Way Valdesalor – Caceres
Attention! Depending which guide (and how up to date it is) you are using there might be now a change of way. You leave the albergue and turn left and right around the borders of the park. When you come to the road you go straight over it and cross the N-630 to the other side. From that point until the center of Caceres the way is well marked. Just after you reach the roundabout with the ruin of a Roman bridge in the center of Caceres the arrows become less frequent and more confusing. Have a look in your guide to find the center or ask people for the Plaza Mayor where the tourist office is located which will be happy to help you further.
Attention! Despite the fact that traffic into the old town has been restricted severely recently, it still can come to uncomfortable close encounters of pilgrims and cars/trucks in the narrow streets of the old town!
Albergue – I slept for 15 Euro in the albergue Las Veletas, in the last available room. Regular, but apart of the garden not much in terms of common rooms, no kitchen, but wifi. Washing machine and dryer cost together a whooping 10 Euro!!! Preferably do it like I did and wash before and after Caceres if you stay in this albergue.
Eating – Lots of selection, but I liked the tapas in La Estancia best, it is just off the Plaza Mayor on the way to the old town and the tourist office.
Way Caceres – Casar de Caceres
Well marked once you reached the bull fighting arena, no problems in finding it after that.
Albergue – No matter what is written in some guides, this albergue is not completely free/gratis but instead relies on the donations left by us pilgrims. The donation box is NOT in the albergue, but in any of the places you get the key (Bar Majuca, Bar Siglo, Ayuntamiento (town hall) and local police). Very nice albergue with washing machine AND tumble dryer, small, sparsely equipped kitchen, wifi, blankets and radiators.
As I just wrote about a donation albergue, here something to think about: If you pay happily x Euro in a (private) albergue with a similar equipment to a donation albergue … You know what I am aiming at ;-)
Way Casar de Caceres – Canaveral
The monster stage of 34km! As much as I hoped that I was wrong, all the accommodation options at the Embalse (reservoir) de Tajo are closed at the moment and it is unsure when they will open again. Fortunately the way is well marked, but because of construction work going on the way is frequently re-routed. Here some strategic points I encountered: At
~14,5km the way leads straight to a construction fence which you have to follow left, then under a bridge and then right again to retake the original way interrupted by the construction works. Not many arrows, but anyway pretty straightforward. Here the camino joins what I call a 'mountain goat path' (narrow, rocky, up and down) that runs alongside, but higher than, the N-630.
Attention! The Via de la Plata crosses here numerous local walking paths, which are in parts also marked as leading to Canaveral. If they take a detour = more kilometrs, or not, no idea. If you are on a bike this path is nearly impossible for you and you better stay on the N-630. At
~17km the arrows point down to the N-630, but the 'mountain goat path' runs further alongside the height of the hill. I decided to follow the yellow arrows along the N-630, but the path also seems to run roughly parallel.
~22km here the way leads away from the N-630 and up into the hills. As I wasn't sure if and how I would manage 12km more I stayed on the road. Plan B was, which I didn't need in the end, that I could hitchhike if my feet gave up.
Important! As I finally, after 34km (+~2km detour 'thanks' to the construction site) arrived at the albergue in Canaveral I discovered that I had taken exactly the right decision. The three other pilgrims that were with me on the road that day, and that have walked the Via de la Plata in previous years, had done exactly the same. Also the hospitalero confirmed that the way over the hills is in a very bad state.
Albergue – New, private, albergue (15 Euro, breakfast 3 Euro, menu 8 Euro) in the middle of the village directly on the way. ~16 beds in 4 different dormitories with heating and air con, bed linen, blankets, super clean, very good showers, wifi. Martin, the hospitalero, has done the pilgrimage the first time in 1991.
Breakfast: The best I had so far on the Via de la Plata, even ham and cheese was on offer! Also the menu in the evening was very yummy!
Bonus: The, at the moment, 4 months old Leon, a Spanish Mastiff, that really looks forward to meet pilgrims and likes ear scratchies ;-)
Eating – As I said, the food in the albergue is excellent and the ingredients are in part sourced locally/from their own ecological garden and chicken.
Way Canaveral – Grimaldo
Well marked, but there are a few critical spots: At the roundabout, shortly after the village, is a granite cuboid on your left. No need to jump now over the crash barrier! The both ways reunite a few hundred meters later. Shortly after, the way passes directly before a chapel (nice picnic spot here) and then follows the middle way of three, the only one that has no local way marking. Shortly after, the way climbs steeply for a few hundred meters on a rocky path, not really recommended for cyclists. A few kilometers later you cross over the parking of a 'club' (that neither serves early morning cafe con leches nor rents rooms out for more then a few hours …) and shortly after, there are two ways marked, it doesn't matter which one you choose, as they both run more or less parallel and reunite later. The bifurcation Riolobos/Grimaldo comes much later and is well marked.
