Almería to Córdoba then to Málaga or Sevilla.

[Mikelon]

Hi, as an alternative to the Via de la Plata my partner and I are considering the above. We'd be most grateful for any advice on routes, facilities and tips.

 

[C clearly]

It is a bit overwhelming to think about answering such a broad question! It would be helpful if you could provide some clues about what you are planning, what you already know, and what resources you have been using.

A good starting point (if you haven't already seen it) is the website of the local Almeria Camino association. Then experiment with the Search function on the forum (top right of your screen).

The route from Almeria to Cordoba is well documented here on the Mozarabe sub-forum. Regarding Cordoba to Malaga or Sevilla, are you planning to walk the reverse directions on the Mozarabe and VDLP?

I'm sure we can help with more specific questions that you might have.

 

[Mikelon]

Wow! Thanks for the prompt reply. We've done some research on the main CSJ site but don't have much detail about route or facilities Almeria to Córdoba. I've downloaded a guide in English which is very descriptive about landscape but not practicalities! A possibility would be Sevilla, Córdoba, Granada, Almería. We live near Almeria and the idea of walking home appeals. Any help at all is gratefully received.

 

[peregrina2000]

We’ve had a couple of forum zoom meetings on the Mozárabe. Post number 12 in the thread I link to below has links to a bunch of resources. The Association guide is all you need as far as distances and accommodations really, but there are lots of other links to useful information on that thread.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/mozárabe-zoom-—-wednesday-may-27-for-the-americas-and-aus-asia-—-8-pm-central-time-usa-5-gmt.67655/

What guide in English are you referring to?

Not sure I am clear on your proposed route — are you suggesting a look of Almeria to Cordoba and then back via Sevilla somehow?

Lucky you to live so near this magnificent camino!

 

[Mikelon]

The guide I've downloaded is published by CEDER for the Association of Friends. We were considering one possibility of starting in Sevilla and walking back to Almeria.

 

[peregrina2000]

Well, take a look at the guide I have linked to, because it has all the practical information you need.

So, it looks like you would take the Vdlp from Sevilla to Mérida, and then walk the Mozárabe ”backwards” to Almería. I would recommend a GPS, but this is entirely do-able. I assume you have found plenty of information on the Via de la Plata from Sevilla to Mérida. Gronze lists about 9 days for Sevilla to Mérida.https://www.gronze.com/via-plata I walked from Almería to Mérida in 21 days, you might want to add a few if you don’t like long stages, but the guide gives plenty of options for shorter stages.

That would be a really great walk, IMO!

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Deleted member 73526]

Almeria - Granada - Cordoba - Merida - Seville (or the reverse) would be a great walk, passing through some spectacular cities, but it takes you on a very indirect route between Seville and Cordoba - two sides of a triangle.

If you save Merida for another time, you could plot your own route between Cordoba and Seville through the Parque Natural Sierra de Hornachuelos. You would not have any camino infrastructure for this section, but I can see that there are established walking paths for most of the way and there seem to be enough towns and villages to allow you to find accommodation at reasonable intervals. (In the screenshot below, you might need to divert to La Puebla de los Infantes to break up the 44km section between Hornachuelos and Constantina)

 

[Jeff Mayor]

Well, take a look at the guide I have linked to, because it has all the practical information you need.

So, it looks like you would take the Vdlp from Sevilla to Mérida, and then walk the Mozárabe ”backwards” to Almería. I would recommend a GPS, but this is entirely do-able. I assume you have found plenty of information on the Via de la Plata from Sevilla to Mérida. Gronze lists about 9 days for Sevilla to Mérida.https://www.gronze.com/via-plata I walked from Almería to Mérida in 21 days, you might want to add a few if you don’t like long stages, but the guide gives plenty of options for shorter stages.

That would be a really great walk, IMO!

Buen camino, Laurie

Laure,
I’m sorry to have missed the zoom meeting about the Mozarabe route so this may have been covered. My question is what season did you walk from Almeria to Merida in 21 days. The elevations look pretty challenging to Granada and I would guess there is snow part of the year. I’ve seen the post here about 20/25 K days of average to Merida but from past experience I know that kilometers are only a piece of the over all puzzle.

 

[peregrina2000]

Laure,
I’m sorry to have missed the zoom meeting about the Mozarabe route so this may have been covered. My question is what season did you walk from Almeria to Merida in 21 days. The elevations look pretty challenging to Granada and I would guess there is snow part of the year. I’ve seen the post here about 20/25 K days of average to Merida but from past experience I know that kilometers are only a piece of the over all puzzle.

Hi, Jeff,
Sorry you missed the zoom, it was fun.

I left Almería on April 13. The weather was fabulous. It had been raining all winter, and literally stopped a day or two before I arrived. I do enjoy longer stages, but there are plenty of ways to shorten them.

I don’t think there are many places where snow is likely even in winter, but some of the other vets might chime in. We saw plenty of snow covered mountains but never had temperatures close to freezing and never got near any snow that I can remember.

Buen camino, Laurie

And p.s., I see you have walked the Levante — we’re going to have a Zoom on the Levante, but not for a while, and it’d be great if you wanted to participate. Actually, I would say that the Levante is similar to the Mozárabe in terms of the wide open spaces and many castles everywhere, but there is definitely more elevation on the Mozárabe.

 

[Deleted member 73526]

At the higher altitudes on the route from Almeria you'll find snow in winter, especially around Alquife (one stage before Guadix) and on the way from La Peza to Quentar. In pilgrim photos from January, you can see the entire landscape around Hueneja-Alquife under a blanket of snow.

https://www.facebook.com/CaminoMozarabeDesantiagodealmeriagranada/posts/2674693429281593

I would normally expect conditions to be good from March to December, but there have been some exceptional weather events in the last couple of years. I've seen a photo of falling sleet on Oct 29, 2018 at La Calahorra. And I've seen one snowy scene from the La Peza-Quentar stage during a really exceptional cold snap on April 24, 2019.

Those are really out of the ordinary events, though. Scroll down to the Snowfall chart on this page to see how odd 2018 and 2019 look compared with the previous 10 years.

Alquife Annual Weather Averages

Realtime weather, 14 day weather forecast, annual weather averages, past weather at Alquife Annual Weather Averages

www.worldweatheronline.com

The routes from Malaga and Jaen don't take you through the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and I guess they should be warmer.

 

[peregrina2000]

And if you read Spanish, this facebook post @Raggy posted describes that in some spots the snow was knee-high! That is some pretty serious snow, so you should pay attention if you are walking in winter. Those images are certainly not what I associate with the Camino Mozárabe!