Aldenueva/ Banos de Montemayor stage comments wanted.

[Donna Sch]

I've been reading this https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/galisteo-arco-de-caparra.7625/ and I like the idea of Isabelle's detour to Oliva de Plasencia. It would also let me break up that 39 km stage from Carcaboso to Aldeanueva del Camino. Since the walk to Aldenueva is shorter it means I could potentially continue to Banos de Montemayor and the idea of finishing in a town with Roman baths definitely appeals.

So Carcaboso - Vente Quemada - Caparra- Oliva de Plasencia
then Oliva de Plasencia - Aldeanueva - Banos.

And with the shorter distances between towns from there, it means that I could go a bit faster than previously planned if the need arises and maybe have a rest day in Salamanca?

Doable? Absolutely bonkers? Not worth the effort? Opinions wanted...

 

[Staggerlee]

Donna,

If you want to stay in Banos, your most time efficient option would be the Hostal Asturias.
I went Carcaboso - Vente Quemada - Oliva de Plasencia - Caparra - Aldeanueva and didn't regret it.
To do as Isabelle did means walking Oliva - Caparra twice which is probably only for purist/completists.
In any case, it's all good (and hot).

Buen Camino

Andy

 

[amancio]

that is very similar to what I did!

I did Galisteo-Oliva de Plasencia, the last 8 km are on tarmac, beware
The following morning, you do not have to go back the way you first came or retrace your own steps, you can instead walk ahead through the bull paddocks (beautiful fighting bulls!!!) and end up in Caparra. At the end, you only add 6 km or so to the overall mileage between Carcaboso and Aldeanueva.

It is doable, but beware that from Aldeanueva to Baños it is also 11 km of tarmac at the end of your walking day.

A more sensible approach would be the Hotel Asturias one, but there is something sleepy and easy about Oliva de Plasencia that I really like, just one bar and lazing by the sun, not much to do.

Baños de Montemayor is quite a large place, full of hotels and the like.

From there on, distances are more manageable, indeed, from Fuenterroble de Salvatierra it can be tricky to San PEdro de Rozados, and there are other choices, I will tell you some other time or maybe via private message.

Buen Camino!

 

[peregrina2000]

If you have the time, I'd heartily recommend Isabelle's route. You can completely avoid the asphalt by going to the Arco de Caparra (19.5 from Carcaboso) and then taking the nice off-road path for 5 km to Oliva de Plasencia. I thought this was the best way for me to go, since that meant that I arrived at the Arco and its surrounding excavations/museum in the morning and had plenty of time for a leisurely visit, with only 5 km more to Oliva. Then the next morning I backtracked those 5 km early (everything of course was closed) and continued on to Banos. I had planned to stop at Aldeanueva but I got there early and decided to forge on to Banos. I was glad I did because it's a nice little spa town. I don't know if the albergue turistico there is still open, but it was a great place to stay, right inside the museum, with breakfast the next morning downstairs.

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[peregrino_tom]

Hi Donna
I enjoyed Oliva de Placencia and like Amancio, I took the road there (in 2010), but I think if I did it again I'd take the option that Laurie mentions of going on to Arco de Caparra first and then turning off. The next day we went from Oliva to Aldeneuva and it seemed like a full day in hot weather. Aldenueva's albergue was cosy and we were well cared for by the volunteer hospitaleros. As Amancio points out, it's all fast road from Aldenueva to Banos with little verge. The hospitaleros advised people to take the bus to Banos - and many people did. After Aldeneuva we stopped at the private albergue at Calzadar de Bejar (23km) which was also nice, and then the next day did 20km to Fuenterroble. Basically you've got quite a few options that mean you don't really need to cement you itinerary now, but can go with the flow - which is handy if you've hooked up with some compadres.

 

[Donna Sch]

Oliva de Placencia sounds nice and I don't mind seeing Caparra twice. May be a great photo opportunity getting there early in the morning I suppose it all depends on how the body is holding up but I want to have an idea of the possibilities so I am not too befuddled when things actually occur. And the opportunity to avoid the long and short extremes of stages at this point may make for an extra day in Salamanca. I seem to be following the Eroski stages at the moment.