Albergue – A nice pilgrims house with microwave-kitchen, crockery and cutlery, radiators, blankets and washing machine.
Attention! The hot water heater is a bit 'temperamental'. The hot water runs only for 3-4 minutes, then stops, you have to wait 1-2 minutes, then you have again hot water for 3-4 minutes … Perhaps it is better, especially if you have long hair, to wash body and hair separately ;-) Also here, donations are welcome and the key can be collected in the bar on the left of the albergue. In the morning you put it into the mail box. You can also catch the wifi from the local social center (password in bar), the best place to do so is behind the albergue.
Eating – The same bar that has the key for the albergue serves also tasty menus and ok plated meals. Opposite in the restaurant Asador de Grimaldo where more elaborate dishes are served for higher prices (closed on Mondays).
Posada de Grimaldo – If the albergue is too simple for your taste, 100m up the road is a pension were you can stay for 20 Euro/person.
Way Grimaldo – Galisteo
Important! The way through both fincas is open again! Depending on the guide you are using, there is a change in the way described, shortly after the reservoir of Riolobos which is well marked: You follow now the wider track right hand side, the left and narrower track has been washed away and the valley floor there is a real swamp (at least now in Spring). Shortly after you reach the country road where there are a confusing amount of arrows and indications. Some of the arrows want to send you back to Riolobos, but as the old way is open again, please ignore them completely! You follow the country road left and after ~1km you go left through the Finca Valparaiso and over the hill. After the canal you follow here now the, on both sides fenced, way through the finca.
Albergue – The albergue in Galisteo (15 Euro) is cared for by the same hospitalero (Nacho) that also takes care of the camping in Riolobos. If the albergue in Galisteo (only 8 beds) is full, he will bring pilgrims for free to Riolobos and next morning back again. The albergue is very clean and well equipped: heating/air-con, bed linen, blankets, towels, good bathrooms, wifi, microwave, but very little dishes, lockers, patio and a simple breakfast is also included in the price. Every pilgrim gets their own key.
Attention! Nacho has told me that the village youth likes to play pranks and, for example, enters the albergue and hides pilgrim boots and similar. Therefore he advices to take all valuables with you and to close the albergue by key whenever you leave it.
Way Galisteo – Carcaboso
The way is sparsely marked, but easy to find. Leaving Galisteo there are two alternatives:
- From the albergue you go back to the road where the Bar-Hostal Los Emigrantes is, turn right and follow this road more or less alongside the town wall. When this road leads away from the town wall you see already the old bridge you have to cross.
- Go from the albergue up to the town wall and through the gate into the old town, pass left of the church and follow the streets, more or less straight ahead, through the old town towards the other gate. When you have passed that gate, you can see already the bridge in the valley.
Go over the bridge, just before it is btw a nice picnic spot, and straight ahead up the slope and on the country road.
Attention! Ignore absolutely the sign 'camino' at the first roundabout, this refers to a rural way and has nothing to do with the Via de la Plata! Instead follow over this and the next roundabout the signs towards Aldehuela del Jerte.
Aldehuela del Jerte
The only bar opens rarely, as the neighbors have told me, before 12:00, not very convenient for a second breakfast if you come from Galisteo. At the village exit is a small shop which is open and shortly after it you find some benches to have your picnic ;-)
The way goes now, always on the same country road, directly to
Carcaboso. At the town entrance you turn left towards the albergue of Senora Elena and the hostal.
Albergue Carcaboso
The municipal albergue is, at the moment?, closed. Since 1991 welcomes Senora Elena pilgrims in her albergue (11 Euro) which I can recommend. It is in the first floor of a house and is a real pilgrims apartment with well equipped kitchen (but no washing machine), ~12 beds in 5 rooms, bathroom with bath tub, nice terrace with view and wifi. Senora Elena gave shelter to her first pilgrims back in 1983 and since 1991 runs, now with family help as she is already over 80, an official pilgrims albergue. Those of you that speak Spanish, please take the time to chat with her, she can tell you a lot about the Via de la Plata and its pilgrims!
Eating – From 9 Euro upwards you can eat an extremely nice menu in the Hostal-Restaurant La Ciudad de Caparra. This can be found just 50m up the street from the albergue. Very recommendable!
So, that is all for today!
Buen Camino, SY
PS. I am now in the Hostal Asturias, ~10km before Aldeanueva del Campo – pretty much in the middle of nowhere with enough time and wifi to write these updates …
PPS As long as the wifi holds, I will now go through this thread any answer any questions I have an answer for ;-)
Or at least it was this year early April....
