I have just returned from the Levante/Sanabres and wanted to post comments on the RR and road construction on the Sanabres for others who will be leaving soon. Not that you can do anything about it, of course, but knowing what's coming may make it less jarring. As I've already said in another post, though, I really didn't find that this construction killed the magic of the Sanabres.
The crowds were not bad at all, but there are definitely waves. So if you find a lot of people, hang back or jump ahead and you might find you have a smaller group.
Day 1 -- Zamora to Riego del Camino (33). You will see several "bridges to nowhere" built or in construction, but the camino's path is not affected. The albergue in Riego has 3 rooms of bunks (two smaller in the back, one larger in the front), a small kitchen, sitting area, and nice patio out back. The key can be gotten at the home of the alcadesa, just ask anyone. There is a bar on the highway, serves very mediocre meals but they are edible. Also, a supermarket at #10 on a central street -- no sign, no indication that it's a store but just ask anyone for the tienda. The owners took down the sign after two robberies and told me they will open at any reasonable hour for pilgrims. Small but adequate inventory. We were there on a Sunday and one of the most fabulous fruit trucks I've ever seen came through. So be on the lookout.
Day 2 -- Riego to Tabara (31). Into Tabara there are construction signs but based on my memory from my last Sanabres, the route remains exactly the same. I stayed in the hotel El Roble while my companions were in the albergue. It's a pretty standard albergue, but showers were cold and standards of cleanliness not too high. Rooms in the Roble are 18 euros, 9 euro menu is decent.
Day 3 -- Tabara to Carmazana de Tera (26). Some re-routing right out of town and construction is visible. It was early morning so no one had started up the trucks yet. You will come to a well-indicated option -- go straight on to Villafranca (lots of pavement but there's a bar or two) or head R and stick with the camino to Bercianos. All off road but coffee options are slimmer. We went the Bercianos route and met a resident who told us there are 200 of them who all have keys to the municipal social center, which they open up to make coffee for pilgrims. We had an absolutely fantastic coffee, probably the best of the Sanabres, since it was made with one of those fancy new nespresso type machines. Very friendly people and there's a basic albergue there too.
We bypassed Santa Marta and Santa Croya (Anita's albergue and the municipal albergue) to even out the next few days' kms. So we continued on to Carmazana de Tera, about 1 km off the camino. Very nice one star hotel, 30 euros for bed, dinner, breakfast. It's the Hotel Juan Manuel , 980-649-019
Day 4 -- Camarzana to Mombuey (31.5) Can't remember any construction on this stage. Several new albergues, though: La Trucha (donativo in Olleros de Tera, with bar serving meals); Christian albergue in Vila de Farfon (coffee/drinks/snacks also available on donativo basis -- we had a nice rest here). Municipal albergue in Mombuey, 11 beds in one big room with a table and chairs. One bathroom. Several places to eat on the road.
Day 5 -- Mombuey to Puebla Sanabria (31). A few detours for AVE construction. The first comes right after you cross the superhighway upon leaving Mombuey. The arrows point one way, and a sign saying DESVIO points you another way. Desvio means detour. Take the detour. There's another detour upon leaving Entrepenas, this one takes you along the Autovia service road for a few kms, but looking at the great maps I have in my Levante guide, it's clear it didn't add any kms either. This is a wonderful stage, the only drawback being the 4 kms asphalt into Puebla. Other albergues on this stage, aside from the well-known one in Rionegro. San Salvador has a small albergue (no stores, though, so bring food), and Asturianos has opened one in the polideportivo (3 bars). Puebla de Sanabria's private albergue is fabulous, probably the best albergue on the Sanabres, IMO. Right on the road into town.
Day 6 -- Puebla to Lubian (31). Leaving Puebla you will have 2 kms on asphalt at the start, but then be on the lookout for getting off the road and walking by the river. You can stay on that river path by paying careful attention. At one point, you'll be back up on the highway, but if you watch carefully you'll see another bunch of faded arrows to get you back by the river. Otherwise you'll be on the highway for many more kms than necessary. Requejo has a nice private albergue.
This is a stage with a lot of asphalt and some AVE detours. After Requejo, you have to stay on the N-525 for 4kms. You can see construction to your left. Once you get off the asphalt, you then do some crazy looping around to avoid the highway and to avoid the superhighway, and you go under those roads and can see the tunnel up above. This re-routing has been there for years now, since the autovia was built. After the ascent you'll enter Padornelo (bars and a hotel). BEAUTIFUL walk from here to Lubian, through Aciberos on some of the trickiest wettest walking of the trip, but just gorgeous. We crossed over what was clearly the start of clearing for the train. No problem now, but I assume there will have to be detours. That will be a real shame, because this is one gorgeous section.
Municipal albergue in Lubian, about 15 beds and more mattresses. One bath with shower. Kitchen. The two casas rurales have now closed, but the Bar has rooms on top. We saw some pilgrims staying there but there are also a lot of workers there for the construction so you may have trouble getting a room. Don't miss the short walk up to see the wolf trap in Lubian. Really interesting, probably from 17 or 18 C.
