Cycling the Levante in March

[peregrina nicole]

My normal walking campanion, Camino Bob, is thinking of cycling the Levante at the end of March 2012. He is an experinced long distance cyclist and has already done the Frances from St Jean (in 5 days). He has a super light weight carbon fibre bike and so will be sticking to ashphalt. He travels very light and normally does between 100km and 200km per day, depending on the terrain and wind conditions. What is the weather like on this route in March (i.e. how cold and wet)? Is there a cycling guide that anyone can recommend that recommends ashphalted routes? Can anyone recommend how the days might be broken up? He'll be staying in albergues (if he can get in) and hotels. He has a good job, so staying in hotels isn't a problem (but it does make life easier if they are bike friendly).

We met Johnnie Walker when we picked up our credenciales for the Primitivo in August. He had just walked the Levante and recommended the guide produced by the Amigos del Camino in Valencia, so I've just ordered this.

Camino Bob doesn't speak Spanish, so an English guide would be best for him. I speak Spanish and could translate info from websites for him before his departure. 200 km a day on a bike is not my idea of a good time, so he is doing this alone.

Buen Camino

 

[andy.d]

Nicole,

Johnnie is the most recent person on the forum to have walked the Levante, so I'd be really interested in his advice. I walked most of the Levante a couple of years ago. There's quite a lot of information on my blog, including stages and accommodation lists. The Spanish Guide is very good. Look at the strip maps in that - my memory is that most of the time they have enough detail to take in other roads. There are stages near the beginning which are very remote - the Camino path was nowhere near roads for a while as it wended its way along the side of mountains. There is an English translation of the Spanish Guide available from CSJ. The only other option is an older French one that is very out of date (although has useful extra information on accommodation).

I would recommend knowledge of basic Spanish for the Levante. When I walked it in September/October 2009, there were no other pilgrims until Zamorra. There was no one who spoke any English other than in Toledo.

Andy

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hola Nicole

I'm certain that a cyclist can readily travel from Valencia to Santiago by road - cars and buses do it all the time! Also travelling between 100 - 200 kms per day there will be no difficulty calling it at some of the main cities which the Camino Levante passes through. The Amigos Guide is available in English. It contains excellent maps which are also provided in a separate folder - these will give you a reference point to order other road maps if you feel these are necessary.

Best wishes

John

 

[ria]

Hello Nicole,

I walked a big part of the Levante this year in July, and I most of the time hated it , because - ofcourse - it is too hot in July and the landscape is not that exciting. I started in Valencia and stopped in Avila, to take a train to continue on nice green northern routes (Salvador, Norte, Primitivo), because I was reallly fed up with walking through the fields next to a road without shade. But... when I was walking I was often thinking that this is a perfect route for cyclists. Long distances will be no problem in most parts, because La Mancha is quite flat. And since cyclists can do bigger distances it is not as boring as hiking. In cases that cyclists can't go on the footpath: there is almost always a road very nearby.
I also had the Spanish guide translated in English with me, and although the maps are quite helpful, there is quite some outdated information in there (it tells you there are albergues in places where they are not, and also the other way around: it says there is no albergue & after taking a hotel you find out there is one...). Same thing with the info on distances: sometimes it is accurate, but sometimes it is not: on one stage which was supposed to be 39 km my Garmin told me at the end of the day I walked 45 km, while i did not get lost or anything. But for a cyclist that is not really a big problem.
Albergues on the route are small, but sufficient, in polideportivos or at casas de paroquial. Phone the numbers in the book, and usually a friendly member of the local camino friends comes over to open the door. Most of the times I was there alone (I met 3 pilgrims in the first 3 days and after that none). Tell Bob to stay in La Roda: the albergue there is actually IN the Plaza de Toros. I liked that a lot.

regards,
ria

 

[LTfit]

Due to physical constraints following my last Camino in July, I am contemplating a biking Camino this summer. As I have walked the Francés from SJPdP to Fisterra and the VdlP from Sevilla to Zamora I am now looking at the Norte and the Levante.

I know that this thread is old but I am interested in hearing more about biking this route (if I do not get a response I will just make a new thread).

Nicole: did your friend Camino Bob actually start the Levante? If so would love to hear his impressions. Any way to contact him directly?

