Camino Mozarabe from Almeria in April

[Carel5]

In April I will walk from Almeria to Merida along the Camino Mozarabe. I found here the walking guide of Kevin O'Brien, and also on Internet a good looking English language description from Alcaudete to Merida, made by the Association of Cordoba who have a lot of other information on their site. It seems more difficult to find the most recent information on Granada to Alcaudete.

I don't expect many people on the way, but I am used to walking in hilly and mountainous areas in Italy, France and Romania where you don't meet a lot of other hikers.

So what can kind of weather can I expect in April? Are there many river crossings? Must I take a sleeping bag with me? (I expect to stay in a mix of hostels and albergues). How about road markings? Thank you for your answers.

 

[Magwood]

Hello @Carel5. Welcome to the forum. I walked the Mozárabe from Malaga in 2015. The routes from Malaga and Almeria converge in Baena. I posted to my blog each day and you can get a feel for the section from Baena to Mérida if you take a look here. I commented on accommodation, cost and my daily budget. I walked in April and was lucky with the weather. In eighteen days to Mérida I only encountered one group of three pilgrims. I think there were two river crossings - very daunting the first time, but a lot less so the next time.

 

[Carel5]

Thank you Magwood. Last year I followed your progress along the Mozarabe and the Via de la Plata. I will study your blog and make notes on albergues, hostels and so on. The picture shows any ways that I will need plastic sandals to cross some streams.

 

[Kevin F. O*brien]

Hello Carel5. Well. the first days out of Almeria involve quite a lot of riverbed walking. Obviously if the river is full we have a problem! This is only a wild guess based on a conversation with a local in Alquife, but he said the river is pretty full in January and February but is usually dry again in March. Also. although the marking follows the river bed you can't really go wrong if you are forced to walk along the banks. This would be the first five or six days as far as Guadix. After Guadix it's mainly tracks and roads into Granada. Best of luck and Buen Camino.

 

[Carel5]

Thanks Kevin. So when I will be there the water is gone. I am in contact with the amigos in Almeria, so I hope they will warn me if there are problems with the rivers.
By the way, did you go on after Granada? Looking for information I found a lot on Almeria-Granada and Baena-Merida, but not so much on Granada-Baena except reports on poor signposting and getting lost between the olive trees.