More to come. Buen camino, Laurie
The crowds were not bad at all, but there are definitely waves. So if you find a lot of people, hang back or jump ahead and you might find you have a smaller group.
Day 1 -- Zamora to Riego del Camino (33). You will see several "bridges to nowhere" built or in construction, but the camino's path is not affected. The albergue in Riego has 3 rooms of bunks (two smaller in the back, one larger in the front), a small kitchen, sitting area, and nice patio out back. The key can be gotten at the home of the alcadesa, just ask anyone. There is a bar on the highway, serves very mediocre meals but they are edible. Also, a supermarket at #10 on a central street -- no sign, no indication that it's a store but just ask anyone for the tienda. The owners took down the sign after two robberies and told me they will open at any reasonable hour for pilgrims. Small but adequate inventory. We were there on a Sunday and one of the most fabulous fruit trucks I've ever seen came through. So be on the lookout.
Day 2 -- Riego to Tabara (31). Into Tabara there are construction signs but based on my memory from my last Sanabres, the route remains exactly the same. I stayed in the hotel El Roble while my companions were in the albergue. It's a pretty standard albergue, but showers were cold and standards of cleanliness not too high. Rooms in the Roble are 18 euros, 9 euro menu is decent.
Day 3 -- Tabara to Carmazana de Tera (26). Some re-routing right out of town and construction is visible. It was early morning so no one had started up the trucks yet. You will come to a well-indicated option -- go straight on to Villafranca (lots of pavement but there's a bar or two) or head R and stick with the camino to Bercianos. All off road but coffee options are slimmer. We went the Bercianos route and met a resident who told us there are 200 of them who all have keys to the municipal social center, which they open up to make coffee for pilgrims. We had an absolutely fantastic coffee, probably the best of the Sanabres, since it was made with one of those fancy new nespresso type machines. Very friendly people and there's a basic albergue there too.
We bypassed Santa Marta and Santa Croya (Anita's albergue and the municipal albergue) to even out the next few days' kms. So we continued on to Carmazana de Tera, about 1 km off the camino. Very nice one star hotel, 30 euros for bed, dinner, breakfast. It's the Hotel Juan Manuel , 980-649-019
Day 4 -- Camarzana to Mombuey (31.5) Can't remember any construction on this stage. Several new albergues, though: La Trucha (donativo in Olleros de Tera, with bar serving meals); Christian albergue in Vila de Farfon (coffee/drinks/snacks also available on donativo basis -- we had a nice rest here). Municipal albergue in Mombuey, 11 beds in one big room with a table and chairs. One bathroom. Several places to eat on the road.
Day 5 -- Mombuey to Puebla Sanabria (31). A few detours for AVE construction. The first comes right after you cross the superhighway upon leaving Mombuey. The arrows point one way, and a sign saying DESVIO points you another way. Desvio means detour. Take the detour. There's another detour upon leaving Entrepenas, this one takes you along the Autovia service road for a few kms, but looking at the great maps I have in my Levante guide, it's clear it didn't add any kms either. This is a wonderful stage, the only drawback being the 4 kms asphalt into Puebla. Other albergues on this stage, aside from the well-known one in Rionegro. San Salvador has a small albergue (no stores, though, so bring food), and Asturianos has opened one in the polideportivo (3 bars). Puebla de Sanabria's private albergue is fabulous, probably the best albergue on the Sanabres, IMO. Right on the road into town.
Day 6 -- Puebla to Lubian (31). Leaving Puebla you will have 2 kms on asphalt at the start, but then be on the lookout for getting off the road and walking by the river. You can stay on that river path by paying careful attention. At one point, you'll be back up on the highway, but if you watch carefully you'll see another bunch of faded arrows to get you back by the river. Otherwise you'll be on the highway for many more kms than necessary. Requejo has a nice private albergue.
This is a stage with a lot of asphalt and some AVE detours. After Requejo, you have to stay on the N-525 for 4kms. You can see construction to your left. Once you get off the asphalt, you then do some crazy looping around to avoid the highway and to avoid the superhighway, and you go under those roads and can see the tunnel up above. This re-routing has been there for years now, since the autovia was built. After the ascent you'll enter Padornelo (bars and a hotel). BEAUTIFUL walk from here to Lubian, through Aciberos on some of the trickiest wettest walking of the trip, but just gorgeous. We crossed over what was clearly the start of clearing for the train. No problem now, but I assume there will have to be detours. That will be a real shame, because this is one gorgeous section.
Municipal albergue in Lubian, about 15 beds and more mattresses. One bath with shower. Kitchen. The two casas rurales have now closed, but the Bar has rooms on top. We saw some pilgrims staying there but there are also a lot of workers there for the construction so you may have trouble getting a room. Don't miss the short walk up to see the wolf trap in Lubian. Really interesting, probably from 17 or 18 C.
More to come. Buen camino, Laurie
