Day 54: Puebla de Sanabria to Requejo
I took a look at the map and street view of Puebla to understand why such a small place feels inadequately waymarked to me. There ought to be nothing to it - Follow Camino del Ponton as far as the Guardia Civil, then head up to the Av. de Galicia and turn left until, eventually, you come across an arrow to the left that takes you to the footpath. But somehow, I have those irritating moments of doubt here.
I think the only arrows that I've seen in the town are painted on the side of the green refuse bins at the entrance of the Camino del Ponton next to the Cosas de Aqui souvenir shop (see Google street view link below). There's no arrow at the fork in the road after that (continue on the Camino del Ponton - the left fork), nor is there a sign when you reach the Guardia Civl post (head north to join the Av. de Galicia). The roads are really pretty and it should be an enjoyable walk if only it had a couple more arrows:
Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.
goo.gl
Now, if you happen to be staying in a hotel at the top of Puebla de Sanabria, you needn't descend to Camino del Ponton. The
map on Gronze shows the route of the Camino going north from the top of town along the Paseo San Román to the Av. de Galicia. Whichever way you go, you want to wind up on the Av. de Galicia, heading west.
Keep following the Av. de Galicia until you reach an arrow pointing you to a footpath to the left. If you miss that, you'll meet the N525 a short distance later. You don't want to walk along that. Go back and find the footpath which takes you through some pleasant, unchallenging countryside, with a view of the hills that will be your challenge tomorrow.
@C clearlyLooking at the profile of the
stage to Lubián, there is a nice hill from Requejo, and we may need to start the climb fresh in the morning, after a good night's rest.
It's a big hill and it's on the side of the fast (but mercifully not very busy) road. Plan on tackling it after first light.
We didn't cut short our visit to Puebla, but we need to check out the accommodation in Requejo. It looks like we will heed
@Raggy 's advice, as his experience is more recent than
@peregrina2000 's experience 10 years ago. Interestingly, Gerald Kelly's guide doesn't mention Tu Casa.
@Sara_Dhooma stayed at the
Albergue Casa Cerviño. And there is the
Hotel Maite.
My theory is that Requejo has been spoiled by all the business that came from the AVE construction workers. I think this is probably how the towns in California or the Yukon felt after gold was discovered there.
My two favorite establishments in Requejo are the little shop and the bar that you come across when you enter the village. The bar has a little garden area. Service isn't super friendly but I did get thanks when I brought our empties back to the counter.
Hotel Maite - Terribly tired rooms with chipped laminate on the furniture; yellow, flaky, grout between the tiles; and bed covers that have seen better days. Not especially friendly.
Restaurant Hotel Mar Rojo - I had a good enough steak in the faux-fancy restaurant there in 2017. In 2019, they tried to rip me off for a few beers. Rooms are probably a grade above the rooms in Maite but they were fully booked by the construction firms in 2017.
Municipal albergue - A bit uncomfortable. Killer slippery tiles in the toilet/bathroom. No kitchen. No washing machine. Sagging washing line at the back of the building. Cheap.
Casa Cerviño - If I were going again, this might be the "goldilocks" spot. I would not feel like giving my money to the two hotels, but I might like a bit more comfort than the municipal - e.g. washing machine and kitchen.
Tu Casa - Others say it's great value. I found the surroundings too decrepit and the food too "basic." to meet my minimum standards.
Restaurant Hotel Mar Rojo looks like a good place to eat.
Keep count of your drinks. Scrutinize the bill. Check your change. Don't give them the benefit of the doubt if you discover a mistake - tell them that Raggy warned you that they were bandits.