holm oaks?) in fields, then alongside big motorways for the last bit, but not unpleasant. Accomodation: was tricky - all the cheap places were closed or otherwise unavailable. Should have perhaps called ahead. Settled for the D.P. El Pilar hostel (€30 ensuite room).

Day 4: ~21k from Monesterio to Fuente de Cantos. Nice to have a short day - slow start in the morning. Pleasant walk all the way, with a bit of variety, pretty much all on dirt roads. Path (in general so far) lends itself really well to walking with others, but a little monotonous on your own. The monotony isn't as bad when the day is shorter, I found today. Accomodation: Casa Vicenta (€15 for a single room).

Day 5: ~25k from Fuente de Cantos to Zafra. Lots of fog all day long so can't comment on the scenery too much! Seemed a little monotonous, through lots of (bare) fields, but also saw more trees in fields of yellow flowers. Accomodation: the convent (€15), where I'm also having dinner (€9) and breakfast tomorrow morning (€2.50). Booked ahead to avoid disappointment.

Day 6: ~20k from Zafra to Villafranca de los Barros. Short and cloudy day. Not much of interest along the way; more olive groves and flowers. Accomodation: Extrenatura Alojamientos (€12) - washing (and drying!) of clothes is included! Recommended. Nice place: clean, spacious, shampoo for pilgrims in the bath/shower, and met my first fellow pilgrim! A woman from Barcelona who didn't seem very interested in my company. Fair enough.

Day 7: ~27k from Villafranca de los Barros to Torremejia. Honestly, a very dull day in terms of walking and surroundings: pretty much a straight shot along what feels like a single, endless, wide dirt track, with nothing but vineyards (cropped for winter) and a few olive groves to look at. The greyness of the day and constant wind did not do much to enhance the experience. Met the Spanish peregrina from yesterday along the way and chatted for a while at the albergue in Torremejia ('Rojo Plata' - €14 for a bed or €24 with dinner and breakfast included, which I opted for), where we're both staying tonight. Good to chat to a fellow pilgrim. She ends her walk in Merida tomorrow and flies back to Barcelona soon after.

Expect an update on my progress in a week from now! Happy to answer questions if you have any in the meantime.

Enjoying your thread and the comments very much Yoah many thanks. Buen Camino

 

[Madrood]

Are you planning on a) getting to Santiago via the Sanabres and b) planning on ending in Santiago? If not, the most northerly point in Spain isn't too far, if you'd like to bookend your Tarifa start. It would be backwards on the Ingles, then a little further backwards on Ruta do Mar. I can send some info if you're interested, but I haven't done it myself so buyer beware.

 

[Ronald Boivin]

@Ronald Boivin ...would you mind explaining what you mean by 'selfish act of writing'?
I know some writing can be viewed as self-indulgent but in this case @Yoah is responding to requests from members (incl myself) to write of his experiences including insights & helpful info which to me, is an unselfish act.
It takes commitment, time & energy to write/respond while on the trail...not always easy to do.
I understand you're thanking Yoah & using his info but just wanted to clarify that comment as it seems very jarring.
Best wishes for your own planning & journey!

Ooops. It autocorrected from unselfish to selfish… omg

 

[Nancyheathcote]

I've been wearing the following: a long-sleeve base layer/shirt with a hood (a 'sun hoodie') and a cheap (€4) fleece jumper/sweater on top of that every single day so far. I usually start out with a thickish (~400g in size large, I think) rain jacket against the early morning cold. Some days it doesn't come off (if it's windy or cloudy and doesn't warm up much) but most days it does. I'm carrying fleece gloves and those have been great from time to time - usually my hands get a bit cold. Nothing unbearable but just ever so slightly uncomfortable, and at those times it's nice to put the gloves on for a bit. Usually my hands get a bit too warm from them, so I take them off after a while.

Although I'm carrying long trousers/pants as well, I've only worn (running) shorts so far, saving the trousers/pants for when it gets too cold for shorts.

All this has worked very well so far. I'm a bit cold every now and then but that's okay with me. I'm carrying some more cold-weather stuff like a fleece hat and a puffy jacket, but those are more for when it gets properly cold.

Hope that helps!

Thank you so much for your detailed reply. It helps. Hopefully I’ll be there November December 2022

 

[Tassie Kaz]

Ooops. It autocorrected from unselfish to selfish… omg

Oh dear...it happens...but I am relieved it was an error! Glad I asked rather than assume it was a negative comment.
You can correct it to your intended meaning; tap the 3 dots & downward pointing arrow next to the word 'report' underneath your post..there's an 'edit' option
Happy walking @Ronald Boivin...& @Yoah of course!

 

[MargieMac]

Hello!

A number of wonderful people encouraged me to share (an overview of) my experience on the Via de la Plata. It's December 9 today, and I'm writing to you from the albergue in Torremejia, hoping it might provide some information, enjoyment and/or recognition for you lovely people.

WEEK 1:
Day 1: ~42k from Seville to Castilblanco de los Arroyos. Getting away from Seville not too painful, then lots of dirt tracks. Got a little monotonous, but then soon after Guillena there's a beautiful green stretch, made even better for me by beautiful light as the sun slowly set. Last bit to Castilblanco is along a road but there's a nice single track for walkers. Accomodation: Casa Salvadora (€14 for a private room - nice).

Day 2: ~30k to Almaden de la Plata. First 16k along a (not overly busy) road and then on a dirt track through the Sierra Norte national park, where the trunks of trees (holm oaks?) received an interesting treatment. There's a sudden, short climb and then descent into Almaden - I was starting to wonder where it was with about 2km to go! Accomodation: municipal albergue (€10), where I spent the late afternoon and evening talking to a Russian-Canadian cycle tourist. Very grateful for the company as still no other pilgrims in sight. Very friendly hospitalera, too, who arrived much later than the advertised 20:00 for stamping and payment. Door was simply open.

Day 3: ~35k from Almaden de la Plata to Monesterio. More walking through the Sierra Norte national park for the first ~25k, with lots of trees (holm oaks?) in fields, then alongside big motorways for the last bit, but not unpleasant. Accomodation: was tricky - all the cheap places were closed or otherwise unavailable. Should have perhaps called ahead. Settled for the D.P. El Pilar hostel (€30 ensuite room).

Day 4: ~21k from Monesterio to Fuente de Cantos. Nice to have a short day - slow start in the morning. Pleasant walk all the way, with a bit of variety, pretty much all on dirt roads. Path (in general so far) lends itself really well to walking with others, but a little monotonous on your own. The monotony isn't as bad when the day is shorter, I found today. Accomodation: Casa Vicenta (€15 for a single room).

Day 5: ~25k from Fuente de Cantos to Zafra. Lots of fog all day long so can't comment on the scenery too much! Seemed a little monotonous, through lots of (bare) fields, but also saw more trees in fields of yellow flowers. Accomodation: the convent (€15), where I'm also having dinner (€9) and breakfast tomorrow morning (€2.50). Booked ahead to avoid disappointment.

Day 6: ~20k from Zafra to Villafranca de los Barros. Short and cloudy day. Not much of interest along the way; more olive groves and flowers. Accomodation: Extrenatura Alojamientos (€12) - washing (and drying!) of clothes is included! Recommended. Nice place: clean, spacious, shampoo for pilgrims in the bath/shower, and met my first fellow pilgrim! A woman from Barcelona who didn't seem very interested in my company. Fair enough.

Day 7: ~27k from Villafranca de los Barros to Torremejia. Honestly, a very dull day in terms of walking and surroundings: pretty much a straight shot along what feels like a single, endless, wide dirt track, with nothing but vineyards (cropped for winter) and a few olive groves to look at. The greyness of the day and constant wind did not do much to enhance the experience. Met the Spanish peregrina from yesterday along the way and chatted for a while at the albergue in Torremejia ('Rojo Plata' - €14 for a bed or €24 with dinner and breakfast included, which I opted for), where we're both staying tonight. Good to chat to a fellow pilgrim. She ends her walk in Merida tomorrow and flies back to Barcelona soon after.

Expect an update on my progress in a week from now! Happy to answer questions if you have any in the meantime.

Thanks - I am walking La Plata in April so am interested in your comments- sounds like it is very quiet.

 

[Yoah]

Are you planning on a) getting to Santiago via the Sanabres and b) planning on ending in Santiago? If not, the most northerly point in Spain isn't too far, if you'd like to bookend your Tarifa start. It would be backwards on the Ingles, then a little further backwards on Ruta do Mar. I can send some info if you're interested, but I haven't done it myself so buyer beware.

Planning on taking the Sanabres and I'm not sure yet about going all the way north, though I've been toying with the idea. Might be nice, and I've not heard of the Ruta do Mar. I would appreciate the info you mention - maybe it will help make a decision one way or the other. Thanks!

