Walking the Camino Requena from Valencia, May 2023

[C clearly]

Here is a very brief account of my stages from Valencia to Monteagudo de las Salinas, where the Requena joins with the regular Lana.

The best information you can get online is probably from this site https://www.caminolanavalencia.es/. There you can find downloadable tracks, lodging list, and contact information. See also the contact for Vicente below under Requena. He suggests that people should contact him a few weeks before their Camino, so he can provide any updated information or help them with planning.

Valencia – I stayed at Casa del Patriarca, which was nice and well located. Spent a day sightseeing in the city. Stopped to visit the pilgrim office, but the person I spoke with really didn’t know much about the Camino Requena. They are more interested in the Levante.

1. Manises (9 km) – Walked along the green path (not the official Camino) which was mostly recreational and park land. Stayed at the Travelodge Valencia Airport, which was very satisfactory. With a fiesta weekend in Valencia, most hotels were filled and prices were high.
2. Cheste (25 km) – Walked past Loriguilla, where I noted that Casa Itziar was open – WhatsApp 654 306 492, €25 for pilgrims. In Cheste, the Hostal El Sol hadn’t responded to my phone calls and I didn’t have a WhatsApp number, so I just chanced it and walked up. But closed on Sunday, at least that Sunday. It is open other days. So, I promptly used Booking.com to reserve Hotel Condes de Buñol, went to the train station, and got the Cercanías to Buñol.
3. Buñol (17.5 km) – Hotel Condes de Buñol was fine, and the owner Fidel gave me a lesser rate for my second night which I had not booked on Booking.com. Next day, I took the train back to Cheste and walked back. Arrived in time for a very good menú del día at Posada Venta Pilar, which I understand also gives a good pilgrim rate for accommodation.
4. Siete Aguas (17 km) – I had contacted someone for El Retiro, who gave me a phone number to call when I got to Siete Aguas, but the person answering the phone told me they only rented cabins for 4 people. I wasn’t interested in protesting, and I had a Plan B, so I said fine and proceeded with it. Again, used Booking.com to get a room at the truck stop El Rebollar, and got the train there. Let’s just say that getting accommodation in Siete Aguas can be difficult. This was confirmed later in Requena where Vicente said that they recommend that pilgrims just walk to the train station at Siete Aguas (not going up the hill to the town), and take a train to Requena for 2 nights. Then back-track in the morning. I’m quite sure Vicente would let people stay 2 nights in the albergue in Requena for that reason.
5. Requena (23 km) – Stayed at the albergue Casa del Peregrino, having arranged this in advance with Vicente (WhatsApp +34 665 97 89 71). He is very enthusiastic about the Camino. We discussed the situation at Siete Aguas and he gave me some hints about later stages. The albergue in Requena is small and basic, but has what you need, and was located in the middle of town. I was on my own there. No charge, but I left a donation on the table.
6. Utiel (25 km) – Hostal Vegano is great, with good meals (non-vegan). They gave me a pilgrim rate (€35) at the hostal; apparently they also have a pension that was full, but the rate would have been €25.
7. Camporrobles (27 km by bus) + Mira (13 km walking) – I was planning to do the next stage (Mira-Cardenete) by bus but Vicente convinced me that I should walk that one, so I got a bus from Utiel to Camporrobles and then walked on to Mira. I had contacted the ayuntamiento for the albergue in Mira, so someone came to give me the keys. Again I was on my own. There was no charge, and since it is operated by the ayuntamiento, there isn’t really a mechanism for donations so it was free.
8. Cardenete (33 km) – En route to Cardenete, you pass by Villora where Vicente said there was a very good albergue. However, I needed to get to Monteagudo the next day, so I couldn’t stop there. For Cardenete, again I had contacted the ayuntamiento and had a number to call on arrival. This albergue was also very good and free, and I was alone. Several restaurants were open.
9. Monteagudo de las Salinas (29 km) – Here I met up with @peregrina2000 and we stayed in El Rincon de Sandra, which was very pleasant.

Some lessons and advice would be…

• Contact Vicente of Requena in advance.
• Make all arrangements for accommodation at least a few days in advance, especially for weekends.
• Don’t arrive in Cheste on a Sunday, expecting accommodation.
• Don’t plan on sleeping in Siete Aguas. Consider the train from Siete Aguas to El Rebollar or Requena.

Feel free to ask any questions!

 

[Philtration]

Thanks for posting your information. I've been considering the Lana and hadn't really heard anything about the Requena option.

 

[C clearly]

The Requena option is a little shorter than starting in Alicante. If you want something even shorter, you could even start walking in Requena.

