when to walk the VdlP?

[ratyoke]

Maybe it doesn't make much difference, but does anyone have any recommendation for when to start the VdlP? I could leave between mid April till about mid May.

 

[Walli Walker]

I want to know too, Ratyoke, as I'm thinking of Camino Mozarabe & VdeP next year.

 

[mla1]

The later it gets, the more heat will become an issue.

 

[Walli Walker]

Thanks, mla 1.

 

[AJ]

I walked Mozarabe/VdlP some years ago and started the first week of April. I personally would not start too much later because of the heat, but a friend walked from Cadiz in August last year and survived. However he is young, fit and specifically wanted a challenge.

 

[camino07]

I walked mid April and I would say that was about right or just after Easter.

 

[SYates]

I will start beginning of February and report back how it was ;-) Buen Camino, SY

 

[DaddyLonglegs]

I am starting the VdlP at the beginning of September - I rejoice in the autumnal shades and changing light. There appear to be many comments about spring but has anyone walked it at the end of summer? I still expect to encounter heat in the south, though that's nothing out of the ordinary for an Australian...

 

[LTfit]

Below is my response to this thread https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/portuguese-or-vdlp.37652/#post-367195
but certainly applies to your question.

Here I am weighing in.

My first and second Plata/Sanabrés Caminos (Sevilla-Zamora and Zamora - SdC) were done in July. Yes everyone called me crazy but I found it doable.
My next experience (Sevilla-Salamanca) was during the beginning of February and my last (Salamanca-SdC) was in October.

All were of course very different but I really enjoyed walking in September and October (I actually started in Granada and walked Granada-Mérida then bussed up to Salamanca). I found fresh figs, apples and chestnuts along the way and I was blessed with lovely (rainfree) weather 6 weeks long.

One day I'll do it in May although I hear that there are many more on the road at that time.

I started out as a summer peregrina but now am pleased to walk any time of year.

As a side comment my daughter left Sevilla this morning to walk for 6 days. It is her first Camino and decided 2 weeks ago to do it. Off she went with my backpack and all! Like mother, like daughter !

 

[murraydv]

Maybe it doesn't make much difference, but does anyone have any recommendation for when to start the VdlP? I could leave between mid April till about mid May.

I am going back to carry on the VdlP in mid May, starting from where I finished last year, La Caldaza de Bejar. I will walk for 9 days this year. If you are doing the whole thing, then you will be starting much further south. So, in mid May, the first 300 to 400 klm could be very hot (mid to high 30's). If you don't mind that, then May is a great month.
Buen Camino
Dave

 

[musicman]

Walked late April, last year, from Seville to Caceres; returning same time this year to walk Caceres to Salamanca.
Warm and pleasant, reasonable number of Pelegrinos, not too many.
Recommend it!

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hola - I've walked this route three times now - all at different times. The Via de la Plata was my first Camino and I set off from Seville on 2 January. I was kitted out for the cold and within days had to buy sunscreen! My guidebook said that in some sections in Spring "there are wild flowers as far as the eye can see" so I subsequently went back in mid - late April and the views were stunning. This is an epic route whenever you walk!

 

[Joodle]

I will start beginning of February and report back how it was ;-) Buen Camino, SY

I just finished reading your book last night. You're a star!! Thank you for your willingness to share your insights and experience with the Newbies. It was an informative book and I will change some of my gear choices because of it. Thanks.

 

[SYates]

Thank you ever so much @Joodle for your kind words! If you have a spare moment would you mind to post also a honest review for it at Amazon/Goodreads? Thanks again and wishing you a Buen Camino, SY

 

[LesBrass]

Please STOP all of you!!! I really really want to walk this route in spring to see all the wild flowers but commitments mean it will have to wait a couple of years before I can take a chunk out of spring... but oh it sounds so good!

 

[SYates]

No we won't stop, sorry @LesBrass , we are far too excited to get on the Camino again. Buen Camino, SY

 

[domigee]

I'm with LesBrass!

 

[Joodle]

Thank you ever so much @Joodle for your kind words! If you have a spare moment would you mind to post also a honest review for it at Amazon/Goodreads? Thanks again and wishing you a Buen Camino, SY

I will do that. I feel like I know a famous author!

