Levante in the Winter

[SJCrook129]

Hello all!

I am contemplating beginning the Levante in mid or late January and have a few questions.

If I follow the Levante to the Sanabres, on to SDC, how many walking days should I count on? 6-7 weeks? I completed the Norte two years ago in 28 days and am able to complete significant distances each day.

Are many albergues closed during the winter months? If so, will other accommodation be available on a budget?

I am aware of the guidebook published by the Amigos in Valencia. Can this be purchased in person, or is it better to order in advance? According to the website, they are only open on Fridays in the off-season.

If anyone has other advice or recommendations for the Levante - especially in Jan-Feb, I'm all ears!

Thanks to all in advance!

Samuel

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi Samuel, there are a few recent Levante reports here that should give you an idea of stages, accommodation and days. Your 6-7 weeks should be plenty. There are albergues for roughly half the stages and since they are either municipal or parochial (not private), they are likely to be open.

If you can do an electronic bank transfer at a low cost (not generally the case with US banks) I'd just order the guide online. Another option is to ask Vanessa at the great Pensión París to buy a copy for you and she will just add the cost onto your room price. Highly recommended place.

There are several Levante fans on the forum so let us know your specific questions! Buen camino, Laurie.

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

Hello all!

I am contemplating beginning the Levante in mid or late January and have a few questions.

If I follow the Levante to the Sanabres, on to SDC, how many walking days should I count on? 6-7 weeks? I completed the Norte two years ago in 28 days and am able to complete significant distances each day.

Are many albergues closed during the winter months? If so, will other accommodation be available on a budget?

I am aware of the guidebook published by the Amigos in Valencia. Can this be purchased in person, or is it better to order in advance? According to the website, they are only open on Fridays in the off-season.

If anyone has other advice or recommendations for the Levante - especially in Jan-Feb, I'm all ears!

Thanks to all in advance!

Samuel

Hello Samuel,

I believe many of the albergues are closed during winter, but then again, there are not so many traditional albergues on the Levante. There are pensiones, hotels, polideportivos and they should be open all year round. Prices: When doing the Levante or the Sureste you can go from zero euros one night (polideportivo) to 30 euros the next (pensión/hotel), normally 20-25 euros a night I would say.

I ordered the guide from Valencia as well as the credential, so I didn't have to hunt for it at my arrival - less work! Do it!

Levante and Sanabrés is possible to do in more or less 45 days. I made 30-40 km each day, depending on possibilities to shorten/lengthen the stages.

Levante in January should be okay, but the Sanabrés, in Galicia, in January...? It will be raining or snowing...!

Good luck! And come back to tell us about it! :OD

/Bad Pilgrim

 

[peregrina2000]

Hello Samuel,

I believe many of the albergues are closed during winter, but then again, there are not so many traditional albergues on the Levante. There are pensiones, hotels, polideportivos and they should be open all year round. Prices: When doing the Levante or the Sureste you can go from zero euros one night (polideportivo) to 30 euros the next (pensión/hotel), normally 20-25 euros a night I would say.

I ordered the guide from Valencia as well as the credential, so I didn't have to hunt for it at my arrival - less work! Do it!

Levante and Sanabrés is possible to do in more or less 45 days. I made 30-40 km each day, depending on possibilities to shorten/lengthen the stages.

Levante in January should be okay, but the Sanabrés, in Galicia, in January...? It will be raining or snowing...!

Good luck! And come back to tell us about it! :OD

/Bad Pilgrim

Hi, BP, Why do you think many of the albergues are closed during winter? By my count about half of the typical stages on the Levante have albergues, and I think they are all either municipal or religious. In my experience those don't typically close, but I have never walked in the winter so I may not know what I am talking about.

Like BP, I would love to hear about this walk if you do it!

 

[LTfit]

Agree with Laurie - I don't know why they would be closed especially since the majority are (unmanned) municipals where you pick up the key at the policía local. I am not sure about heating in the first half (did Valencia-Toledo in the summer) but I did Toledo-Zamora beginning April and there were always portable electric heaters in the albergues. With my thin sleeping bag and an albergue blanket I was fine. It will be cold: it was 2c when I left Ávila.

Also don't expect to see anyone. Last year I met 2 people during my 11 days from Toledo-Zamora.

Cheers
LT

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

Agree with Laurie - I don't know why they would be closed especially since the majority are (unmanned) municipals where you pick up the key at the policía local.

I stand corrected.

I would love to do the southern Caminos in any season but summer, since that is what I'm always confined to because of work-vacation schedule. I have never seen anything but the dust and the burned landscapes in June-July...

 

[Castilian]

Be aware in Sanabria you can find temperatures well bellow 0ºC in January and in February. In fact you can find them at other autumn and winter months too. For example, the day before yesterday they were at minus 9ºC... The average medium temperature (not the average medium of minimum temperatures) in Puebla de Sanabria in January is 0.8ºC. That may give you an idea of what to expect so plan clothing and equipment accordingly.

 

[coober]

Hi, LT, what summer months did you walk and was it reasonable walking weather. I'm thinking late August early September starting from Valencia.

cheers
David

 

[HeidiL]

I got my guidebook from Valencia a couple of weeks ago. I found out that the money transfer would cost three times as much as the book, so I took a chance and sent them Euros.

At the moment, my husband and I have a vague plan to start walking from Valencia December 26th and just do the first 8-9 days, but he is in an uncertain situation regarding work, so we haven't bought our plane tickets yet.

Re temperature, we're not going very far north, so it should be OK (and we're Norwegians and have been outside in the snow before).

 

[LTfit]

@coober
Hi David,
I left Valencia on June 26th. Temperatures were warm to hot and the first several days out of Valencia were also very humid but IMHO all very doable until we reached Toledo. If I recall correctly it was almost 40c and was going to remain that hot for the next several days.
All in all I found doing the Vía de la Plata in July much worse as the temps start to rise by 10 a.m. and just don't cool off at night. As they say EXTREMA - DURA.
p.s. I walked with a friend and we saw only one other pilgrim on route to Toledo.

 

[andy.d]

One thing that occurs to me with walking the Levante in winter is the short time it is light. Some of the stages are quite long and the marking is not especially good. When I walked it (starting in September 2009), I set off at dawn. I would have preferred to go earlier because of the heat, but it would have been really difficult to find the way without light

Andy

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

I've heard about this, but as I always go to Spain in the same month (June) I can't compare. How much difference between June and January when it comes to sunrise/sunset??

 

[Castilian]

How much difference between June and January when it comes to sunrise/sunset??

Roughly, in June, you have between 4h. 30m and 5h more of daylight than in January.

 

[KinkyOne]

I've heard about this, but as I always go to Spain in the same month (June) I can't compare. How much difference between June and January when it comes to sunrise/sunset??

I quess there's no question we will meet someday on some Camino as June is also "my month" to start walking

 

[SYates]

I've heard about this, but as I always go to Spain in the same month (June) I can't compare. How much difference between June and January when it comes to sunrise/sunset??

You might find this site useful:http://www.sunrisesunset.com/predefined.asp
Buen Camino, SY