Hi George,
Whoops - pressed the wrong button a few minutes ago. I’ll be starting from Valencia in early April, probably 2nd or 3rd, hope we meet somewhere along the way. Look out for a blue Aarn backpack, and a floppy sunhat protecting an almost hairless head.
I will be following the route Laurie described, but more slowly. I am studying the vieragrino guide at the moment to see if I can generally keep daily distances to 30km max.
Can anyone confirm whether the cathedral in Valencia issues credencials?
Donovan
Hi, Donovan,
Just a few suggestions on breaking up those longer stages.
1. Chinchilla-La Roda (37) -- break in Albacete, about halfway
2. Las Pedroneras - El Toboso (31) -- break at Mota de Cuervo (where Don Quijote's windmills are) about 19 after Las Pedroneras. Gives you a short day into El Toboso, but there are a few fun things to visit there, like Dulcinea's house (or rather, the house that is reputed to be of the family whose daughter is reputed to be the one on whom Cervantes based Dulcinea -- maybe not much in the way of historical verisimilitude, but it's fun).
3. Mora-Toledo (40) -- This is the hard one. But there are a few towns in between with bars, and I'm sure a taxi from Toledo would be easy to arrange. Also, Almonacid de Toledo is reported as having some sort of "acogida parroquial." I have never stayed in one of these, but my understanding is that they are not much more than a floor, walls, and a roof. Good option in a tight spot, I'd think.
4. Toledo - Torrijos (34). Another not obvious one, but Rielves is reported as having a casa parroquial.
5. San Martin - San Bartalome (34). This is the day with the most elevation gain. Stopping in the middle at Cebreros as others have done would give you a way to break it up, with most of the elevation gain coming on the second day from Cebreros onward. Several highly recommended places here from other forum members. It is also the home of adolfo Suarez, Spain's first democratically elected prime minister. We passed a museum of the "Transition" (from Franco to democracy) in an old church right on the edge of town, and if I had been spending the night I definitely would have visited it. This is the most beautiful stage on the Levante, IMO, and savoring it for two days has a lot of advantages.
6. Arevalo - Medina (34); easy to break up in the hostal in Ataquines on the highway. This would be a stop in a town with nothing to do and sleep in a hostal on a highway that isn't the most charming, but it is an easy way to break up the longer day.
7. Sieteiglesias - Toro (32); again, easy to break up because there is a new albergue in Castronuno, founded by APOC. This would have the advantage of giving you an easy day into Toro the next day and plenty of time to explore. Toro is great!
8. Toro - Zamora (34) (assuming you don't get lost like we did). There is an albergue in Villalazan, about 19 kms after Toro. We stopped in a bar there for a good morning coffee, and the hospitalera came to talk to us. Very welcoming.
From Zamora on, you will have to choose between Sanabres or Frances, and then it becomes much easier, but there are lots of us who can help you out with that, too, particularly if you are going on the Sanabres, which I've walked several times recently.
I'm not sure about the credencial, because I always get one from the American Pilgrims, but I have to assume they have them in the cathedral. I was just looking at the Valencia Assoc. site and it looks like they now have all the gps tracks posted on the website. Just fyi.
Buen camino. Laurie