I should have mentioned that the Cercanias commuter train from Valencia provides a lot of options for starting points - it basically runs all the way to Utiel with stops in the same towns as the camino.

 

[Freewalker]

Here is a very brief account of my stages from Valencia to Monteagudo de las Salinas, where the Requena joins with the regular Lana.

The best information you can get online is probably from this site https://www.caminolanavalencia.es/. There you can find downloadable tracks, lodging list, and contact information. See also the contact for Vicente below under Requena. He suggests that people should contact him a few weeks before their Camino, so he can provide any updated information or help them with planning.

Valencia – I stayed at Casa del Patriarca, which was nice and well located. Spent a day sightseeing in the city. Stopped to visit the pilgrim office, but the person I spoke with really didn’t know much about the Camino Requena. They are more interested in the Levante.

1. Manises (9 km) – Walked along the green path (not the official Camino) which was mostly recreational and park land. Stayed at the Travelodge Valencia Airport, which was very satisfactory. With a fiesta weekend in Valencia, most hotels were filled and prices were high.
2. Cheste (25 km) – Walked past Loriguilla, where I noted that Casa Itziar was open – WhatsApp 654 306 492, €25 for pilgrims. In Cheste, the Hostal El Sol hadn’t responded to my phone calls and I didn’t have a WhatsApp number, so I just chanced it and walked up. But closed on Sunday, at least that Sunday. It is open other days. So, I promptly used Booking.com to reserve Hotel Condes de Buñol, went to the train station, and got the Cercanías to Buñol.
3. Buñol (17.5 km) – Hotel Condes de Buñol was fine, and the owner Fidel gave me a lesser rate for my second night which I had not booked on Booking.com. Next day, I took the train back to Cheste and walked back. Arrived in time for a very good menú del día at Posada Venta Pilar, which I understand also gives a good pilgrim rate for accommodation.
4. Siete Aguas (17 km) – I had contacted someone for El Retiro, who gave me a phone number to call when I got to Siete Aguas, but the person answering the phone told me they only rented cabins for 4 people. I wasn’t interested in protesting, and I had a Plan B, so I said fine and proceeded with it. Again, used Booking.com to get a room at the truck stop El Rebollar, and got the train there. Let’s just say that getting accommodation in Siete Aguas can be difficult. This was confirmed later in Requena where Vicente said that they recommend that pilgrims just walk to the train station at Siete Aguas (not going up the hill to the town), and take a train to Requena for 2 nights. Then back-track in the morning. I’m quite sure Vicente would let people stay 2 nights in the albergue in Requena for that reason.
5. Requena (23 km) – Stayed at the albergue Casa del Peregrino, having arranged this in advance with Vicente (WhatsApp +34 665 97 89 71). He is very enthusiastic about the Camino. We discussed the situation at Siete Aguas and he gave me some hints about later stages. The albergue in Requena is small and basic, but has what you need, and was located in the middle of town. I was on my own there. No charge, but I left a donation on the table.
6. Utiel (25 km) – Hostal Vegano is great, with good meals (non-vegan). They gave me a pilgrim rate (€35) at the hostal; apparently they also have a pension that was full, but the rate would have been €25.
7. Camporrobles (27 km by bus) + Mira (13 km walking) – I was planning to do the next stage (Mira-Cardenete) by bus but Vicente convinced me that I should walk that one, so I got a bus from Utiel to Camporrobles and then walked on to Mira. I had contacted the ayuntamiento for the albergue in Mira, so someone came to give me the keys. Again I was on my own. There was no charge, and since it is operated by the ayuntamiento, there isn’t really a mechanism for donations so it was free.
8. Cardenete (33 km) – En route to Cardenete, you pass by Villora where Vicente said there was a very good albergue. However, I needed to get to Monteagudo the next day, so I couldn’t stop there. For Cardenete, again I had contacted the ayuntamiento and had a number to call on arrival. This albergue was also very good and free, and I was alone. Several restaurants were open.
9. Monteagudo de las Salinas (29 km) – Here I met up with @peregrina2000 and we stayed in El Rincon de Sandra, which was very pleasant.

Some lessons and advice would be…

• Contact Vicente of Requena in advance.
• Make all arrangements for accommodation at least a few days in advance, especially for weekends.
• Don’t arrive in Cheste on a Sunday, expecting accommodation.
• Don’t plan on sleeping in Siete Aguas. Consider the train from Siete Aguas to El Rebollar or Requena.

Feel free to ask any questions!

Excellent information -- THANK YOU !!