 

[Madrood]

Planning on taking the Sanabres and I'm not sure yet about going all the way north, though I've been toying with the idea. Might be nice, and I've not heard of the Ruta do Mar. I would appreciate the info you mention - maybe it will help make a decision one way or the other. Thanks!

Sure!

The main resource I found for this was @Magwood's blog, she did the Ruta do Mar (which is a variation on the Norte which sticks to sea instead of heading inland after Ribadeo) in 2016 and included this detour as a circular trip.

Day 28, Camino del Norte (Ruta do Mar) Circular side trip Porto do Barqueiro to Estaca do Bares 23.8 km

Total distance 791.6 km Daily average 29.1 Today’s accumulated uphill elevation 672 m Today’s accumulated downhill elevation 672 m Oh dear, my day off dawned with a heavy downpour. So I just stayed…

magwood.me

Santagio to Ferrol is the easy part, albergues and reasonably busy, but you may need to rely on your phone since you would be following the route backwards. I think I have seen .kml files for beyond this point, I'll see if I can find them again.

From there it's about 70km, probably more, to the point in question which is called Punta de Estaca de Bares, it's a headland near a town called O Barqueiro. If you followed Magwood's itinerary it would be 3 days to Barqueiro, a fourth to get to the point and back. The town has a rail connection to Ferrol and Oviedo for the way back, not sure about buses.

The Ruta do Mar does have a subforum here:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/forums/ruta-do-mar-from-ribadeo.112/

But from what I understand there isn't much in the way of Pilgrim infrastructure since it's very new, so like the Serrana you'd have to splurge a little for accommodation, some of which may be closed for the season. It seems to have good views, but in January it's probably going to be pretty wet. So whichever way you look at it you would have to make much more of an effort to get there on foot compared to e.g. Fisterra, and more costly too.

 

[Yoah]

WEEK 2:

Day 8: ~30k from Torremejia to El Carrascalejo. Bumped into the Spanish peregrina not long after setting off, and we ended up chatting all the way to Merida (where the albergue was closed). Made the relatively uneventful walk to the city much more entertaining. There's some road walking out of Merida, but then from the reservoir onwards, the landscape is beautiful all the way to El Carrascalejo, which is tiny and quite sweet. Accomodation: Albergue El Carrascalejo (€10) - also had a good menu dinner (€9) and breakfast in the morning. Had the entire, spacious albergue to myself. Heating (ACU) available.

Day 9: ~37k from El Carrascalejo to Aldea del Cano. Probably partly because the clouds disappeared and the sun returned, I really enjoyed the walk. Gently rolling landscape with lots of massive boulders. Met a Polish chap who was walking from Santiago to Seville on the VdlP and chatted for a bit, exchanging information about the stretches to come. Accomodation: municipal albergue (€6). Bad reviews on Gronze; a little patience required with the staff at the Las Vegas bar/restaurant/disco(!), where you collect the keys. The bar next to the albergue produces some noise, but not enough to stop me from getting a good night's sleep. If you want (disposable) sheets, it will cost you an extra €2.

Day 10: ~23k from Aldea del Cano to Caceres. Shorter day (planned this way) of very pleasant walking (weather cooperating once more) so that I'd have time to look around Caceres, the old town of which is absolutely gorgeous. Accomodation: Pension El Cesar (€20). A few euros more expensive than the albergue, with the benefit of a private room (incl. towel, shampoo) with a comfy double bed and the peace of mind of booking ahead online. I had to call them when I got there to check into my room.

Day 11: ~45k from Caceres to Canaveral. Big day, but another beautiful walk in great weather (20 Celsius). Starts with a hill just outside of Caceres with views of the city behind you. Bit of a road walk by the reservoir (the reservoir lodge at ~34k from Caceres was closed according to Gronze), but there's a bit of a shoulder to walk on. Accomodation: Hostel Canaveral (€15) - modern, clean, heated, shampoo in showers. Whole place to myself.

Day 12: ~38k from Canaveral to Carcaboso. Didn't want to split this stretch in two (rather short) stages and sort of had to finish in Carcaboso, since it's a 38k stage from there to Aldeanueva del Camino. Another day of perfect weather, warming up to about 17 Celsius. Beautiful walking all day long, except for the final 10k road walk from Galisteo (which, with its walls, was a pleasant surprise). Accomodation: Albergue Señora Elena (€11). Lots of bad reviews since 2019, when the eponymous Elena passed away, but it was comfortable enough for me.

Day 13: ~39k from Carcaboso to Aldeanueva del Camino. W-O-W! The first 25k or so are absolutely stunning. Very gently rolling grassy landscape littered with (large) rocks and trees that would provide welcome shade in summer. I was lucky to have perfect weather - blue skies. There's some road walking in the last 10k or so. Perhaps of note: it's impossible to shorten this stage without making a detour off the camino. Accomodation: La Casa de mi Abuela (€14). Wonderful - very well maintained and... heated! Another pilgrim also staying.

Day 14: ~24k (less according to Gronze) from Aldeanueva to La Calzada de Bejar. Shared the road with the Korean pilgrim who was also staying at the albergue in Aldeanueva. Views of mountains in every direction all day long, leaving Extremadura behind for Castile and Leon along the way. We stopped at a donativo place (cafe and albergue, small) along the way where the German caretaker offered us tea and lentil soup. Stayed to talk for a long time - grateful for the company! Accomodation: Albergue Alba - Soraya (€12). The hospitalera, Manuela, was very welcoming and kind. The albergue has radiators which were great for drying washed clothes. Had dinner (€11) and breakfast (€3.50) at the bar that's also run by Manuela and her husband. A little pricey for what I was served. Note: there is no shop in the village.

Next update a week from now!

 

[Yoah]

Sure!

The main resource I found for this was @Magwood's blog, she did the Ruta do Mar (which is a variation on the Norte which sticks to sea instead of heading inland after Ribadeo) in 2016 and included this detour as a circular trip.

Day 28, Camino del Norte (Ruta do Mar) Circular side trip Porto do Barqueiro to Estaca do Bares 23.8 km

Total distance 791.6 km Daily average 29.1 Today’s accumulated uphill elevation 672 m Today’s accumulated downhill elevation 672 m Oh dear, my day off dawned with a heavy downpour. So I just stayed…

magwood.me

Santagio to Ferrol is the easy part, albergues and reasonably busy, but you may need to rely on your phone since you would be following the route backwards. I think I have seen .kml files for beyond this point, I'll see if I can find them again.

From there it's about 70km, probably more, to the point in question which is called Punta de Estaca de Bares, it's a headland near a town called O Barqueiro. If you followed Magwood's itinerary it would be 3 days to Barqueiro, a fourth to get to the point and back. The town has a rail connection to Ferrol and Oviedo for the way back, not sure about buses.

The Ruta do Mar does have a subforum here:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/forums/ruta-do-mar-from-ribadeo.112/

But from what I understand there isn't much in the way of Pilgrim infrastructure since it's very new, so like the Serrana you'd have to splurge a little for accommodation, some of which may be closed for the season. It seems to have good views, but in January it's probably going to be pretty wet. So whichever way you look at it you would have to make much more of an effort to get there on foot compared to e.g. Fisterra, and more costly too.

Thanks for the info, @Madrood ! Very much appreciated. I've given it some more thought and think it would border on criminal not to bookend my walk, as you put it, by going all the way north, even if I've already walked the Ingles (albeit in the opposite direction). It will only add a few days and I have the time. I hope the weather won't put me off!

 

[C clearly]

Thanks for the update. This section of the VDLP is definitely my favourite.

Perhaps of note: it's impossible to shorten this stage without making a detour off the camino.

For the stage that includes the Arco de Caparra, it is true that one needs to go "off the Camino" but not by very much and it is quite manageable. Readers who are concerned about the long stages, etc., should look at this thread for that stage in particular.

 

[Madrood]

Thanks for the info, @Madrood ! Very much appreciated. I've given it some more thought and think it would border on criminal not to bookend my walk, as you put it, by going all the way north, even if I've already walked the Ingles (albeit in the opposite direction). It will only add a few days and I have the time. I hope the weather won't put me off!

Glad to hear it and I hope it goes well, you're more or less scouting ahead a route I had planned out for March/April lol

I think you might benefit from making a post on the ruto del mar subforum. I haven't been able to re-find that kml file and the people who have walked it should be able to advise you better.

I like that you were impressed with Caceres, Merida seems to steal the spotlight for this route but Caceres has more of a draw for me for whatever reason.

 

[Yoah]

Glad to hear it and I hope it goes well, you're more or less scouting ahead a route I had planned out for March/April lol

I think you might benefit from making a post on the ruto del mar subforum. I haven't been able to re-find that kml file and the people who have walked it should be able to advise you better.

