Camino de Sureste - Camino Sanabres - advice please

[Joe Mansfield]

Greetings and thank you forum members for a whole wealth of information I have already gleaned from these pages (please see suggested stages bellow).

I am planning to cycle the Sureste/Sanabres route starting at the end of March using a GPS rather than a guide book. My Spanish is not very good so would be grateful for any advice . In particular in regards to:

Accommodation
Am looking to stay cheaply but comfortably, ideally staying at places with a shower, mattress and blankets (or at least 2 out of the 3!)

Terrain
The stages which have the most steep climbs, any sections you think are unsuitable for a bike and the road would be more preferable.

Route
On day 8 am planning to go from Benavente to Santa Marta de Tera to join the Camino Sanabres - am presuming this would be straight forward?

Many thanks,
Joe


DAY 1 (91K)
Alicante to Yecla
Only hotels?
When coming in avoid arrows right and go straight on?

DAY 2 (131K)
Yecla to La Roda
Albergue donativo Plaza de Torros left and central) (way out confusing chose left for flatter)
Flat stage in general?

DAY 3 (117K) Flat and open
La Roada to La Villa de Don Fadrique,
Casa rural El Rincón del Infante found in the corner of the Plaza Mayor?

Day 4 (109K)La Villa de Don Fadrique to Toledo
Albergue Los Pascuales.
Enter Toledo on the left? RIGHT split at Ermita IGNORE SIGNS?

DAY 5 (80K)
Toledoto to Cadalso de los Vidrios
Plodeportivo/ Municipal Shelter in sports hall OR Hostal Cadalso? -Hostal San José ?
woods then rocky stage, steep?

DAY 6 (92K)
Cadalso de los Vidrios to Gotarrendura
Albergue municipal donativo at town hall? Privado 15E? Good bar run by Romanians?

DAY 7 (113K)
Gotarrendura to Mota Del Marques
Municipal albergue? Hostal Botafumeiro?

DAY 8 (98K)
Mota Del Marques to Santa Marta de Tera
Follow Sureste to Benavente then direct to SMdT TO JOIN SANABRES WAY?
Municipal Hostel.

DAY 9 (97K)
Santa Marta de Tera to Lubia
Municipal shelter?

Day 10 (113K)
Lubia to Oureuse
Municipal Hostel at Convento de San Francisco

DAY 11 (109K)
Oureuse to Santiago!

 

[KinkyOne]

Hola, Joe!

I didn't walked Sureste but I did Levante & Sanabres past summer. Sureste and Levante share some stages so I can comment only for some of the towns where you planned to end daily stages.

La Roda: easy to find bullring although not in the center of the town, ask and everyone will know, but do get the phone number to call the hospitalero because I don't remember it was there on the doors, very basic but quiet.

Villa de Don Fadrique: Casa Rural has special prices for pilgrims but I also have info that there is municipal albergue with 4 beds but you have to call 2 days in advance (925-204-397 Polideportivo, 925-195-061 Ayuntamiento, 679-985-413 Policia Local), I didn't stopped there so that's all that I know.

Toledo: I have stayed in Los Pascuales, nice, kitchen with microwave, easy to find, get to the Alcazar and down the steep and narrow street to the right and you can almost bump directly into their doors.

Gotarrendura: two options here in the same complex, basic albergue (2 bunks, kitchen, washing machine) & albergue turistico which is a bit more expensive, telephone number posted on the door, bar with good food, some reports that in the autumn closed, no market or such.

Sta.Marta de Tera: lovely albergue, but try not to use the first dormitory or at least avoid huge pile of blankets in the corner - bedbugs, I got them and later talked to two pilgrims with the same experience, small tienda (map of the village in albergue kitchen), two bars.

Lubian: municipal albergue is nice, with small kitchen, market, two restaurants on main road above the old center, albergue is the first house if you walk in but I guess you'll come on the tarmac road so will have to descend and get a bit back through the village, also Casa Rural Irene.

Ourense: Municipal albergue, Albergue turistico down from municipal on the Pena Trevinca street on righthand side (supermercado very close), opened 24hrs, new Xunta albergue planned in the historical center somewhere between Cathedral and market for this year.

