- Time of past OR future Camino
- started in 2012, hooked ever since.
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Hello to all you who have walked the Madrid. Special thanks to @NualaOC , @kiwifamily9 for great plans of journeys on the Madrid and many others on the Madrid thread.
I am looking at a couple of options.
I start from Manzanares (from the Mendocino - thanks @NualaOC for that inspiration!) and go to Cercedilla day 1 and then a shorter hike to La Granja day 2 ( just looks like a great place to explore and stay?), arriving in Segovia day 3.
So given I will be in Segovia before midday hopefully, would it be still worth spending a tourist day there the next day before walking to Santa Maria la Real? Or would a half day be enough to get some flavour of the city?
Second question is after that. Given it looks fairly flat after Segovia and I have loads of time, what stops would you suggest after Alcazarén to say Medina de Rioseca? Is Simancas a place to stay and are Puente Duero and la Santa Espina worth diverting to?
Just looking as well at Gronze, there seems to be other routes but I would love to hear from those who have travelled this route.
Thanks x
Oh yessssssssssssssssHi, @laineylainey,
... If you are a meat-lover, everyone says the cochinillo (roast suckling pig) in Segovia is top notch.
...
Definitely a favourite of mine too, timr. And i enjoyed a detour into Valladolid - there is a fabulous science museum there.Puente Duero you will see I stayed twice. The albergue is wonderful. The occasional hospitalero and 'camino legend' Arturo is somewhat 'Marmite'. People either love him or find him hard to take! I thought he was grand, if something of a fusspot!But the place is lovely - old fashioned style wooden albergue and very welcoming.
Thanks a lot for the information @jefferyonthecamino . Great options and I as I am not in any hurry I can mull over this for a while. Think I was being a bit optimistic about ease of walking looking at Gronze's profiles after Alcazarén!i would have started from Tres Cantos, or even Colmenar Viejo... it's a lovely walk to Manzanares from there; but Manzanares works if you want to go all the way to Cercedilla. I went to la Granja from Cercedilla, I would not consider it a short hike, but there was also lots of snow. La Granja is beautiful and if you follow the Pesquerías, it's a beautiful walk to alongthe river from Valsaín.
I would definitely give myself an afternoon and overnight in Segovia if it's your first time there. There is a lot to see, visit and take in.
Hiking is tough on the sandy trails through the pine forests, all the way to Alcazarén; but yes, compared to Galicia, it's fairly flat. My stages after Alcazarén were: Simancas (but I could have pushed on), then Castromonte, Cuenca de Campos and Grajal. These last stages were brutal and I should have factored in another day, staying in Medina de Rioseco, which looked like a fun town. Grajal was cool as you stay in the palace, but it's 6 km from Sahagún, so most pilgrims stay in Santervás, which looked nice enough. I skipped Espina.
Good luck and Buen Camino
Thanks Laurie, I like the idea of seeing Valladolid. I think I might do as @timr and walk to there from Simancas and have time to see it hopefully.Hi, @laineylainey,
A couple of thoughts — Central Segovia is pretty small, just about 20 minutes walking from the castle to the aqueduct, and most all of the tourist things are in between. Since you’ve got lots of time, an extra day in Segovia would always be fun. There is a synagogue open for visits, and a few romanesque churches. And of course the Alcázar, the cathedral, and the aqueduct. But I think a day there after the 12 kms from La Granja would allow you to see the main sights. If you are a meat-lover, everyone says the cochinillo (roast suckling pig) in Segovia is top notch.
When I walked the Madrid, I took a detour from Simancas into Valladolid. I had slept in Puente Duero, walked to Simancas (about 8 km), then took the bus into Valladolid. I had the whole day in Valladolid and then a few hours the next day. I then walked back to Simancas and on to Ciguñuela.
Buen camino, Laurie
The Plaza Mayor is very nice, and the Sculpture Museum is a real treat. http://www.culturaydeporte.gob.es/mnescultura/museo.htmlThanks Laurie, I like the idea of seeing Valladolid. I think I might do as @timr and walk to there from Simancas and have time to see it hopefully.
I am getting excited about this one as the comments are showing the Madrid to be a bit of a favourite!
There is a highway hostal 2km out of the center of Sta.Maria la Real de Nieva:Anyone know of any other accommodation options in Santa María Real apart from the very small albergue?
Thanks for that.There is a highway hostal 2km out of the center of Sta.Maria la Real de Nieva:
As you come on Camino to the main square with the church you should turn left and walk straight for those 2km to get there.Hostal Avanto - Santa María la Real de Nieva | Hostal | Gronze.com
Información del Hostal Hostal Avanto, en Santa María la Real de Nieva: precio, plazas, características, etc...www.gronze.com
THe diversion to La Santa Espina added 12km to the distance quoted on Gronze from Peñaflor to Medina. (36 instead of 24km). On the main route after about 3km there is a large signboard which points to La Santa Espina and that path in turn is waymarked. The distances on the signboard were a bit confusing, but my trace is below:@timr , you mentioned in your blog about La Santa Espina after you leave Peñaflor de Hornija. How far roughly is it after you leave the main Camino. I see on Gronze there is a refugio, did you see it?
Three restaurants in the village. And small tienda. Kitchen with microwave in albergue.Good to know, thanks for that. Is there somewhere to eat nearby?
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