I like that you were impressed with Caceres, Merida seems to steal the spotlight for this route but Caceres has more of a draw for me for whatever reason.

Oh, I loved Caceres! I didn't gush about it very much in my report/journal entry above but I loved the unspoilt medieval feel of the old town. Really really gorgeous. The rough stone, the gnarled wood, the crafted metalwork--agh! I could say more but it's best to see it for yourself if you can!

And happy to be of some scouting assistance! I'm sure March/April would be the perfect time as well. Are you referring to the bit up north or the entire way from Tarifa, out of interest? And I will have a look at the subforum you mention - thanks!

Edit: I've attached a gpx file describing a potential route from Santiago to Estaca de Bares - about 170k, branching away from the Ingles in Neda. May be of interest, although I've not considered how to split the ~70km between Neda and Estaca de Bares just yet, but there may be a good candidate place for an overnight stay somewhere in the middle.

 

[Madrood]

Oh, I loved Caceres! I didn't gush about it very much in my report/journal entry above but I loved the unspoilt medieval feel of the old town. Really really gorgeous. The rough stone, the gnarled wood, the crafted metalwork--agh! I could say more but it's best to see it for yourself if you can!

And happy to be of some scouting assistance! I'm sure March/April would be the perfect time as well. Are you referring to the bit up north or the entire way from Tarifa, out of interest? And I will have a look at the subforum you mention - thanks!

All the way from Tarifa; I did some research on the Via Serrana as an alternative to the Mozarabe from Malaga since on balance I thought I would rather see Seville over Cordoba, if I had to choose. From there it was just adding another day to see Africa for sure from Tarifa, then adding more days to do a coast-to-coast, then adding even more days to get to the far north ...

One difference I was thinking of though was doing the Primitivo instead of the Sanabres, for the sake of the ruins around Oviedo. I will be interested to see how you feel about the Sanabres, after a good review I might be tempted to swap it back in.

 

[Yoah]

All the way from Tarifa; I did some research on the Via Serrana as an alternative to the Mozarabe from Malaga since on balance I thought I would rather see Seville over Cordoba, if I had to choose. From there it was just adding another day to see Africa for sure from Tarifa, then adding more days to do a coast-to-coast, then adding even more days to get to the far north ...

One difference I was thinking of though was doing the Primitivo instead of the Sanabres, for the sake of the ruins around Oviedo. I will be interested to see how you feel about the Sanabres, after a good review I might be tempted to swap it back in.

Ah, it sure is easy to get carried away--I know all about that! And I'm also really pleased (and impressed!) to read that you (or, another human being) are considering Tarifa - Estaca de Bares--it's fun to think we might share an experience (best laid plans and all that notwithstanding) even if it will probably be quite different for both of us and we're perhaps unlikely to ever meet!

 

[nycwalking]

Thanks for the info, @Madrood ! Very much appreciated. I've given it some more thought and think it would border on criminal not to bookend my walk, as you put it, by going all the way north, even if I've already walked the Ingles (albeit in the opposite direction). It will only add a few days and I have the time. I hope the weather won't put me off!

Yoah,

I am enjoying your updates.

Buen camino.

 

[Madrood]

Ah, it sure is easy to get carried away--I know all about that! And I'm also really pleased (and impressed!) to read that you (or, another human being) are considering Tarifa - Estaca de Bares--it's fun to think we might share an experience (best laid plans and all that notwithstanding) even if it will probably be quite different for both of us and we're perhaps unlikely to ever meet!

Well said, you me and the people who have been walking the VdLP for 2000 years. Two other bookends I had in mind for this route were Baelo Claudio, a ruined Roman town a little west of Tarifa, and the Roman lighthouse near A Coruna; I liked the idea that way back when a traveller (or maybe just a bottle of garum) would have made the same journey.

 

[islandwalker]

@Yoah, thanks for continuing the story of your journey! It's a joy to read and feel your enthusiasm.

Well said, you me and the people who have been walking the VdLP for 2000 years. Two other bookends I had in mind for this route were Baelo Claudio, a ruined Roman town a little west of Tarifa, and the Roman lighthouse near A Coruna; I liked the idea that way back when a traveller (or maybe just a bottle of garum) would have made the same journey.

We loved Baelo Claudio - full of atmosphere. You can easily walk from there to Tarifa, spotting Roman ruins in the undergrowth along the way.

2019-03-23 Baelo Claudia a Tarifa (E9 GR 145 Arco Atlántico). Duna de Valdevaqueros

2019-03-23 Baelo Claudia a Tarifa (E9 GR 145 Arco Atlántico). Duna de Valdevaqueros Hiking trail in Bolonia, Andalucía (España). Download its GPS track and follow the itinerary on a map. Encuentro europeo de Senderismo 23 de marzo de 2019 Clubes de Jaén, entre ellos el CD La Pandera, han...

www.wikiloc.com

 

[Yoah]

WEEK 3:

Day 15: ~21k from La Calzada de Bejar to Fuenterroble de Salvatierra. Another nice, easy day. Good weather, although the morning was the coldest so far and really quite chilly (elevation: 800 metres or so). I could feel the cold in my toes through my shoes, which hadn't happened before. The fields along the camino were covered in frost and looked quite special! I walked almost the entire way with another pilgrim, an Argentine who has lived in Madrid for many years. Accomodation: Padre Blas's place. Donativo (the first one on the VdlP for me) and with tonnes of camino charm. A wood burner warmed the dormitory I was put in. Wonderful!

Day 16: ~32k from Fuenterroble de Salvatierra to Morille. -1 Celsius this morning. Pleasant and pretty walk up to what I'm lead to believe is the highest point on the VdlP at some 1165 metres or thereabouts. Lots of windturbines at the top, and then a walk that felt rather long along roads and many pigs in large enclosures/fields to San Pedro, where the Argentinian pilgrim I met the day before treated me to lunch/dinner - how very kind! Then just a further 4k to Morille, where the Korean pilgrim was also staying at the albergue (€6). No shop in the village.

Day 17: ~20k from Morille to Salamanca. Very pleasant day of walking despite -2 Celsius in the morning. After some rather pretty countryside out of Morille, you climb a sort of gradual hill and then see Salamanca in the distance. The views are open from then on, with constant views of Salamanca in the distance, especially once you climb one final hill. After this, a descent into Salamanca, which is thought was an absolutely stunning city with a really lovely atmosphere. I paid (€6) to have a look inside the cathedral - worth it if you ask me. Look out for the astronaut and ice-cream eating demon carved out of stone at the Cathedral’s entrance! Accomodation: the municipal albergue (donativo), manned by the very kind Manolo, who shared some of the food he cooked for himself with me. Great opportunity to practise my Spanish! The albergue was warm and comfortable, too, and also conveniently located.

Day 18: ~37k from Salamanca to El Cubo. A long and dull day in terms of the walking, alongside big roads the entire day. I jogged (a very slow jog) from time to time to get it over with. Accommodation: Torre de Sabre (€27). It doesn't look like much from the outside, perhaps, but I really enjoyed my stay here. Very kind hospitalero. I had the menu (€12), which was excellent, with generous portions and local produce. They offer breakfast as well, but I bought some supplies from the shop (only open between 17:00-18:00). Note: the albergue was closed.

Day 19: ~32k from El Cubo to Zamora. A better day in terms of the landscape, which was gently undulating, away from roads and contained some variation. I had good weather once again, although it started raining pretty seriously when I was just about to ring bell by the door of the albergue. I had called ahead and was grateful (and mostly dry!) when the hospitalero promptly opened the door for me. Accomodation: the municipal albergue (donativo), which was being looked after by Francisco, a hospitalero from Barcelona, who treated me exceedingly well: wonderful conversation (he was very patient with my faltering Spanish) and a wonderful dinner (lentil stew, wine, yoghurt) and a decent breakfast (toast, jam, tea). Francisco told the most wonderful stories about some of the key figures involved in the revival of the camino a few decades ago, amongst other things!

Day 20: ~32k from Zamora to Fontanillas de Castro. Along busy roads for most of the day. There are some beautiful (and quite vast-looking) ruins a bit further from the road towards the end of the day - I enjoyed having a closer look at them. Accomodation: the municipal albergue (donativo) run by Angela and Paco. Couldn't find their phone number on Gronze - perhaps ask the hospitalero/a in Zamora (I probably shouldn't share it here, for privacy reasons). I found a phone number online belonging to an extremely kind and helpful British man who helped me get hold of Angela, who told me I could stay the night. Lovely place - warm, modern, evening meal and breakfast (they asked me to join them for lunch as well!) also provided. Note: no shop (I bought some provisions in Montamarta’s supermarket 11k back).