You can get more detailed info on this forum in Sureste and Sanabres section (scroll down on main page) or:
http://www.mundicamino.com/rutas.cfm?id=57 for Sureste, with profiles etc.
Sanabres is much better covered:
http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/los-caminos-de-santiago/sanabres/
http://www.mundicamino.com/rutas.cfm?id=44
http://www.gronze.com/camino-de-santiago/caminos/guia-via-plata (variante of Via de la Plata)
Note that Sanabres is quite hilly compared to Sureste/Levante!

Ultreia!

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Joe, Welcome to the forum.

I'm not a cyclist and I have walked the Levante/Vdlp/Sanabrés, but not the Sureste. So my comments can only be of marginal, if any, use to you. BUT... I would say that though Gotarrendura is a great little albergue, if it were up to me, I would stop in Ávila rather than plow ahead to Gotarrendura. Ávila is a beautiful fully walled ancient city, and the albergue (which is great) is right at the north end of the city near the wall. You can walk across the bridge from the albergue at night and see an amazing view looking back over the lighted walls. Walking through Ávila when the tourists are gone is something you can only do if you are there after say 7 pm, and it is a different place than when the busloads are crawling around. I see that shifting those 22 km between Ávila and Gotarrendura from one stage to the next messes up an otherwise carefully staged plan, but give it a thought.

Lubián on the Sanabrés does have a municipal albergue. I've slept there once and slept once in private accommodations. The albergue is small, sometimes gets overcrowded with people sleeping downstairs in the commons area, and sometimes the plumbing goes on the blink and the toilets don't work. But I see from Kinky's post above that the Casa Rural Irene is now there to take care of the overflow. http://lacasadeirene.es.tl/ This house is right next to the albergue. On my first walk through Lubián, that house offered rooms to pilgrims but it was very poorly maintained and expensive. So we went to the lovely, but now closed Casa Pachaca, because the thought of lugging water upstairs to flush the toilet in the albergue wasn't exactly appetizing. On my second walk, we stayed in the albergue, and what is now the Casa Rural Irene was rented out to a family. Casa Pachaca had closed, and the bar up on the highway that also offers rooms was full with AVE construction workers. So the albergue was filled to bursting, but fortunately the toilet was working. Looks like there's a better situation in Lubián now -- albergue plus Bar Javi plus Casa Irene. It's a very lovely place.

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Magwood]

Lubián albergue was a very welcome resting place, but the mattresses are covered in horrible plastic (rubber?) sheeting and there is one bathroom serving around 20 pilgrims. I was lucky that I arrived first and didn't feel rushed, but it is not ideal for 20 people to use one bathroom. The accommodation close by, which I assume is Casa Irene, looked very nice from the outside and there were several choices of bars for a good meal.

You wouldn't want to cycle the track out of Lubián - it is extremely steep and very wet, although very beautiful. I guess there will be a road alternative.

Buen Camino!

 

[Castilian]

On day 8 am planning to go from Benavente to Santa Marta de Tera to join the Camino Sanabres - am presuming this would be straight forward?

Yes. If mud was a problem on your travel date, there's a road alternative.

Yecla to La Roda
Albergue donativo Plaza de Torros left and central) (way out confusing chose left for flatter)
Flat stage in general?

Yes, flat in general.

I see that shifting those 22 km between Ávila and Gotarrendura from one stage to the next messes up an otherwise carefully staged plan, but give it a thought.

Not really. The next stage could be ended in Tordesillas (there's a pilgrims albergue there and tons of hotels, hostales...) and the next day Tordesillas to Santa Marta de Tera is roughly 122 flat kms so feasible.

You wouldn't want to cycle the track out of Lubián - it is extremely steep and very wet, although very beautiful. I guess there will be a road alternative.

Yes, there's a road alternative. Well, in fact, there are two road alternatives:

1. Exit Lubián on road ZA-106 and continue on that road all the way till A Canda pass. Once on the top of the pass, you can go down using the same road that will end later on road N-525 (wider and with better asphalt). Once on road N-525 follow directions towards A Canda village to join the camino. Asphalt on road ZA-106 isn't the best one on Earth, if nothing has changed. OTOH, traffic is almost non-existent.
2. Exit Lubián on road ZA-106 and something like 3 kms later follow directions towards N-525 road and A-52 highway (I'm not sure what the sign says exactly but you could take a look at the junction on Google Earth to see it). You can't ride your bike in the highway but you can make it on the N-525 road that runs parallel to the highway. N-525 road has better asphalt than ZA-106 road (or, at least, it had it; I'm not updated so I can't confirm how's the asphalt at the moment in any of the roads I quote on this post), it's wider and, as nowadays almost everybody uses the highway, traffic is scarce. N-525 road bypass A Canda pass with a tunnel (either for good or for bad). Once on the other side of the tunnel, you have to continue on the same road till you find signaling towards A Canda village where you would take the road heading to A Canda village from N-525. Once in A Canda village you would join the Camino Sanabrés once again.