 

[Donna Sch]

For me the hardest part in the heat of summer with a heatwave was northern Extremadura. The day we walked to Caparra was a scorcher and you may find yourself running out of water. My friend had completely run out and I had about 200 mL left on a Sunday with the visitor centre shut and the vending machines locked inside. The stage of walking into Zamora was also a very hot day for us and there is minimal shade. There are some places that you expect to be hot but which get breezes (hills CAN be good!) and others that have lots of trees so you get shade even if indirectly. If you are walking in summer you have to be able to tolerate 35 deg C walking on roads. For me that is when the hiking umbrella tended to come out and it made all the difference. Hats trap the heat a little and you want to lose it. It's funny how you welcome the appearance of sprinklers and irrigation ditches yet the same thing later on in Galicia has you ducking out of the way.

 

[Donna Sch]

Fewer wildflowers in June/July but dry, arid conditions have a beauty of their own. And apples and berries make an appearance in July...

 

[ratyoke]

I think I will stick to my original plan and go in mid April.
It's -5 degrees C here in Seoul today, I can't wait for spring. I hate the cold. I'm trying to train for the camino, but had to cut my walk short at about 9km last weekend cause the cold was making me miserable.

 

[Gilles du Gers]

I will start my fourth vdlp february the 1St and will also report how it was. Probably not crowdy at all, weather a bit fresh in the north and could meet rainy or snowy days after Salamanca ?
Gilles

 

[SYates]

I will start my fourth vdlp february the 1St and will also report how it was. Probably not crowdy at all, weather a bit fresh in the north and could meet rainy or snowy days after Salamanca ?
Gilles

See you on the way then ;-) Buen Camino, SY

 

[ajp]

I want to know too, Ratyoke, as I'm thinking of Camino Mozarabe & VdeP next year.

The three somewhat dated guide books I have all say the spring or fall is the best, the summer heat can be pretty intense. I am starting in early April this year. A person from our town started in mid March last year and ran into snow! Weather is so unpredictable these days, and Spain seems to be no exception.

 

[Happy Hiker]

Great discussion going here guys. My wife & I plan to start the VDLP March 18 & have 2 concerns. Owing to the reports of robberies on the first couple of days would it be wise to wait for a group to walk with for the for the first 2 days or am I over reacting to some isolated reports? Also we are looking to stay in pensions or cheap hotels or private rooms in albergs along the way will this be generally possible?

 

[mspath]

... Also we are looking to stay in pensions or cheap hotels or private rooms in albergs along the way will this be generally possible?

The Spanish on line Gronze guide will help you find accommodation. Listed in sequence by location pilgrim albergues are in brown ink and regular accommodation is in black. Links to Booking.com are also provided. See http://www.gronze.com/camino-de-santiago/caminos/guia-via-plata

Happy research and Buen camino!

 

[LTfit]

@Happy Hiker
My 29 year old daughter just walked from Sevilla to Zafra alone (she was the only one on the Camino and slept each night alone except during the last night in Zafra) and never felt unsafe. It was her first experience and she had a great time. Her biggest problem were blisters.
Buen Camino!

 

[Happy Hiker]

Thanks for your replies folks we appreciate you input.

 

[LesBrass]

I keep coming back to this thread and I'm wavering... I plan to walk the CF again from St Jean to Fisterra in September/October... but the talk of possible increase in foot traffic and this thread keeps pulling me back!

OOOh decisions, decisions!

I have to say I'm a little worried about walking alone. And that it just won't be so pretty in September/October? But there are a few votes for the autumn colours here so maybe that's not an issue?

I think I'll be pondering for a few days... I blame @SYates for all this VdlP talk

 

[mla1]

I keep coming back to this thread and I'm wavering... And that it just won't be so pretty in September/October? But there are a few votes for the autumn colours here so maybe that's not an issue?

Hi LesBrass - On John and Robin's blog - A Good Walk Unspoiled - you can see gorgeous photos from this past November. They make autumn on the vdlp look pretty stunning!

ml

 

[LesBrass]

Hi LesBrass - On John and Robin's blog - A Good Walk Unspoiled - you can see gorgeous photos from this past November. They make autumn on the vdlp look pretty stunning!

ml

I'll search for it now. I've just been to collect my son from school and was chatting to my husband about it... I think I may have talked myself around. My biggest worry is still that I'll be walking too much alone? But maybe I'm worrying unnecessarily about this?