Day 21: ~35k from Fontanillas to Tabara. Also the first day on the Camino Sanabres, which I'm opting for over going to Astorga and then following the Frances to Santiago. The first bit of the Sanabres did not disappoint - it's noticeably more hilly and there's a really beautiful stretch of trail right after the beautiful bridge across the river/lakes. Even though it was raining (and despite some potentially slippery rocks), still the most enjoyable section of trail in quite a while, definitely since Salamanca. It rained (mostly lightly but sometimes a little more) for pretty much the entire day. Accomodation: El Roble (€25) - they have an albergue/dormitory (€10) as well, but that was closed. Organising accomodation for this day (23 December) and the next two was a bit challenging, but managed, finally.

I'm thinking of posting the rest in one big chunk (it will take me more than a week but less than two to get to Santiago from here, I suspect).

Happy Christmas!

 

[VNwalking]

Merry Christmas and buen Camio, Yoah!
Will you go via the Verin variant or not? We will have to wait and see!
You might want to check out Alan Sykes's account, since he was just on the Sanabres about a month ago.

 

[C clearly]

There are some beautiful (and quite vast-looking) ruins a bit further from the road towards the end of the day - I enjoyed having a closer look at them.

That would be Castrotorafe.

I'm looking forward to your next description, whenever it comes!

 

[nycwalking]

Yoah,

Thanks for posts really enjoying them.

Buen camino.

Merry Christmas.

 

[Yoah]

Merry Christmas and buen Camio, Yoah!
Will you go via the Verin variant or not? We will have to wait and see!
You might want to check out Alan Sykes's account, since he was just on the Sanabres about a month ago.

Merry Christmas to you too! I wasn't aware there was a fork coming up - thanks very much for alerting me to the fact! After a little bit of research, I think I'll opt for the 'por Laza' option, if for no other reason than to visit El Rincon del Peregrino (which I hope will be open!). Is there a good reason to go via Verin?

 

[VNwalking]

Is there a good reason to go via Verin?

I only know what I read from Alan - who makes it sound enticing. Old Roman route, for starters.

 

[alexwalker]

Great write up thank you! I believe the trees with the “trunk treatment” are the cork oaks

Look forward to hearing more of your journey, buen camino!

Thank you very much for the link: Very interesting and informative! I remember them (Cork oaks) well from my own VdlP walka in 2012 (Sevilla-Salamanca) - 2013 (Salamanca -SdC).

 

[Yoah]

I only know what I read from Alan - who makes it sound enticing. Old Roman route, for starters.

I think Alan could make standing motionless in the pouring rain sound enticing with his penmanship!

I'll research some more over the next couple of days before I make up my mind.

 

[peregrina2000]

Is there a good reason to go via Verin?

I’ve never walked the Verín variant, but I think the main attractions would be that the town of Verín has a pretty spectacular castle. And near the beautiful little village of Allariz there are some fascinating ancient ruins — everything from hill forts to Roman ruins to medieval churches with legends attached. I spent some time there as a tourist and enjoyed it tremendously.

I think Alan could make standing motionless in the pouring rain sound enticing, he writes so well!

Welcome to the @alansykes fan club!

Alan has posted about his Verín variant on this thread.

The other factor is that the Verín variant, at least according to Gronze, is six days to Ourense, while the official route route is only three. That could be a plus or a minus depending on your time, the weather, and your desire to prolong this walk as much as possible.

I’ve got three shells in the Rincón del peregrino and have not been able to find any of them. The hospitalero/owner of the bar is a very kind person, a camino character for sure.

Either way you will have a great time! Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Pawel]

Thank You Yoah!

Reading posts carefully, enjoying the story and gathering info before my late February start from Seville.
I am looking forward to the next posts.

Buen Camino!

 

[ErnestBoyd]

WEEK 3:

I'm thinking of posting the rest in one big chunk (it will take me more than a week but less than two to get to Santiago from here, I suspect).

I have been following anxiously as I will be doing this route begining from Salamanca next month! Having a current (post Covid) account of your expierence in these cities and places is very encouraging to me! Thank you for writing. This will be my first Camino and I am very excited.

I may have missed it in the thread above, if so I apologize for asking again, what shoes are you wearing for this winter walk? I am going back and forth between gor-tex and non gor-tex with wool socks.

 

[C clearly]

what shoes are you wearing for this winter walk?

Here is another thread where Yoah describes the shoe situation.

 

[ErnestBoyd]

Here is another thread where Yoah describes the shoe situation.

Thanks for this link! funny enough I am also choosing between my Altra lone peaks or the waterproof version of the same shoe.

 

[Yoah]

Thanks for this link! funny enough I am also choosing between my Altra lone peaks or the waterproof version of the same shoe.

Hi Ernest,

I've always been very happy with Lone Peaks and this camino has been no exception. Like you, I've also been wondering about the gore-tex version of these shoes, and I was keen to try them for the first time on the Frances in about two weeks time, thinking I might encounter snow there in Jan/Feb. I think gore-tex shoes may be quite good in snow, but I don't have any experience.

Generally, I think gore-tex shoes don't sound very appealing: they offer some protection from water, but in prolonged wet conditions (or in case of river/water crossings), they WILL get wet - and will then probably stay wet. Getting my feet wet isn't so bad, as long as they can dry again. Even if the water is cold, the heat I'm generating while walking quickly warms the water in my shoes if they do get wet.

With snow, I thought, it may be preferable not to get your feet wet because they might then also get (very) cold, hence the gore-tex idea. In the end, I found it difficult to justify the difference in price (~€100 for the regular LPs and ~€150 for the "all weather" version), but I would liked to have experimented with the gore-tex shoes on my upcoming camino Frances.

For the Via de la Plata, where (a lot of) snow is less likely (I could be wrong but I've not experienced ANY on this trip in December), I'd definitely go with non-gore-tex again.

If you'll read my post about my experience on the Sanabres (which is involving a LOT of water so far), which I'll make when I reach Santiago, you'll see that feet/shoes not drying over the course of the day would be a real issue, which is why, again, I'd avoid gore-tex for the VdlP. Also, for most of the trail, you're likely to encounter relatively warm temperatures, where gore-tex wouldn't be so great either, as your feet will get hotter and sweatier (and, consequently, blisterier).

That was a rather long answer to your question - oops! Just my two cents!

PS: I'm wearing synthetic socks (mainly for better durability than wool) and they've been good. Definitely smellier than wool though, but less of an issue at this time of year because I have albergues to myself most of the time

PPS: I forgot to mention, but I'm carrying some waterproof socks (in anticipation of snowy conditions) as well, which is part of the reason why I thought it would be okay to forego the gore-tex option for a potentially snowy Frances. Haven't used them yet (they have some drawbacks as well and I don't think they're super durable). Made by Sealskinz, in case you're wondering.

 

[ErnestBoyd]

Hi Ernest,

I've always been very happy with Lone Peaks and this camino has been no exception. Like you, I've also been wondering about the gore-tex version of these shoes,

Getting my feet wet isn't so bad, as long as they can dry again. Even if the water is cold, the heat I'm generating while walking quickly warms the water in my shoes if they do get wet.

For the Via de la Plata, where (a lot of) snow is less likely (I could be wrong but I've not experienced ANY on this trip in December), I'd definitely go with non-gore-tex again.

If you'll read my post about my experience on the Sanabres (which is involving a LOT of water so far),

That was a rather long answer to your question - oops! Just my two cents!

PS: I'm wearing synthetic socks (mainly for better durability than wool) and they've been good. Definitely smellier than wool though, but less of an issue at this time of year because I have albergues to myself most of the time

PPS: I forgot to mention, but I'm carrying some waterproof socks (in anticipation of snowy conditions) as well, which is part of the reason why I thought it would be okay to forego the gore-tex option for a potentially snowy Frances. Haven't used them yet (they have some drawbacks as well and I don't think they're super durable). Made by Sealskinz, in case you're wondering.

Yoah,

Thank you so much for your thorough reply! It is most helpful. Due to winter walking and looking at mostly rainy/cold weather, I was fearing waterproof was the only way to go. Your experience and words of advice have helped me. I think I'll stick with what I know and keep the lone peak non waterproofs! I'll wear wool socks with some toe sock liners. I also have a pair of waterproof socks but fear they may be too thick for my lone peaks...Thanks for that tip!

Since I will mostly be on the Sanabres, I look forward to reading your next post!!!

I'm a bit concerned about finding a bed each night within a reasonable distance. I begin in just over three weeks!
-Sara

 

[geraldkelly]

The Camino Sanabres goes above 1000m for several days. This time of year it will more than likely be cold and windy up there with snow possible. I've walked this Camino three times, never in winter but in spring and autumn, every time the weather has been appalling. Once it rained all day, every day for two weeks. Even the locals were amazed. You need to go prepared for wind, rain and cold.