 

[Joe Mansfield]

Thank you so much everybody! What a wonderful community and resource!

Some great info here on accommodation.

Thank you for the tips on stages and also the links to explore.

I am hoping to cycle on the track as much as possible however if weather and or body protest I am glad to know of road alternatives.

Buen Camino!

 

[peregrina2000]

You wouldn't want to cycle the track out of Lubián - it is extremely steep and very wet, although very beautiful. I guess there will be a road alternative.
Buen Camino!

I'm with you, Maggie, I wouldn't want to cycle that ascent into Galicia, and there is a road alternative. When you make it to the top, you hit the road at the pass whose name I forget. But I have to say I actually met some cyclists with hard core mountain bikes who were maneuvering up (at about the same speed as mine, truth be told) and they viewed it as quite the normal day.

Cyclists are just a different breed, shall we say.

 

[alansykes]

DAY 8 (98K)
Mota Del Marques to Santa Marta de Tera
Follow Sureste to Benavente then direct to SMdT TO JOIN SANABRES WAY?
Municipal Hostel.

Mota del Marqués has a (free) municipal albergue at the back of the ayuntamiento. It's got 2-3 beds and a shower/loo. There's a friendly bar at the front of the ayuntamiento, and the restaurant at the truck stop down on the main road does a decent dinner (and opens early for breakfast).

I would agree with Laurie about staying in Ávila if possible, it's a really great town (although there were virtually no tourists when I was there in November, which helps), and a 5* albergue (washing machine etc). The albergue in Tordesillas is also excellent - loads of proper beds, washing machine, local chief of police as the hospitalero and, according to the visitors' book, about 70 people staying in the whole of 2014, so you are unlikely to be crowded.

 

[Joe Mansfield]

Hello everyone, thanks again for your help. I am busy preparing but have one more crucial question.

Is it possible to order a pilgrims passport it advance?

I ask as am arriving to Alicante late at night and making an early start so believe the office will not be open.

If it is not open are passports available en-route on the Camino Del Sureste?

Gracias!

 

[peregrina2000]

Hello everyone, thanks again for your help. I am busy preparing but have one more crucial question.

Is it possible to order a pilgrims passport it advance?

I ask as am arriving to Alicante late at night and making an early start so believe the office will not be open.

If it is not open are passports available en-route on the Camino Del Sureste?

Gracias!

Hi, Joe, depending on where you live, your home country amigos association may sell them. Lots of English speaking pilgrims get them from CSJ, APOC, etc.

You can also buy an official cathedral-issued credencial here from Ivar in his online store. Many happy customers have used this alternative. https://www.santiagodecompostela.me...passport-from-the-pilgrims-office-in-santiago

 

[Joe Mansfield]

Perfect, ordered from Ivar as will be glad to have them ready.
Thanks Peregrina

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

Greetings and thank you forum members for a whole wealth of information I have already gleaned from these pages (please see suggested stages bellow).

I am planning to cycle the Sureste/Sanabres route starting at the end of March using a GPS rather than a guide book. My Spanish is not very good so would be grateful for any advice . In particular in regards to:

Accommodation
Am looking to stay cheaply but comfortably, ideally staying at places with a shower, mattress and blankets (or at least 2 out of the 3!)

Terrain
The stages which have the most steep climbs, any sections you think are unsuitable for a bike and the road would be more preferable.

Route
On day 8 am planning to go from Benavente to Santa Marta de Tera to join the Camino Sanabres - am presuming this would be straight forward?

Many thanks,
Joe


DAY 1 (91K)
Alicante to Yecla
Only hotels?
When coming in avoid arrows right and go straight on?

DAY 2 (131K)
Yecla to La Roda
Albergue donativo Plaza de Torros left and central) (way out confusing chose left for flatter)
Flat stage in general?