I'll go read the blog... I already enjoyed @Magwood's blog

 

[LesBrass]

p.s. I just ad a look and I can get a flight (on the weekend I was planning on walking) to Seville for 45€... it's all looking like it could be a good idea

 

[amancio]

Great discussion going here guys. My wife & I plan to start the VDLP March 18 & have 2 concerns. Owing to the reports of robberies on the first couple of days would it be wise to wait for a group to walk with for the for the first 2 days or am I over reacting to some isolated reports? Also we are looking to stay in pensions or cheap hotels or private rooms in albergs along the way will this be generally possible?

You might consider taking a day off or two in Seville, visit Italica Roman ruins in Santiponce, then take a bus to Guillena and start there, it is a 4 -4.5 hour walk to Castilblanco, so you can even start in the afternoon and still make it (do notice, however, there is no towns to stop in between Guillena and Castilblanco de los Arroyos, you need to bring water with you, although there is a very peculiar fountain half way)

Easter is very early this year, so I would try to leave Seville before the city is taken over by hords of tourists.

Great time of the year to walk Via de la Plata! You might still find fairly cold days once you climb onto Salamanca province.

Buen camino!

 

[mla1]

p.s. I just ad a look and I can get a flight (on the weekend I was planning on walking) to Seville for 45€... it's all looking like it could be a good idea

It sounds like you are talking yourself into a very good (and inexpensive) decision!
I envy you the 45 euro flight!
ml

 

[LesBrass]

It sounds like you are talking yourself into a very good (and inexpensive) decision!
I envy you the 45 euro flight!
ml

I'm only flying from Toulouse

 

[Walli Walker]

Wish I could get a flight for 45 Euro. I'm in Australia and it costs me thousands to get to and fro a camino! Enjoy and buen camino. Jacki.

 

[peregrina2000]

Great discussion going here guys. My wife & I plan to start the VDLP March 18 & have 2 concerns. Owing to the reports of robberies on the first couple of days would it be wise to wait for a group to walk with for the for the first 2 days or am I over reacting to some isolated reports? Also we are looking to stay in pensions or cheap hotels or private rooms in albergs along the way will this be generally possible?

Hi, Happy Hiker,
I have walked from Sevilla twice, both times alone. I never had a problem or a moment of anxiety. It is hard to sort out the buzz about robberies. I know that there was an arrest several years ago that seemed to have ended the problem between Sevilla and Guillena, but there have also been reports of inappropriate contacts with women after Guillena. I think that if there are two of you, you will be fine, all the reports have involved solo pilgrims.

There are lots of pensiones along the Vdlp (many are extremely cheap) but you may occasionally have to stay in albergues, which are typically quite nice along the Vdlp.

 

[Donna Sch]

I thought the last robbery was almost a year ago just south of Guillena. I was pretty wary as I got close to Guillena as I walked faster than my walking buddy. There was only one point that was potentially a danger spot and that was where the path splits into two with the right going down towards the stream and the left sweeping around. The left had more wide open spaces so felt safer. But once that anxiety was passed the rest of the route felt fine.
Accommodation? The albergues tend to be pretty good, the parroquial ones are excellent and there are usually good private options. I would just read the various posts as that will give you an idea of the good stuff in each stage.

 

[High Endeavours]

I walked this route in May 2014 starting in Seville and loved it!! The flowers, the green grasses, the flowers, fields of grains, the flowers, blue skies, the flowers, the beautiful landscapes, the flowers, the wonderful people, the flowers, stork filled nests...did I mention the flowers? It was a wonderful time to walk. Some hot days, mostly pleasant days, a few cool days. Spring/early summer followed me all the way northward. It was an amazing journey. You won't be disappointed.

Of course security is ever changing everywhere. I walked out of Seville with a woman looking for company because of the robberies that had happened and walked in at the end of the first day with she and another lovely lady we met along the way. We experienced no problems, but of course things can happen and I suppose things can change day to day. I understand that the people involved were later arrested. Like any travel one just needs to be aware of things going on around them. There will be people you can walk with if you feel concerned. I was contacted here on this forum by two women prior to departing home to walk out of Seville with them. One arrived in time and as mentioned we walked out together. The other arrived later than expected, but we met each other later and have subsequently stayed in touch and she was fine. I hope you enjoy your experience. It really is a special journey.