Buen Camino!
Gerald

 

[Yoah]

Yoah,

Thank you so much for your thorough reply! It is most helpful. Due to winter walking and looking at mostly rainy/cold weather, I was fearing waterproof was the only way to go. Your experience and words of advice have helped me. I think I'll stick with what I know and keep the lone peak non waterproofs! I'll wear wool socks with some toe sock liners. I also have a pair of waterproof socks but fear they may be too thick for my lone peaks...Thanks for that tip!

Since I will mostly be on the Sanabres, I look forward to reading your next post!!!

I'm a bit concerned about finding a bed each night within a reasonable distance. I begin in just over three weeks!
-Sara

Sara (not Ernest - oops!),

I think you will not have too many issues finding beds within reasonable (mid-20kms) distance on the Sanabres. Especially when you hit Galicia, which is relatively soon, the Xunta albergues have all been open for me, if that helps. I had some trouble finding a place to sleep on Christmas day, but no real issues other than that. You could probably follow most of my itinerary if you wanted to. I think you will find it quite reasonable, the last couple of days excepted, where I was/am doing double stages - should be in Santiago tomorrow! So that's exciting, as is the fact that you're starting in only three weeks.

Buen camino!!

PS: Another member of the toe-sock gang here

 

[Yoah]

The Camino Sanabres goes above 1000m for several days. This time of year it will more than likely be cold and windy up there with snow possible. I've walked this Camino three times, never in winter but in spring and autumn, every time the weather has been appalling. Once it rained all day, every day for two weeks. Even the locals were amazed. You need to go prepared for wind, rain and cold.

Buen Camino!
Gerald

I agree: definitely be prepared for rain and cold. I think it rained the entire time during my first week on the Sanabres.

I will say that temperatures were generally much milder than I was expecting on the Sanabres, given the altitude, possibly because of the Galician climate (proximity to the sea/ocean). When I reached Ourense on December 31st, it got up to 20 Celsius. Padornelo (the highest point on the Sanabres/VdlP) was quite windy and very foggy for me, with constant drizzle but with some heavier rain earlier in the day. Despite the conditions, it wasn't especially cold.

The coldest it got for me was during the days leading up to Salamanca (where I didn't experience any rain or even very cloudy skies to cool things down further) - just below freezing, also at around 900 metres above sea level. That's all just anecdotal, of course, and your mileage (and weather!) may vary.

 

[geraldkelly]

The weather has been extremely mild in northern Spain the last week. 24 degrees in Bilbao the other day. This is likely to change.

 

[Yoah]

CAMINO SANABRES:

Day 2: ~30k from Tabara to Camarzana de Tera, home to Hotel Juan Miguel (€30), which was pretty much the only option for accomodation on Christmas Eve. The walking was less interesting than the day before, with long stretches of dirt roads through dense but relatively low trees for the most part. The morning was bright but the day quickly became rather grey and cloudy - no rain. There were a few villages with services along the way, though I didn't find a shop that was open until the petrol station next to the hotel in Camarzana.

Day 3: ~24k from Camarzana de Tera to Rionegro del Puente. Christmas Day, and a beautiful stretch, particularly once you cross the bridge/dam, which is impressive in its own right. Unfortunately, it rained the entire day for me. Accomodation: the municipal albergue in Rionegro (€10), who told me I probably wouldn't have a problem getting in, so long as I didn't arrive too late (because of Christmas). I made sure to arrive promptly at around 14:00 - all went well. Thankfully, the bar across the plaza was open all day and does a tasty bocadillo de pollo.

Day 4: ~26k from Rionegro to Asturianos. Another full day of rain, and still a beautiful day of walking regardless. Lots of little villages along the way. Highlight of the day was meeting a bunch of (feral?) ponies just before Asturianos, by the train bridge. Underneath the bridge, where there's a wonderful echo, I sang The First Noel and Once in Royal David's City to the horses, which they seemed to enjoy - several stopped eating and perked up their ears to listen. When I finished, they sprang to their hind legs and whinnied in delight, or so I imagined they might - those few horses that listened just went back to their business I didn't call ahead to the municipal albergue (€6) in Asturianos, which wasn't a problem. Upon showing up, they knew exactly what I wanted and were very helpful at the bar opposite. They told me they hadn't seen a pilgrim in about 3 weeks.

Day 5: ~27k from Asturianos to Requejo. More rain but at least it was dry for a bit in the morning! The walking was beautiful once again, and it must really be very beautiful when there are more leaves on the trees and when the sun is shining, although autumn/winter has its own charms as well. The rain from the last couple of days caused the trail to be flooded in a number of places. That sounds dramatic, but in reality I was able to keep my feet dry most of the time by sticking to the edges of the path. Still, I couldn't avoid getting my feet wet on two occasions. Lots of wind on the sections along the road. Accomodation: Casa Cervino (€13). I stayed here for the washing machine (€2) and dryer (€2, but I used the radiators in the end because I was the only one there and I'm cheap) mainly. Up to this point, I had only machine-washed my socks once, and washing my hiking top by hand didn't quite get rid of the stench of stale sweat anymore, so it was high time to properly do laundry.

Day 6: ~42k from Requejo to A Gudina. An eventful day. Yes, it was a bit far (and further than I'd have liked), but the new municipal albergue in A Gudina is cheap (€8) and the comments on Gronze made it sound appealing (it did not disappoint!). When I set off in the morning I thought I might stay in Lubian, but it was 13:30 and I felt like I wasn't done yet. Enjoyed a good breakfast at Padornelo (highest point on the VdlP/Sanabres, I think) after a rainy and very foggy ascent from Requejo. Still very beautiful. Lots of water on the trail as well, and I had to turn back to take an alternate at one point because there was a raging river flowing across the trail. Luckily, there was an alternate that avoided crossing this river, which was pretty much a waterfall in the other spot. Super dodgy! Many other sections of trail over the course of the entire day were flooded, which sounds dramatic and, in this case, was quite dramatic! I had to wade through a few sections and my feet were wet for most of the day. With a bit of care, the water never reached far above my ankles, but it was quite the experience nonetheless! Never seen anything like it. Lovely to reach Galicia with its familiar mojones and mountains as well!

Day 7: ~34k from A Gudina to Laza. I went with the Laza over the Verin option in the end. Apparently the two variants are quite similar in terms of terrain, but Gronze said going via Verin is flatter, and I quite enjoy the ups and downs. The Laza stretch is also shorter, I liked the distances between the budget-friendly albergues on the Laza variant, and I was keen to visit El Rincon del Peregrino (shells!). Thick fog and drizzle and rain all the way from A Gudina to Campobecerros, where I had an excellent (and cheap!) lunch at the bar. The fog made me lose the trail a few times on the way there, adding a few kilometres, but it was an enjoyable and dreamy walk nonetheless. I met another pilgrim just before entering the village, who seemed determined not to engage with me, making no eye contact when he (begrudgingly) returned my excited 'Hola!’ Oh well. It had stopped raining when I went back outside after lunch, and the fog cleared as I dropped lower down in elevation on the final 15k to Laza. One particularly sweet village along the way, with a little stall/display for pilgrims. I picked up the key for the municipal albergue (€8), which is large, heated and well-maintained, though the mattresses and pillows look a little tired. The pilgrim I met along the way showed up a few hours later. I made another attempt at striking up a conversation - denied once more. Nothing personal, I'm sure!

Day 8: ~33k from Laza to Xunqueira de Almia. Sunshine! Finally! For the first time innover a week, quite a sunny day! There was more fog up in the hills out of Laza on the way to Albergueria (lovely climb, by the way), but it was sunny for the rest of the walk to Xunqueira. In Albergueria, I stopped at El Rincon del Peregrino - which I was excitee about - and really enjoyed it. I had a bocadillo and a chocolate bar while there and did the shell thing. The owner reckoned I was the last pilgrim to come through in 2021, as he wouldn't be opening the bar the next day, which would be December 31. It's insignificant, of course, but it felt kind of special to me. IF he (Luis?) puts my shell up, I think it may be by the window next to the door (the one where you come in to the actual bar-room, if that makes sense), where there was a fresh looking piece of wood panelling with only about 4 shells on it so far. Accomodation: municipal albergue (€8). Nice place, just like the other Xunta de Galicia albergues so far.

Day 9: ~24k from Xunqueira de Almia to Ourense. Feels quite momentous to be reaching Ourense, as it heralds the end of what has been quite a long camino. Not a very interesting day in terms of the walking - lots of road on the way into Ourense, where the old town is definitely worth having a stroll through. Accomodation: Hostal Lido (€29). It was New Year's Eve, and I booked a room for peace of mind and for the space to (video) call friends and family in the evening. They gave me a bigger room than the one I booked - very nice, clean and warm, with an ensuite bathroom. A good start to a happy new year!