And from John, Andy or Ria (plannen voor dit jaar?): how is this route for a single, middle-aged woman? I speak/understand Spanish and do like warm weather (I did walk the Plata in July!!).

Thanks for any advice/comments!

Cheers,
LT

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hola

Well, I loved this route. It travels through all of Spain visiting some of the great cities particularly Toledo and Avila. I liked the remoteness of it and I must say I found some of the scenery very special. For a Via de la Plata veteran this route with some planning will pose no problems imho. Enjoy!

John

 

[LTfit]

Thanks for the rapid response John! I must say that the idea is starting to take form and my restless Camino heart starting to get excited.

I found beauty in the arid landscape of Extremadura this past summer so I probably will feel also quite at home on this route (although Ria has another view). Next step is to order a guide and further investigate equipment needs.

I wish you much success with your Welcome Project!

Cheers,
LT

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Thanks. These posting made me go back through the blogs and pictures:

http://www.johnniewalker-santiago.blogs ... %20Levante

This is an undeniably wonderful route!

BUEN CAMINO!

John

 

[LTfit]

Thanks John...well thanks? I am just wiping away the tears after reading the following entry:

"If anyone asks, which I hope they don’t, “did you meet God or come closer to God on your pilgrimage?” I now have a kind of an answer I am satisfied with.

If God is in the face of friends and the intimate companionship of walking the Way together, I’m closer to God. If God is in the breathtaking vistas, the flowers and animals, the path that never seems to end but always does, I’m closer to God. If God is in the kindness of strangers who have appeared on every Camino, then I am closer to God.

How close I ask myself? Not close enough...I’ll need to walk again."

I had a bitter-sweet ending to my Camino in Zamora last year and hope to be fit enough to walk again next year, thus the bike this time around.

My walking compañero (met on day 1) continued on via the Sanabrés to Santiago and in one of his texts he sent the following quote which you also posted on your blog - hands-down my favorite:

Nada más pido: el cielo sobre mi y el Camino bajo mis pies.

That says it all.

 

[andy.d]

Hola,

I enjoyed it very much. I walked solo (although of course I'm a man) and had no problems or worries at all. I hope you're planning goes well,

Andy

 

[ria]

Hola LT,
I have mixed feelings about the levante, because i have very good and very bad memories of it, but i think it's a good route for cycling. Distances for hiking are long, but on a bicycle that is no problem. Most pf it is quite flat too. In my opinion the plata is more beautiful, although this 500 kms todo recto on la mancha had their own charm, but i really had to learn to appreciate that. It is also quite lonely on the way - i was there in July and ofcourse spanish people would not consider hiking in July in the hottest places of the spain. So all together i would say go for it, and don't expect too much plata charm. There is a good guidebook translated from Spanish into English with maps. I bought it in Santiago, but i think i also saw it at pied a terre. The book has phonenumbers of the albergues: you usually have to phone somebody so that he/she can come over to open it for you. My favorite: the albergue of La Roda, which is actually IN de plaza de torros.
If you want more info, please let me know or send a pm.
My plans for this year: i am at the moment in a Hostel with wifi in Najera, walking the frances . I took a flight to Madrid with a guide of the mozarabe in my backpack, got stuck for 1 day in Madrid because of the national strike last week, checked the weatherforecast on my new fancy phone and decided to go to pamplona instead (onder het motto 'eenzaam in de zon is prima, maar eenzaam in de regen niet' ). I walked quite a lot of camino's in spain, but never the 'real' one, and this is the right time because there are not too many people walking at the moment. Enjoying it a lot, although today was a miserable rainy day in rioja.
Have fun in preparing!
Ria
Op mijn oude blog staat ook een verslagje met fotos, maar dat is beetje chaotisch qua volgende: riacamino.blogspot.com


Verstuurd van mijn GT-I9100G met Tapatalk

 

[LTfit]

Hoi Ria,

Just posted something on your new blog but not sure if it went through! Geez, you really have been hitting all of the Camino's haven't you? My Francés experience was wonderful even though in the holy year and in July. If you walk a fast pace and cover large distances as I did and which you appear to do too you stay in between the pack and end up walking for hours on end alone. At least that was my experience - quite meditative.

Now off to read about your Levante experience. Will PM should I have questions and head over to Pied à Terre to pick up a book on the Levante. Also just e-mailed the Amigos in Valencia for info.

Un abrazo de Holanda,
LT