 

[mla1]

I am hoping to repeat Peregrina2000's anxietyless VDLP!
And hoping to see all of High Endeavours' flowers! Leaving at the very end of March to try to follow the spring north.

 

[Happy Hiker]

If anyone has a copy of the daily sections they have walked the VDLP in the past I would appreciate a look at it. Due to time restraints I have agonised over getting to Salamanca in 20 days & Santiago in under 40 days which could give us the chance to push on to Finisterre. The distance between villages just doesn't seem to balance for me.

 

[C clearly]

If anyone has a copy of the daily sections they have walked the VDLP in the past I would appreciate a look at it. Due to time restraints I have agonised over getting to Salamanca in 20 days & Santiago in under 40 days which could give us the chance to push on to Finisterre. The distance between villages just doesn't seem to balance for me.

Have you used the planner at www.godesalco.com? All the distances between towns are provided, so you can experiment with different combinations. Combine that with the "Via de la Plata/Sanabres Walking & Accommodation Guide" in the Resources section under Via de la Plata (or click here) and you have all the information you need. The accommodation guide breaks the journey into 44 stages. By experimenting with combinations in the godesalco database (which can be exported to Excel), you can see if your 40-day plan is feasible.

I've been using these 2 resources to plan my trip, but one of my criteria is to average only about 20-25 km/day. For that reason, I might start in Merida; if I start in Sevilla, I won't be walking all the way to Santiago this time.

 

[Happy Hiker]

Thanks C clearly for our help. I have been onto several websites but will certainly go to the ones suggested & see what we can work out.Hope to leave Seville March 18th. Hope we may see you on the trail.

 

[Larunaperegrina]

Hi. I am walking VDLP for the first time, starting in Sevilla on 25 March 2016. Are there anybody else, who are walking from Sevilla that day too? Maybe we can walk together out of town the first stage.

 

[peregrina2000]

If anyone has a copy of the daily sections they have walked the VDLP in the past I would appreciate a look at it. Due to time restraints I have agonised over getting to Salamanca in 20 days & Santiago in under 40 days which could give us the chance to push on to Finisterre. The distance between villages just doesn't seem to balance for me.

Hi, Happy Hiker, take a look at the thread started by Mary Louise on this topic: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/vdlp-stages-less-than-40-days.37414

I had give myself a lot of time because of an injury the year before, but I think that if you are in reasonable shape, it is perfectly possible to get there in your time frame. I posted a link to my stages in that thread, and also suggested where some condensing would be easy. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[peregrina2000]

I thought the last robbery was almost a year ago just south of Guillena.

The incident that was reported this past fall happened after Guillena, not before. https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...as-harassed-on-my-2nd-day-near-guillena.36557

Since the point she described is very close to the albergue, it should be easy to get some company for that initial part. You could also check with the hospitalero/a to see if there is any more recent information. I am certainly not intending to cause anxiety or fear, I would not hesitate to walk the Vdlp alone again. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[mla1]

Hi. I am walking VDLP for the first time, starting in Sevilla on 25 March 2016. Are there anybody else, who are walking from Sevilla that day too? Maybe we can walk together out of town the first stage.

I will be just behind you, leaving on the 29th.

 

[hailows]

Thanks C clearly for our help. I have been onto several websites but will certainly go to the ones suggested & see what we can work out.Hope to leave Seville March 18th. Hope we may see you on the trail.

HH... I will be staying at the Trianna Hostel the night of the 17th and will leave on the 18th. I suspect I will be seeing you on the road. I have not done as much walking which concerns me a little, but I am looking forward to doing this walk again! See you! Steve SWSW

 

[Happy Hiker]

Hi Steve. We still hope to start from the cathedral on the morning of the 18th March but seeing that we are on non confirmed air tickets from Australia this could all change so we have to be flexible with everything including accommodation.
Still we hope to see you on the trail.

Cheers

Dennis

 

[Kkort]

Maybe it doesn't make much difference, but does anyone have any recommendation for when to start the VdlP? I could leave between mid April till about mid May.

All the sources I have read say that April is a good time to go. I will be leaving April 12 from Seville.

 

[Larunaperegrina]

Great mla 1 !! Maybe see you on the road.