Day 10: ~23k from Ourense to Cea. Because it supposedly has less asphalt, I took the Tamallancos variant. There's a good climb out of Ourense to get you started, with beautiful views of the city looking back once you've gained some altitude. I changed into my shorts when I reached the top of the climb because I was getting too hot in my trousers. I could/should have worn shorts the previous day too, with mid-day temperatures sitting at about 20 Celsius. The rest of the day was varied and pleasant though not spectacular, with several small and partially abandoned villages - lots of stone and moss. Lots of bars and shops closed because it was 1/1/22, but I managed to score a (slightly disappointing) ham/cheese bocadillo at the one open bar in Cea just after I got to the municipal albergue (€8). The door was open and a jazzy hospitalero came down to register me when I called the number on the door. Noone else here.

Day 11: ~44k from Cea to Silleda. Didn't find an open shop (Sunday and 2/1/2022) but plenty of bars to get some food. Nothing quite like a good bocadillo! It was a pretty grey day punctuated by lots of small villages and over a fair amount of asphalt - not the most interesting. The albergue in Lilan was closed, or I may have chosen to go there. Instead, I might have stopped in A Laxe, where there's a cheap and open albergue that looked good from the outside, but I wanted to keep going, partly because there weren't any other (open?) facilities in A Laxe. In the end, I went all the way to Silleda. Two of the three mega albergues were closed, which caught me by surprise. I was turned down at the one that's on booking.com ("No hay nadie" according to the bar's waitress), even though I could have booked through that website - odd? Only Santa Olaia (€10 for a private room but my third choice because it's the only one that doesn't serve food/have a restaurant) was open, so I stayed there. Dated and clearly a repurposed building, but good enough. Someone had left the kitchen in an awful and smelly mess, which was a shame, but I was given a heater for warmth and the room itself was fine, especially for the price.

Day 12: ~42k from Silleda to Santiago de Compostela. Long day, I didn't want to prolong reaching Santiago when it was within reach! Pleasant and varied though unspectacular walking for the majority of the day. Grey and overcast, with rain for all of the last 15k. Bit of a shame, perhaps, but I've never reached Santiago in rain before, so I actually quite enjoyed it. Plus, it was just getting dark when I got to the city, and the rain combined with the lights were quite something. Accomodation: two nights at the Costa Azul hostel (€19/night).

So, here I am, in Santiago. I don't know that I've ever felt the euphoria that is so beautiful to see on the faces of other people when they reach the square in front of the cathedral, and this time was no different - something about the importance of the journey and not the goal, perhaps. I did feel very pleased when I was ~100k from Santiago, knowing that I'd basically done it and that I'd crossed one of the largest countries in Europe - a sense of pride, maybe, which I enjoyed at the time!

I also didn't see any other pilgrims in the square or all over Santiago as I did on all the other occasions, which was a little odd. All in all, I missed the comraderie that I associate with the camino, especially in the beginning (on the Via Serrana and from Seville to Merida) and at the end. I had gotten used to the solitude and didn't mind it anymore, but the feelings crept back up on me when I reached Santiago.

I wonder whether there will be more pilgrims on the Way in the off-season in future, as an increasing number of pilgrims take notice of the fact that more and more albergues are now keeping their doors open throughout the year. I, for one, would welcome that, as, I'm sure, would the people who operate the (open) albergues. Perhaps there are people who seek out the complete solitude that I experienced on much of my journey - it's there on the VdlP for the time being!

In terms of looking ahead, finally: mainly because the weather forecast for the next week in Galicia is nothing but rain (but also because of cost), I've decided not to continue north along the Ingles. Instead, I've booked a train for tomorrow morning that will take me as far as Pamplona, from where I intend to make my way to Saint Jean to start the Frances - so I haven't quite finished yet! Here's hoping I make a few friends along the way the second time around.

 

[C clearly]

Thanks for the well organized account! We are all looking forward to the Frances now.

 

[Former member 49149]

Yoah,I have loved reading your accounts. For some reason when I try to copy and paste sentences from your account, my ipad refuses to obey! So, what remains? I just love your carol concert with the horses! In general, your evident optimism. And best of all, the promise of more, from the CF.
Buen camino. A tip (just because I have a vested interest in the place!) : when you reach the split in Irotz, on the way to Pamplona, go right. Climb the hill to the Iglesia de San Esteban. Go up to the convent and ring the bell. Ask if they will let you see the church, ring the bell. You can write a petition if you wish. And you can sing to your heart's content. I will never forget the magic of the voice of a pilgrim from Germany who sang a Jewish lament there. Nobody was left unmoved. Then, you do not need to go back down, you can skirt the mountain, and continue to Trinidad de Arre.
Buen camino, Chico!

 

[palmah]

CAMINO SANABRES:

Day 2: ~30k from Tabara to Camarzana de Tera, home to Hotel Juan Miguel (€30), which was pretty much the only option for accomodation on Christmas Eve. The walking was less interesting than the day before, with long stretches of dirt roads through dense but relatively low trees for the most part. The morning was bright but the day quickly became rather grey and cloudy - no rain. There were a few villages with services along the way, though I didn't find a shop that was open until the petrol station next to the hotel in Camarzana.

Day 3: ~24k from Camarzana de Tera to Rionegro del Puente. Christmas Day, and a beautiful stretch, particularly once you cross the bridge/dam, which is impressive in its own right. Unfortunately, it rained the entire day for me. Accomodation: the municipal albergue in Rionegro (€10), who told me I probably wouldn't have a problem getting in, so long as I didn't arrive too late (because of Christmas). I made sure to arrive promptly at around 14:00 - all went well. Thankfully, the bar across the plaza was open all day and does a tasty bocadillo de pollo.

Day 4: ~26k from Rionegro to Asturianos. Another full day of rain, and still a beautiful day of walking regardless. Lots of little villages along the way. Highlight of the day was meeting a bunch of (feral?) ponies just before Asturianos, by the train bridge. Underneath the bridge, where there's a wonderful echo, I sang The First Noel and Once in Royal David's City to the horses, which they seemed to enjoy - several stopped eating and perked up their ears to listen. When I finished, they sprang to their hind legs and whinnied in delight, or so I imagined they might - those few horses that listened just went back to their business I didn't call ahead to the municipal albergue (€6) in Asturianos, which wasn't a problem. Upon showing up, they knew exactly what I wanted and were very helpful at the bar opposite. They told me they hadn't seen a pilgrim in about 3 weeks.

Day 5: ~27k from Asturianos to Requejo. More rain but at least it was dry for a bit in the morning! The walking was beautiful once again, and it must really be very beautiful when there are more leaves on the trees and when the sun is shining, although autumn/winter has its own charms as well. The rain from the last couple of days caused the trail to be flooded in a number of places. That sounds dramatic, but in reality I was able to keep my feet dry most of the time by sticking to the edges of the path. Still, I couldn't avoid getting my feet wet on two occasions. Lots of wind on the sections along the road. Accomodation: Casa Cervino (€13). I stayed here for the washing machine (€2) and dryer (€2, but I used the radiators in the end because I was the only one there and I'm cheap) mainly. Up to this point, I had only machine-washed my socks once, and washing my hiking top by hand didn't quite get rid of the stench of stale sweat anymore, so it was high time to properly do laundry.

Day 6: ~42k from Requejo to A Gudina. An eventful day. Yes, it was a bit far (and further than I'd have liked), but the new municipal albergue in A Gudina is cheap (€8) and the comments on Gronze made it sound appealing (it did not disappoint!). When I set off in the morning I thought I might stay in Lubian, but it was 13:30 and I felt like I wasn't done yet. Enjoyed a good breakfast at Padornelo (highest point on the VdlP/Sanabres, I think) after a rainy and very foggy ascent from Requejo. Still very beautiful. Lots of water on the trail as well, and I had to turn back to take an alternate at one point because there was a raging river flowing across the trail. Luckily, there was an alternate that avoided crossing this river, which was pretty much a waterfall in the other spot. Super dodgy! Many other sections of trail over the course of the entire day were flooded, which sounds dramatic and, in this case, was quite dramatic! I had to wade through a few sections and my feet were wet for most of the day. With a bit of care, the water never reached far above my ankles, but it was quite the experience nonetheless! Never seen anything like it. Lovely to reach Galicia with its familiar mojones and mountains as well!

