Another new albergue on the Levante!

[peregrina2000]

This is pretty amazing -- since I've been home from the Levante (about three weeks), I've read about two new albergues!

First, the one in San Clemente,
camino-de-levante/topic19210.html


and now Torrijos (stage from Toledo)
http://www.abc.es/toledo/pueblos/201307 ... 32108.html

That brings to at least 20 the number of albergues from Valencia to Zamora, leaving only 12 or so days where you'll still be looking at hostales/casas rurales, etc.

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[peregrina2000]

Yet another new albergue on the Levante, this one in Castronuno:

http://www.elnortedecastilla.es/201...estrena-albergue-peregrinos-201312051125.html

This is well placed for pilgrims who want to have a short day into Toro the next day. Toro is a small city perched high above the Duero and well worth a visit and a few glasses of local vino.

I should also note that the American Pilgrims on the Camino awarded a grant to help fund this albergue.

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[LTfit]

Thanks for posting Laurie. I read about the official opening on Facebook and saw that an old schoolhouse had been converted.
Interesting that the American Pilgrims on the Camino financed the work.

 

[george.g]

Hi Laurie,
Re albergues along the Levante, can you help with any 'info about albergues or hostels in Tembleque,Mora, Escalona Hernansancho and Siete Iglesias.
I have some basic information of the "contact local police" type but would love some uptodate info if you have it.
Best Regards
George

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, George,
I think all the information you need on most of those those places is listed in the document I attached to this post: http://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/my-stages-on-the-levante.19142/

We stayed in Tembleque, Mora, Escalona, and Siete Iglesias, all of which are listed in that document I think. Tembleque and Mora were pension/hostales, while Escalona and Siete Iglesias were both nice albergues.

Hernansancho was not one of our stops. We were advised to stop 4 kms before there to stay in the albergue in Gotarrendura. It's an excellent albergue with a cafe in town that serves decent meals to pilgrims, any day of the week. The walk to Arevalo the next day was perfectly do-able, so I'd recommend a stop in Gotarrendura.

I would also highly recommend the guidebook. It has great maps, great instructions, and very complete information on lodging. It's published by the Amigos in Valencia, don't leave home without it! Available in both Spanish and English. Only downside is that it is HEAVY.

Let me know if you need more information, happy to help. Laurie

 

[andy.d]

I have a memory of being offerred sports hall accommodation in Tembleque but choosing hostal - I was the only pilgrim, it was ages until the sports hall would be available, and I badly needed a shower and sleep. I am aware that my advice is based on 2009 so may be out of date.

Occasionally the guide said there was an albergue but it turned out to be a hostel for homeless people who needed the accommodation more than me (this was certainly the case in Mota del Cuevo). I never had a problem finding somewhere suitable to sleep and locals, Ayentiementos, and police were always helpful.

More details on my blog (pilgrimpace). The French guide gives some alternatives in accommodation to the Spanish but the Spanish is better on directions and more up to date.

Let me know if I can help more

Enjoy!

Andy

 

[Donovan]

Laurie,
Re your comment on guidebooks – did you use the English or Spanish edition? I think the Spanish edition is 2013, whereas the English one is 2009 so it may be a little out of date.
Two bookshops (Pied a Terre in Amsterdam and Libreria Desnivel in Madrid) have advised me that the English edition is out of print, but I have not been able to confirm this with The Amigos in Valencia.

 

[peregrina2000]

Laurie,
Re your comment on guidebooks – did you use the English or Spanish edition? I think the Spanish edition is 2013, whereas the English one is 2009 so it may be a little out of date.
Two bookshops (Pied a Terre in Amsterdam and Libreria Desnivel in Madrid) have advised me that the English edition is out of print, but I have not been able to confirm this with The Amigos in Valencia.

Hi, Donovan. I used the old Spanish edition in June of 2013. It is the same year as the English version -- the new Spanish edition did not come out till fall. It was fine. The only change I remember was that the route out of Chinchilla had been re-routed so the map was out of date, but there is plenty of good information in town.

My various posts on the forum have tried to update things, so if you can get your hands on a 2009 English guide and add updates, you will be fine.

I have written to the Valencia amigos to see if they still have copies of the 2009 guide in English and will let you know when they respond. In my experience, they take a while to answer.

Buen camino, you will love this route! Laurie

 

[peregrina2000]

An almost instantaneous response from Valencia. There are guidebooks in English available, and they charge 6 euros postage, bringing the total to 30.

To order the book, you need to do a bank transfer (which means HEADACHE and EXPENSE for those of us in North America).

Money must be deposited in the account of: la Asociación Amigos del Camino de Santiago de la Comunidad Valenciana:

Code number of the account (CCC): 2100 2142 11 0200221127

IBAN: ES32 2100 2142 1102 0022 1127

BIC/Código SWIFT: CAIXESBBXXX

Bank: CAJA DE AHORROS Y PENSIONES DE BARCELONA

Address : GRAN VIA FERNANDO EL CATOLICO 1 P.D:46008 VALENCIA

If I haven't said this enough already, just to repeat -- this guide is worth its weight in gold. In many small towns, the arrows are not clear, and the people may know nothing about the Levante. But the guidebook says things like -- go past the ethnographic museum, or take the pedestrian tunnel under the railway -- so you can always ask locals to point you towards these places and then you will be on your way.

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Donovan]

Thanks Laurie - quite a maze of numbers to work through to make the tranfer. I'll definitely take your advice that the guidebook and maps are a must.

In Australia we have the same problem as you do - international money transfers come at a price. That was why I tried the bookshops; I can pay with a credit card - very simple and cost effective
Donovan

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi Donovan,
You can also buy the book at their office, if you can time your arrival right. Their address is Dr. Gil y Morte 24, 1-3, 46007 Valencia. They are in the office on fridays from 5-8:30 pm, and in the summer (from June 15 to August 31) on Thursday and Friday at that same time. Buen camino, Laurie