Hi currently on the vdlp and thought following might be useful to others. I’m only on day 3 so will try to update from time to time.
Have stopped in Guillena, Castilblanco de los Arroyos and Almaden de la plata. Mix of private and municipal albergues all been good. Obviously open now. There are currently around 5/6 pilgrims around mainly staying in the same places.
Weather has been sunny and warm. Cool at night and in morning but generally in T shirt by 10.00 getting in mid 20,s in afternoon once sun goes down cool. No rain.
Walking has been great. Countryside green few flowers and cows and horses about.
They have improved a number of paths.
On leaving Santiponce once you come off the public road and onto gravel track you can now go right at junction- new yellow arrows, old sign still points straight on- and right path avoids the beam over the stream and meets old route about 1 km before Guillena. The new path is a wide gravelled track and is very well done. I think there is just some signage to sort. This route is no further.
The last few kms into Castilblanco now also have a new path/track running alongside the road about 10-15meters in.
From Castilblanco you walk out on the road but their is a good shoulder and extra gravel and road is quiet. I had expected this to be a horrible boring walk from what I had read but didn’t find it so. Traffic is light the road meanders up and down in and out and the countryside is pleasant. About 10km out a new path/ track has been developed to a high standard that takes you all the way to the nature park. It runs alongside the road about 10-15 meters in and goes through the old cork oaks so there is some shade.
The path from the park to Almaden de la plata has also been upgraded in part up to the hill.
Have stopped in Guillena, Castilblanco de los Arroyos and Almaden de la plata. Mix of private and municipal albergues all been good. Obviously open now. There are currently around 5/6 pilgrims around mainly staying in the same places.
Weather has been sunny and warm. Cool at night and in morning but generally in T shirt by 10.00 getting in mid 20,s in afternoon once sun goes down cool. No rain.
Walking has been great. Countryside green few flowers and cows and horses about.
They have improved a number of paths.
On leaving Santiponce once you come off the public road and onto gravel track you can now go right at junction- new yellow arrows, old sign still points straight on- and right path avoids the beam over the stream and meets old route about 1 km before Guillena. The new path is a wide gravelled track and is very well done. I think there is just some signage to sort. This route is no further.
The last few kms into Castilblanco now also have a new path/track running alongside the road about 10-15meters in.
From Castilblanco you walk out on the road but their is a good shoulder and extra gravel and road is quiet. I had expected this to be a horrible boring walk from what I had read but didn’t find it so. Traffic is light the road meanders up and down in and out and the countryside is pleasant. About 10km out a new path/ track has been developed to a high standard that takes you all the way to the nature park. It runs alongside the road about 10-15 meters in and goes through the old cork oaks so there is some shade.
The path from the park to Almaden de la plata has also been upgraded in part up to the hill.
)
For whomever is walking that stage and finds it as wet as I did, it does get better after the finca, because from that point on there are stepping stones on the worst parts (see picture, I was so grateful for the stepping stones that day) and I only got my feet wet once or twice after the finca. 