Day 7: ~34k from A Gudina to Laza. I went with the Laza over the Verin option in the end. Apparently the two variants are quite similar in terms of terrain, but Gronze said going via Verin is flatter, and I quite enjoy the ups and downs. The Laza stretch is also shorter, I liked the distances between the budget-friendly albergues on the Laza variant, and I was keen to visit El Rincon del Peregrino (shells!). Thick fog and drizzle and rain all the way from A Gudina to Campobecerros, where I had an excellent (and cheap!) lunch at the bar. The fog made me lose the trail a few times on the way there, adding a few kilometres, but it was an enjoyable and dreamy walk nonetheless. I met another pilgrim just before entering the village, who seemed determined not to engage with me, making no eye contact when he (begrudgingly) returned my excited 'Hola!’ Oh well. It had stopped raining when I went back outside after lunch, and the fog cleared as I dropped lower down in elevation on the final 15k to Laza. One particularly sweet village along the way, with a little stall/display for pilgrims. I picked up the key for the municipal albergue (€8), which is large, heated and well-maintained, though the mattresses and pillows look a little tired. The pilgrim I met along the way showed up a few hours later. I made another attempt at striking up a conversation - denied once more. Nothing personal, I'm sure!

Day 8: ~33k from Laza to Xunqueira de Almia. Sunshine! Finally! For the first time innover a week, quite a sunny day! There was more fog up in the hills out of Laza on the way to Albergueria (lovely climb, by the way), but it was sunny for the rest of the walk to Xunqueira. In Albergueria, I stopped at El Rincon del Peregrino - which I was excitee about - and really enjoyed it. I had a bocadillo and a chocolate bar while there and did the shell thing. The owner reckoned I was the last pilgrim to come through in 2021, as he wouldn't be opening the bar the next day, which would be December 31. It's insignificant, of course, but it felt kind of special to me. IF he (Luis?) puts my shell up, I think it may be by the window next to the door (the one where you come in to the actual bar-room, if that makes sense), where there was a fresh looking piece of wood panelling with only about 4 shells on it so far. Accomodation: municipal albergue (€8). Nice place, just like the other Xunta de Galicia albergues so far.

Day 9: ~24k from Xunqueira de Almia to Ourense. Feels quite momentous to be reaching Ourense, as it heralds the end of what has been quite a long camino. Not a very interesting day in terms of the walking - lots of road on the way into Ourense, where the old town is definitely worth having a stroll through. Accomodation: Hostal Lido (€29). It was New Year's Eve, and I booked a room for peace of mind and for the space to (video) call friends and family in the evening. They gave me a bigger room than the one I booked - very nice, clean and warm, with an ensuite bathroom. A good start to a happy new year!

Day 10: ~23k from Ourense to Cea. Because it supposedly has less asphalt, I took the Tamallancos variant. There's a good climb out of Ourense to get you started, with beautiful views of the city looking back once you've gained some altitude. I changed into my shorts when I reached the top of the climb because I was getting too hot in my trousers. I could/should have worn shorts the previous day too, with mid-day temperatures sitting at about 20 Celsius. The rest of the day was varied and pleasant though not spectacular, with several small and partially abandoned villages - lots of stone and moss. Lots of bars and shops closed because it was 1/1/22, but I managed to score a (slightly disappointing) ham/cheese bocadillo at the one open bar in Cea just after I got to the municipal albergue (€8). The door was open and a jazzy hospitalero came down to register me when I called the number on the door. Noone else here.

Day 11: ~44k from Cea to Silleda. Didn't find an open shop (Sunday and 2/1/2022) but plenty of bars to get some food. Nothing quite like a good bocadillo! It was a pretty grey day punctuated by lots of small villages and over a fair amount of asphalt - not the most interesting. The albergue in Lilan was closed, or I may have chosen to go there. Instead, I might have stopped in A Laxe, where there's a cheap and open albergue that looked good from the outside, but I wanted to keep going, partly because there weren't any other (open?) facilities in A Laxe. In the end, I went all the way to Silleda. Two of the three mega albergues were closed, which caught me by surprise. I was turned down at the one that's on booking.com ("No hay nadie" according to the bar's waitress), even though I could have booked through that website - odd? Only Santa Olaia (€10 for a private room but my third choice because it's the only one that doesn't serve food/have a restaurant) was open, so I stayed there. Dated and clearly a repurposed building, but good enough. Someone had left the kitchen in an awful and smelly mess, which was a shame, but I was given a heater for warmth and the room itself was fine, especially for the price.

Day 12: ~42k from Silleda to Santiago de Compostela. Long day, I didn't want to prolong reaching Santiago when it was within reach! Pleasant and varied though unspectacular walking for the majority of the day. Grey and overcast, with rain for all of the last 15k. Bit of a shame, perhaps, but I've never reached Santiago in rain before, so I actually quite enjoyed it. Plus, it was just getting dark when I got to the city, and the rain combined with the lights were quite something. Accomodation: two nights at the Costa Azul hostel (€19/night).

So, here I am, in Santiago. I don't know that I've ever felt the euphoria that is so beautiful to see on the faces of other people when they reach the square in front of the cathedral, and this time was no different - something about the importance of the journey and not the goal, perhaps. I did feel very pleased when I was ~100k from Santiago, knowing that I'd basically done it and that I'd crossed one of the largest countries in Europe - a sense of pride, maybe, which I enjoyed at the time!

I also didn't see any other pilgrims in the square or all over Santiago as I did on all the other occasions, which was a little odd. All in all, I missed the comraderie that I associate with the camino, especially in the beginning (on the Via Serrana and from Seville to Merida) and at the end. I had gotten used to the solitude and didn't mind it anymore, but the feelings crept back up on me when I reached Santiago.

I wonder whether there will be more pilgrims on the Way in the off-season in future, as an increasing number of pilgrims take notice of the fact that more and more albergues are now keeping their doors open throughout the year. I, for one, would welcome that, as, I'm sure, would the people who operate the (open) albergues. Perhaps there are people who seek out the complete solitude that I experienced on much of my journey - it's there on the VdlP for the time being!

In terms of looking ahead, finally: mainly because the weather forecast for the next week in Galicia is nothing but rain (but also because of cost), I've decided not to continue north along the Ingles. Instead, I've booked a train for tomorrow morning that will take me as far as Pamplona, from where I intend to make my way to Saint Jean to start the Frances - so I haven't quite finished yet! Here's hoping I make a few friends along the way the second time around.

Thank you for this wonderful narrative. We are planning to walk the Frances-Invierno-Sanabres beginning in March. Looking forward to your writing on the Frances! Ultreia!

 

[Corned Beef]

Tomorrow is the Three Kings holiday in Spain and a Bank Holiday so you might want to check what's open.

Hope the Three Kings will be good to you tomorrow.

 

[Yoah]

Yoah,I have loved reading your accounts. For some reason when I try to copy and paste sentences from your account, my ipad refuses to obey! So, what remains? I just love your carol concert with the horses! In general, your evident optimism. And best of all, the promise of more, from the CF.
Buen camino. A tip (just because I have a vested interest in the place!) : when you reach the split in Irotz, on the way to Pamplona, go right. Climb the hill to the Iglesia de San Esteban. Go up to the convent and ring the bell. Ask if they will let you see the church, ring the bell. You can write a petition if you wish. And you can sing to your heart's content. I will never forget the magic of the voice of a pilgrim from Germany who sang a Jewish lament there. Nobody was left unmoved. Then, you do not need to go back down, you can skirt the mountain, and continue to Trinidad de Arre.
Buen camino, Chico!

Muchas muchas gracias for your very kind words!! Made my day on what has been a very long train journey; and what a fantastic piece of advice re the Iglesia and the bell - I'm filled with curiosity already and will be sure to do as you suggest!

 

[geraldkelly]

Thick fog and drizzle and rain all the way from A Gudina to Campobecerros

I have walked that way three times and have never seen the beautiful views. It seems to be foggy up there most of the time.

Anyway, well done Yoah, you did some pretty long days so you must be pretty fit. And the rain sounded horrific. Sooner you than me. I think the Camino Sanabres is the perfect summer Camino.

 

[Yoah]

And the rain sounded horrific. Sooner you than me. I think the Camino Sanabres is the perfect summer Camino.

Thanks @geraldkelly ! The rain wasn't actually that bad, somehow... It made getting to an albergue or a nice bar for breakfast or lunch that much more enjoyable and thus created an 'event' on days that were often otherwise not very eventful! The rain was also often accompanied by fog in Galicia, which also had a certain charm.

I'm sure summer on the Sanabres would be wonderful, indeed!!

 

[Yoah]

Tomorrow is the Three Kings holiday in Spain and a Bank Holiday so you might want to check what's open.

Hope the Three Kings will be good to you tomorrow.

Many thanks for the heads up. Turns out the bus that runs between Pamplona and Roncesvalles isn't available tomorrow because of the fiesta, so... I'm just going to walk all the way to Saint Jean from Pamplona instead of taking the bus to Roncesvalles and then walking to Saint Jean from there to start the Frances.

