Albergue @ Montemarta

[crhutch]

My wife and I are serving as hospitaleros in Zamora until 30 March. Most folks leave here and head to Montemarta for their next leg. We are wondering if anyone has heard whether the albergue in Montemarta is open. We try calling as do many other pilgrims but there is no answer. Montemarta is 18 km away and the next stop is another 12 km. Anybody have info?

 

[jburr3708]

I was there on April 16, 2016. The albergue was open but there was no heating and only cold water. It was cold, with rain most of the day so I needed somewhere with a warm shower and somewhere to dry my clothes. I decided to go to a Casa Rural and was led to a very nice one with three bedrooms for pilgrims, showers, a kitchen and washing machine and heating. Well worth the extra few Euros. I am not sure how the albergue is run but you might want to have a backup plan in case it is closed or still without utilities as it was last year.
Also be careful as you leave Zamora. Two camino leave out of Zamora, the Portuguese and the Via de La Plata. Both a signed with yellow arrows without anything to say which way they lead. At least 6 of us ended up on the wrong one that day and had to track through muddy fields to get back on track with a few km of extra walking.
I hope this helps. Good luck

Buen Camino

 

[Elizabeth_B]

I stayed in the albergue in Montamarta in October last year. Sounds like it had improved since jburr's visit. I recall it was cold but don't remember if there was heating or not. Certainly the showers were hot. Reasonably pleasant albergue with communal dining area and a kitchen. The hospitalero turned up around 5.30 pm to register and collect five euros from each pilgrim. There were three of us, myself plus two cyclists. There were other pilgrims in town, I heard they had decided to stay in the casa rural instead, through concerns about bed bugs (I didn't see any).
Re sign posting - the albergue was well sign posted, which was good as it is a little out of town. I also found the signposting out of Zamora very clear, so that may have been improved too.
Montamarta is a little bleak - but I had a nice dinner at the bar/restaurant on the main road (can't recall name) and a good breakfast the next morning at Casa Rosemary.

 

[AJ]

Two camino leave out of Zamora, the Portuguese and the Via de La Plata. Both a signed with yellow arrows without anything to say which way they lead. At least 6 of us ended up on the wrong one that day and had to track through muddy fields to get back on track with a few km of extra walking.
Buen Camino

I made the same mistake last year. On a more positive note, the church at La Hiniesta was fabulous. I was able to get directions from here to Montamarta. Probably about an 8km detour.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

... be careful as you leave Zamora. Two camino leave out of Zamora, the Portuguese and the Via de La Plata.
Buen Camino

I'm confused. How does a Portuguese Camino join VDLP?

 

[mmm042]

It's really another spot where you have a choice of how to get to Santiago. From Zamora you can go on the VDLP and then through Puebla de Sanabria on the Sanabres spur, or from Zamora you can hop on a spur trail leading to the Portugues, then walk on the Portugues a bit before rejoining the VDLP/Sanabres at Ourense. The whole Camino thing is confusing because so many routes interconnect with other routes. Here's a little blurb about it:

The Camino Portugués de la Vía de la Plata


A route, first waymarked in 2000, which deviates from the main Via de la Plata in Zamora to lead west via San Pedro de la Nave and Alcañices, crosses the border into Portugal and continues via Bragança, Vinhais and Segirei before going back into Spain to join up with the southern route through Galicia in Verín. From there the pilgrim continues on via Xinzo de Limia and Allariz to Ourense and then, together with pilgrims coming via Puebla de Sanabria and A Gudiña, to Santiago.

The Route. 198 km long from Zamora to Verín, with 184 km more to Santiago (say 380 km in total). 18 km shorter than the option via Puebla de Sanabria.

 

[KinkyOne]

I'm confused. How does a Portuguese Camino join VDLP?

Anemone, from the center of Zamora the VdlP goes straight on ZA-P-1405 (Calle de la Hiniesta) and about halfway to the suburb there's a left turn off for VdlP Portugal branch. Don't remember exactly which street it takes but it goes via Braganca and connects with Sanabres in Laza:
http://www.editorialbuencamino.com/caminodesantiago/41/camino-portugues-via-de-la-plata

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Anemone, from the center of Zamora the VdlP goes straight on ZA-P-1405 (Calle de la Hiniesta) and about halfway to the suburb there's a left turn off for VdlP Portugal branch. Don't remember exactly which street it takes but it goes via Braganca and connects with Sanabres in Laza:
http://www.editorialbuencamino.com/caminodesantiago/41/camino-portugues-via-de-la-plata

Ok, I can see a variante that sends you through Portugal, but it does not seem to connect with any of the Coastal, Central or Interior Portuguese routes. Or does it?

 

[KinkyOne]

Ok, I can see a variante that sends you through Portugal, but it does not seem to connect with any of the Coastal, Central or Interior Portuguese routes. Or does it?

VdlP Portugues connects with Caminho Portugues Interior in Verin:
https://pt.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=3347096
https://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=10044603

And from Verin there's another option to go via Xinzo de Limia, Sandias and Allariz to Ourense. It's a maze of Caminos

 

[Anemone del Camino]

VdlP Portugues connects with Caminho Portugues Interior in Verin:
https://pt.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=3347096
https://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=10044603

And from Verin there's another option to go via Xinzo de Limia, Sandias and Allariz to Ourense. It's a maze of Caminos

Ok, now I'm confused, and giving up.

 

[peregrina2000]

Ok, now I'm confused, and giving up.

No, no, no, don't give up, this must be a beautiful walk. There are plans afoot for albergues from Zamora to the Portuguese border, and then the camino goes into Portugal through Braganca, and from there back into Spain, where it connects with the Sanabrés in Verín. Actually it's a variant of the Sanabrés as Kinky says, but it reunites with the standard Sanabrés in Ourense for the final 100 km into Santiago.

The first stage out of Zamora will allow you to visit the jaw-dropping (well, for me it is, I admit it may not be jaw-dropping for everyone) San Pedro de la Nave, a visigothic church about 22 km outside Zamora.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

No, no, no, don't give up, this must be a beautiful walk. There are plans afoot for albergues from Zamora to the Portuguese border, and then the camino goes into Portugal through Braganca, and from there back into Spain, where it connects with the Sanabrés in Verín. Actually it's a variant of the Sanabrés as Kinky says, but it reunites with the standard Sanabrés in Ourense for the final 100 km into Santiago.

The first stage out of Zamora will allow you to visit the jaw-dropping (well, for me it is, I admit it may not be jaw-dropping for everyone) San Pedro de la Nave, a visigothic church about 22 km outside Zamora.

Oh Laurie, it was never my intention to walk that bit. This year is Sevilla to Salamanca, then Invierno and Salvador. Quite enough in one sitting for me.

 

[Kiwi-family]

I'm with Laurie - San Pedro is absolutely delightful. So simple and beautiful. However it was further than googlemaps suggested (in fact we were told we had arrived when we were standing under a power pylon!
Unfortunately for us La Hiniesta was closed - I'd have loved to see inside.
In case anyone is interested, you can stay for free in the village hall at Valdeperdices. But note you sleep on the floor, no mattress or anything. There is a toilet and a kitchen with a sink. The water in the tap is brown but there's a great pump down in the village with crystal clear cold water. There's a bar next door where everyone congregates but no food.
The village is directly on the "Portuguese" variant out of Zamora and a dozen people will tell you you're going the wrong way!!!
Check 6 and 7 June 2016 on our blog for details and pictures of this lovely detour!

 

[Antonis265]

Hi,

So , this variante via Portugal , how is it currently? Is it marked with arrows and has alburgues ?