DAY 3 (117K) Flat and open
La Roada to La Villa de Don Fadrique,
Casa rural El Rincón del Infante found in the corner of the Plaza Mayor?

Day 4 (109K)La Villa de Don Fadrique to Toledo
Albergue Los Pascuales.
Enter Toledo on the left? RIGHT split at Ermita IGNORE SIGNS?

DAY 5 (80K)
Toledoto to Cadalso de los Vidrios
Plodeportivo/ Municipal Shelter in sports hall OR Hostal Cadalso? -Hostal San José ?
woods then rocky stage, steep?

DAY 6 (92K)
Cadalso de los Vidrios to Gotarrendura
Albergue municipal donativo at town hall? Privado 15E? Good bar run by Romanians?

DAY 7 (113K)
Gotarrendura to Mota Del Marques
Municipal albergue? Hostal Botafumeiro?

DAY 8 (98K)
Mota Del Marques to Santa Marta de Tera
Follow Sureste to Benavente then direct to SMdT TO JOIN SANABRES WAY?
Municipal Hostel.

DAY 9 (97K)
Santa Marta de Tera to Lubia
Municipal shelter?

Day 10 (113K)
Lubia to Oureuse
Municipal Hostel at Convento de San Francisco

DAY 11 (109K)
Oureuse to Santiago!

Hi,

In Yecla there are only hotels (2 of them it seems) and one of them is easy to find (if you know where to look) as I indicated in my "journal" posted in this Forum. But have you considered going through Caudete instead of Yecla?

/Bad Pilgrim

 

[Joe Mansfield]

Thanls for the suggestion BP, I enjoyed reading your journal. I have changed plans to go to Motealegre del Castillo rather than Yecla on the first day.

Arriving in Alicante late tomorrow night, very nervous and excited. Will post photos when I return.
Many thanks
Joe

 

[Joe Mansfield]

PS a bit late in the day and I may be in danger of over planning...but am still looking for contact numbers for the albergues in Cadalso de los Vidrios and Avila if anyone has them.

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

Thanls for the suggestion BP, I enjoyed reading your journal. I have changed plans to go to Motealegre del Castillo rather than Yecla on the first day.

Arriving in Alicante late tomorrow night, very nervous and excited. Will post photos when I return.
Many thanks
Joe

Hi,

Montealegre/Yecla the first day? Are you going by bike? By feet you would get no further than Orito or Novelda the first day...

So tomorrow night in Alicante! Wow! I'm jealous. Please drop in on the Forum to tell us about it from time to time. As you've read my journal, I count on you to watch out for discrepancies/errors in my info so we can keep the members of this Forum as much up-to-date as possible regarding this Camino!

Good luck!

BP

 

[KinkyOne]

PS a bit late in the day and I may be in danger of over planning...but am still looking for contact numbers for the albergues in Cadalso de los Vidrios and Avila if anyone has them.

Those I have for Avila and it was OK last summer:
A (10pl, MUNI, »Las Tenerias«, Centro Medio Ambiental San Segundo, Avda.Madrid 84 (at Puente Adaja), 699-327-792, on exit, WM+K)

WM stands for washing machine and K for kitchen. Be sure to talk loud and clear when calling elderly half deaf hospitalero

Ultreia!


PS (closest supermercado is to the right by the walls, some 500mts - Mercadona if I remember correctly)

 

[alansykes]

I passed through Cadalso de los Vidrios without staying there, but apparently you can sleep in the polideportivo if you need to (tel 918 640002). It seemed a nice town, and the toros de guisando, shortly after, are beautiful and mysterious and well worth a pause.

 

[Joe Mansfield]

Thanks all! Yep am on a bike.

 

[Julian Menendez]

There is albergue at Cadalso de los Vidrios and some hostals, at Escalona (19.5 kms before) theris also an albergue.

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

Hi,

I stayed at the Hostal San José in Cadalso de los Vidrios: I think it was 30 euros for pilgrims. I didn't know about the polideportivo. Though I spent one hour looking for the albergue (at least I think it was the albergue? Clergy-like, some religious folks running it? Writing this I don't remember the name). I just couldn't find it, because no-one in town was sure of what I meant. They hadn't heard of it, or they had heard of it but weren't sure of where it was. Strange.

So, if it's not out of your budget, San José is a good place to stay....

/BP