A little awkward, but should work. I'm aiming for Espinal tomorrow (~36k, and then ~30 to SJPdP the next day via Valcarlos), but will call ahead to check that the Haizea albergue is open on the way. If it isn't, I'm hoping I can stay in Zubiri.

 

[lar oreilly]

Note from the mods: If you want to read about the first part @Yoah’s walk, from Tarifa to Sevilla on the Via Serrana, see this thread.

Hello!

A number of wonderful people encouraged me to share (an overview of) my experience on the Via de la Plata. It's December 9 today, and I'm writing to you from the albergue in Torremejia, hoping it might provide some information, enjoyment and/or recognition for you lovely people.

WEEK 1:
Day 1: ~42k from Seville to Castilblanco de los Arroyos. Getting away from Seville not too painful, then lots of dirt tracks. Got a little monotonous, but then soon after Guillena there's a beautiful green stretch, made even better for me by beautiful light as the sun slowly set. Last bit to Castilblanco is along a road but there's a nice single track for walkers. Accomodation: Casa Salvadora (€14 for a private room - nice).

Day 2: ~30k to Almaden de la Plata. First 16k along a (not overly busy) road and then on a dirt track through the Sierra Norte national park, where the trunks of trees (holm oaks?) received an interesting treatment. There's a sudden, short climb and then descent into Almaden - I was starting to wonder where it was with about 2km to go! Accomodation: municipal albergue (€10), where I spent the late afternoon and evening talking to a Russian-Canadian cycle tourist. Very grateful for the company as still no other pilgrims in sight. Very friendly hospitalera, too, who arrived much later than the advertised 20:00 for stamping and payment. Door was simply open.

Day 3: ~35k from Almaden de la Plata to Monesterio. More walking through the Sierra Norte national park for the first ~25k, with lots of trees (holm oaks?) in fields, then alongside big motorways for the last bit, but not unpleasant. Accomodation: was tricky - all the cheap places were closed or otherwise unavailable. Should have perhaps called ahead. Settled for the D.P. El Pilar hostel (€30 ensuite room).

Day 4: ~21k from Monesterio to Fuente de Cantos. Nice to have a short day - slow start in the morning. Pleasant walk all the way, with a bit of variety, pretty much all on dirt roads. Path (in general so far) lends itself really well to walking with others, but a little monotonous on your own. The monotony isn't as bad when the day is shorter, I found today. Accomodation: Casa Vicenta (€15 for a single room).

Day 5: ~25k from Fuente de Cantos to Zafra. Lots of fog all day long so can't comment on the scenery too much! Seemed a little monotonous, through lots of (bare) fields, but also saw more trees in fields of yellow flowers. Accomodation: the convent (€15), where I'm also having dinner (€9) and breakfast tomorrow morning (€2.50). Booked ahead to avoid disappointment.

Day 6: ~20k from Zafra to Villafranca de los Barros. Short and cloudy day. Not much of interest along the way; more olive groves and flowers. Accomodation: Extrenatura Alojamientos (€12) - washing (and drying!) of clothes is included! Recommended. Nice place: clean, spacious, shampoo for pilgrims in the bath/shower, and met my first fellow pilgrim! A woman from Barcelona who didn't seem very interested in my company. Fair enough.

Day 7: ~27k from Villafranca de los Barros to Torremejia. Honestly, a very dull day in terms of walking and surroundings: pretty much a straight shot along what feels like a single, endless, wide dirt track, with nothing but vineyards (cropped for winter) and a few olive groves to look at. The greyness of the day and constant wind did not do much to enhance the experience. Met the Spanish peregrina from yesterday along the way and chatted for a while at the albergue in Torremejia ('Rojo Plata' - €14 for a bed or €24 with dinner and breakfast included, which I opted for), where we're both staying tonight. Good to chat to a fellow pilgrim. She ends her walk in Merida tomorrow and flies back to Barcelona soon after.

Expect an update on my progress in a week from now! Happy to answer questions if you have any in the meantime.

Hi.
Lucky you
I did it Oct 2019,,,
Must look up my notes,
Pass on a few tips,,,
Wow,, have not walked since,
Covid, and poxy plantar v,,,
Im with you my friend,
Take care
Lar x Dublin

 

[Yoah]

Hi.
Lucky you
I did it Oct 2019,,,
Must look up my notes,
Pass on a few tips,,,
Wow,, have not walked since,
Covid, and poxy plantar v,,,
Im with you my friend,
Take care
Lar x Dublin

Thanks so much for the very kind sentiment, Lar! Do share any tips for the Frances if you have any - I visited the church a few kilometers before Pamplona (if you're going towards Santiago) following the suggestion made by @kirkie , and it was such a lovely experience! More (insert House of Commons roaring)!

Hopefully you will be able to go walking again soon!

Also, in case it's of interest to anyone: the Haizea albergue (in Espinal) is closed until early March (not open all year as it says on Gronze) - I was too silly to check beforehand so ended up walking from Pamplona to Roncesvalles today. Luckily it was absolutely glorious - perfect weather, and finally got to see snow, not just on the mountains in the distance, but on the Camino as well, which I had really hoped for! Wonderful.

What wasn't so great was the reception I received from the hospitalero in Roncesvalles, a bit snarky because, I presume, I arrived late, but this is what I arranged with the person I spoke to on the phone in the afternoon. Can't win 'em all, I guess.

The albergue in Roncesvalles is in 'winter mode' - only a small room with about 12 beds. Six other pilgrims here though, and I met a few people along the way as well. Really excited for the (rest of) the Frances.

Edit: The albergue in Zubiri was open.

 

[Dougie1982valley]

Tremendous scribbles throughout the journey brother, thank you for taking the time ….. BC.

 

[darcelona]

Beautiful to read. Thank you for the diary. The weather, shoe, and clothing anecdotes have helped validate my packing list, so thank you for that! I've trained in Altras and it's great to know they have served you well on the VDLP. I start in Seville at the end of next month. One question...did you carry a sleeping bag or down blanket? Would you recommend one at this time of year?

 

[geraldkelly]

Beautiful to read. Thank you for the diary. The weather, shoe, and clothing anecdotes have helped validate my packing list, so thank you for that! I've trained in Altras and it's great to know they have served you well on the VDLP. I start in Seville at the end of next month. One question...did you carry a sleeping bag or down blanket? Would you recommend one at this time of year?

If you plan to stay in albergues then February / March you need a good sleeping bag. There are likely to be some cold night with minimum if any heating in the dorms.

 

[VNwalking]

Beautiful!
I missed much after Christmas, which I'm sorry about. But it's fun to read the posts even after the fact.
Buen Camino Frances, Peregrino!

I think Alan could make standing motionless in the pouring rain sound enticing with his penmanship!

He has. He's like the Pied Piper.

 

[Yoah]

Beautiful to read. Thank you for the diary. The weather, shoe, and clothing anecdotes have helped validate my packing list, so thank you for that! I've trained in Altras and it's great to know they have served you well on the VDLP. I start in Seville at the end of next month. One question...did you carry a sleeping bag or down blanket? Would you recommend one at this time of year?

Thanks for the kind words! I'm carrying a down quilt, so kind of something in the middle of the two options you suggested. I can zip up the footbox and snap it closed all the way around me if I want to (for when it's colder), or open it all the way up to have a blanket (when it's warmer).

It's a fine balance between being too hot and too cold, and like @geraldkelly said, some of the albergues have no or minimal heating and it can be very chilly at night. But I've also experienced the opposite, with albergues being heated to such an extent that I was way too hot. Often (though not always) there are woollen blanket kind of things (though I doubt they're made of wool).

I hesitate to make a recommendation because people can be hot or cold sleepers, but if pressed I might suggest something around the +5 degree Celsius temperature mark (limit for men, comfort for women, maybe) for a sleeping bag or quilt as the best of both worlds in terms of not being too hot or too cold. That's for the winter months. For reference, I'm carrying something warmer (with a limit temperature of around -2 Celsius, I think) because that's what I had, but I was too warm most of the time on the VdlP when I slept in my quilt.

I also carry a pair of 50/50 merino/synthetic leggings for sleeping in when it's colder (and also to avoid getting sticky in my quilt) and also often slept in my fleece top for the same reasons.

 

[peregrina2000]

I hesitate to make a recommendation because people can be hot or cold sleepers, but if pressed I might suggest something around the +5 degree Celsius temperature mark (limit for men, comfort for women, maybe) for a sleeping bag or quilt as the best of both worlds in terms of not being too hot or too cold. That's for the winter months

HA!!! I never start before April 1, and my bag is also deemed a “5 degree Celsius” bag. I inevitably have a few days where I need extra warmth, either from a blanket or just adding on more clothes. I can’t imagine what I would need in the winter. So, your hesitation about recommendations on sleeping bag is well taken.

Looking forward to more accounts of Yoah’s winter camino!