Anthony you’ll love this camino. Im in Leon now having finished in Sahagun yesterday (horrrrrrrrible to meet the hoardes after the peace of Camino Madrid)
Advice: contact Ray and Rosa a day or two before you get to Manzanares and make sure you’re in contact via Whatsapp. They go out of their way to accommodate pilgrims and even pickup if convenient. They offer a home cooked meal (donate as you would ) with home grown veggies.
In early Sept the youth hostels in Cercedilla were closed so I stayed in a Hostal Aribel. Basic but at far end of the long Village. Tip: buy your lunch/snacks for the Fuenfria summit from the Dia as you enter Fuenfria. It’s a long walk back otherwise and not much choice at the Hostal Aribel end of town. Eat at the lovely restaurant upstairs, oposite ( a little to the left) if you are standing in the doorway of the train station
Tip: stay in Segovia for at least 2 nights. It’s an awesome wee city to wander and the food ( specialties cochinillo and ternera).
I can recommend restaurant José María.
I’ve heard the Albergue in Zamarramala is nice
I stayed in Santa María la Real de Nueva. Albergue a bit small (4 of us) and town is sweet. Limited supplies. Great walk through pine forests. These days are wonderful. Easy walking.
Next stop was Villeguillo where I had the entire Albergue to myself. It’s a tiny pueblo but the bar is a hoot. If you pre- order the owner will make your dinner at any time. Bar open all day.
Alcazaren was a really clean and pretty Albergue. A couple of bars. The first one as you enter before arriving at iglesia De Santiago has food and a lovely local rose wine
Pick up the key for Albergue from Bar Real ( right on camino in the village)
Favourite pueblo and Albergue: Penaflor de Hornija. Get key from the only bar (Hornija) in main sq. Everyone we met was so friendly. The way after here takes a strange route zig-zagging through hundreds of wind towers under construction- if you follow the arrows. Either use your own or other downloaded paths to take a more direct route. Probably 3km more following the arrows.
The next gorgeous place is Rioseco. No Albergue at the moment but I stayed at Hostal Castilla. Central but a bit lacking in... in... well, in everything. It was a bed and cheap
The next day is beautiful along the right of the canal. Very easy Walk to Cuenca where there is an awesome bar/ restaurant.
Stayed a bit further on in Villalon. Hospitalero in the Albergue all the time. Big and well equipped kitchen. Strange town. The bars don’t really serve food. It’s a town of many older people. Stock up on food in one of the supermarkets for the next day if you’re going all the way to Grajal as there are no bars for 30 km.
If you stop in Santervas the Hospitaleros will prepare you a dinner ( depends on donations from pilgrims day before
)
So the highlight was the village of Grajal- the palace Albergue and the amazing bar/ restaurant. Try to arrive for the menu del dia.
Next day a doddle to Sahagun. A train leaves for Leon just before 2pm.
Enjoy, Grace