Cycle blog for the Camino de Levante

[ciclista]

For anyone interested here is our blog which we will be writing on our journey. We leave in 4 days
http://caminocyclespain.blogspot.com.au/

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Buan camino - it is a wonderful route and I look forward to reading your posts.

John

 

[evanlow]

Buen Camino,

I will be follow your blog as all my Camino has been on foot and I am interested in biking for my next camino.

Here's a little tip if you have not already gotten your SIM card.

Get Yoigo (all Carrefour stores there has it). 30 Euros comes with 800 MB and the SIM Card (they can cut it for you if you are using iPhone 4 or 4S). Additional 300 MB cost 5 Euros. If you don't use the phone credits, you should be about to top up about twice, which will make it around 800+300+300=1.4 GB data traffic.

You will need to have a Spanish address to buy any local SIM card. Just bring along the address of say the Australian consulate.

Set up your blogger account so you can post via email. Using the iPhone or iPad, you can sent the mail (subject becomes title, mail body becomes the blog content and attachments up to 4 images also will appear in your blog post). Reason for this is that for any photo attachment IOS will ask you what size (small, medium, large, original). Even choosing large, the size is still a lot smaller than originai. You basically have a built in resizer right there and it saves you from using up unnecessary bandwidth from your SIM card.

Buen Camino!

 

[jcatienza]

you just made my day

 

[peregrina2000]

Buen camino, ciclista. I'm really looking forward to reading about your trip, because I plan to walk this route in May. Let me know if you see any walkers, and have a great trip. Laurie

 

[ciclista]

We only saw about 4 walkers on the Levante section of the camino. Once it joined up with the Via De La Plata there were heaps. Factor in plenty of extra time! Much of the way has been diverted due to autopistas and the signage is very poor. We got lost several times. Take maps, GPS if you can (we didnt have this till later in our trip and it would have been very useful in the first few days) and be prepared for most stages to be about10km more than what the book says. The locals are super helpful if you can speak a bit of Spanish. They pointed us in the right direction many times
All the best! Let me know if you need any specific information. Its a very rewarding trip, though on foot it would be super difficult! So make sure you give yourself lots and lots of time

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, ciclista,

I enjoyed your blog, and have heard from others about autopista construction. Seems that every camino I walk I get into construction -- the Invierno, Primitivo, Vdlp, grrrr. I will bring a little compass but won't have GPS.

Which book did you use? I think I've got a pretty good sense of stages now, thanks to andy, Kevin, and some people on a Spanish forums. I will be getting a copy of the Association guidebook soon, but I know there are always last minute re-routings with the autopista.

Do you remember the exact spots where you got lost (sorry, that may be a ridiculous question)?

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[ciclista]

We used the book produced by the amigos in Valencia. Great book, lots of information, but unfortunately a little out of date. The problem was that there were many diversions with no signs. There were several main points of "lostness" that I can point out to you which might help. The major one being leaving Albacete. Once you get to the cemetery you have gone too far! Ignore the old markers and head back over the bridge following the track along side of the railway. From then on there are new markers to follow. This section is also a lot longer than stated in the book and websites.
Also, around Santiago de la Torre it appears the farmers have re-routed the track and there are no signs! You just have to guess which farming roads to take based on the general direction you want to go in. We were lucky we guessed right You can see the castle eventually and can head towards it.

From Villacanas to Tembleque has also been re-routed. It is marked but the diversion is huge! So allow extra time. There is also no shade.

Also, when leaving Toledo be aware that there is another track which has the same markings as the levante, which is very confusing! We ended up in the completely wrong town, but luckily as we were on bikes we just took the road back until we were headed in the right direction.

Goodluck!