Starting from Granada in March - any tips?

[sitdowndisco]

My wife and I will be starting from Granada in early March and I'm looking for any tips that people may have. We've walked from St Jean Pied de Port in the past and wanted something a little less crowded this time which I'm led to believe is going to be the case from Granada.

My only 2 slight concerns are in relation to accommodation and credentials.

Is it going to be difficult to find accommodation along the way without some sort of guide or are we likely to be able to find casa rural/hostale/albergue etc just by walking into towns?

Does anyone know the best place to go to get a credential in Granada? I've read that both the association in Granada and the local cathedral might be able to help out. I've emailed the association in any case.

 

[backpack45scb]

We walked from Granada to Cordoba in 2011. Accommodations would have been difficult without a guide, as would route finding. We had two guides, the Confraternity of St. James guide, and the Cicerone Via de la Plata guide by Alison Raju. The VDLP guide has an appendix covering Granada to Merida. We did this at the end of April. It was quite beautiful, though I remember a long uphill slog on a roman road covered with about six inches of boot sucking mud. We had planned to end in Merida, but had to stop at Cordoba since flooding made the remaining part totally impassible. A phone was very helpful for arranging some of the accommodations.

We got a credential through American Pilgrims. Ivar of this forum also has them. We went by the door of the pilgrim office in Granada, but never found it open. A later poster on this thread says Tues is the day.

 

[amancio]

sitdowndisco, welcome to Granada!

just beware of one thing; it will be cold and wet at that time of year. It is snowing now over here.

As to the credentials, you can get them in the Granada association, which only opens Tuesday evenings for a couple of hours, I believe.

Do send me a PM and I will try to give you more information about this particular aspect

 

[sitdowndisco]

We walked from Granada to Cordoba in 2011. Accommodations would have been difficult without a guide, as would route finding. We had two guides, the Confraternity of St. James guide, and the Cicerone Via de la Plata guide by Alison Raju. The VDLP guide has an appendix covering Granada to Merida. We did this at the end of April. It was quite beautiful, though I remember a long uphill slog on a roman road covered with about six inches of boot sucking mud.

One thing I'm not looking forward to is mud! I guess if it gets really wet, we'll have look for alternative ways!

 

[sitdowndisco]

sitdowndisco, welcome to Granada!

just beware of one thing; it will be cold and wet at that time of year. It is snowing now over here.

I am hope hope hoping it doesn't rain too much! I am OK with it being a bit chilly when walking... but if it rains for weeks on end, I'm sure it will be disappointing. In any case, I guess I'll soon find out!

 

[LTfit]

Hi @sitdowndisco I walked Granada to Mérida this past September-October. It was a beautiful walk but very solitary. I did not meet another pilgrim until I reached Mérida! It took me 14 days but I walked several stages of about 40 km.

You can get a credencial at the office of the amigos:
Plaza Ciudad de los Cárceles nbr 1
centro Cévico Berro
18013 Granada
Tues/Thursday 18.30-21.30
info@iniciomozarabe.es

I suggest that you email to be sure about days/hours as they may have winter hours. I used their guide which I was not too happy with but it was the newest around. The Córdoba asociación has a better one (IMHO) but you need something from Granada.

The signage was moderate between Granada-Córdoba (I got lost on several occasions due to foliage covering signs) but very good from Córdoba-Mérida.

Regarding weather: I walked the Via de la Plata last February (Sevilla-Salamanca) and we had some great weather interspersed with showers but never heavy rain. I walked with a thin thermal undershirt and a shell and was fine. But...you will have lots of mud on the Mozárabe as the first week you are often if not always walking through olive groves.

Re accommodations: the amigos office will give you a list of accommodations.

Let me know if I can be of help.

Cheers,
LT

 

[sitdowndisco]

Thanks for the info LT. I will be walking with 2 other people until Córdoba and 1 other from there onwards. What sort of accommodation were you generally finding during the two weeks to Merida? Casa rural types? Was it ever difficult to find a place to stay? Cheers.

 

[LTfit]

Great that you will have some company!
I stayed in the accommodations as per the handout received from the Amigos or from their guide which was a combination of polideportivos (basic: exercise mat on floor of dressing room in town gym), private albergues (if no other choice, room provided by a church and about 3 pilgrim accommodations.

Be sure to spend an extra day in Córdoba!
And stop by or stay in Cerro Muriano only 16 km outside of Córdoba. A lovely Dutch couple provides lodging in their own home. They are fellow hospitaleros so please say hello to them from Lee!

Buen Camino - I am jealous!

 

[Canuck]

Hi @sitdowndisco
...
You can get a credencial at the office of the amigos:
Plaza Ciudad de los Cárceles nbr 1
...

Should read ''Plaza Ciudad de los Carmenes n°1''

After all, you don't want to end up in ''Jail''(carceles).

 

[Magwood]

Probably too late for @sitdowndisco, but it will be useful for anyone else coming across this thread. Here is a link to what appears to be an excellent and beautifully produced pdf guide to all routes of the Mozarabe, ie from Almeria, Granada, Málaga, written in English and including maps, accommodation and contact details. I am walking from Málaga early April 2015, so later in the year I will be able to advise if it is as useful as it looks
http://www.caminomozarabedesantiago.es/documentos/guia-eng.pdf

 

[alexwalker]

Here is a link to what appears to be an excellent and beautifully produced pdf guide to all routes of the Mozarabe, ie from Almeria, Granada, Málaga, written in English and including maps, accommodation and contact details. I am walking from Málaga early April 2015, so later in the year I will be able to advise if it is as useful as it looks
http://www.caminomozarabedesantiago.es/documentos/guia-eng.pdf

Very useful! It has made me decide to take that route in Apr/May 2016, I think. Almeria or Malaga as starting point, whatever. The thought of going through Granada (I was there once but didn't see the Alhambra), Cordoba, then continuing the VdlP from Merida (I did Sevilla-SdC in two consecutive years) sounds irresistable to me. Thank you again so much for the link to that guide, which seems to make it all possible for me.