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Jumping from the Madrid to the VdlP

MichaelNW

Member
I have posted before that I don't want to walk on the over-crowded CF. I would like to start in Madrid walking the Camino de Madrid and jump to the Via de la Plata. I was looking at maps and it looks like it might make sense to leave the CdM at Valladolid and travel to Zamora. Workable? Other suggestions about where to jump? Is there a walking route or should I just get on the bus? I would rather walk, but not if it is all street walking. Is there a Camino connection between the two? This is my first Camino.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
I have posted before that I don't want to walk on the over-crowded CF. I would like to start in Madrid walking the Camino de Madrid and jump to the Via de la Plata. I was looking at maps and it looks like it might make sense to leave the CdM at Valladolid and travel to Zamora. Workable? Other suggestions about where to jump? Is there a walking route or should I just get on the bus? I would rather walk, but not if it is all street walking. Is there a Camino connection between the two? This is my first Camino.
What's your problem Michael???

You have alredy posted similar question and received the answer(s):
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...-to-finishing-on-the-camino-de-frances.31726/

EDIT: Maybe you should go on CF in December/January???
 
What's your problem Michael???

You have alredy posted similar question and received the answer(s):
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...-to-finishing-on-the-camino-de-frances.31726/

EDIT: Maybe you should go on CF in December/January???

Didn't know whether I should continue the same thread as I close in on a solution. Excuse me if that is what I should have done. I very much appreciate your (and others) help.

It seems that moving from the Madrid to the Via de la Plata is an easy solution. Just trying to narrow in on the how. Also trying to keep it simple.

Too cold in the winter.
 
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I've been thinking about doing the same, cutting across from around Valladolid to Zamora, preferably following the Duero. The trouble is that there seems to be little in the way of lodging along that stretch.

So just now I had a thought: would it be possible to travel the 100km or so downriver by boat? Has anyone done this before, does anyone know whether river travel is even possible here?
 
I've been thinking about doing the same, cutting across from around Valladolid to Zamora, preferably following the Duero. The trouble is that there seems to be little in the way of lodging along that stretch.

So just now I had a thought: would it be possible to travel the 100km or so downriver by boat? Has anyone done this before, does anyone know whether river travel is even possible here?
Hi, Rob!

I have walked CdM in 2014 and Levante to Zamora (and on Sanabres from there) this summer. On Valladolid - Zamora there is no Camino to my knowledge. You can check it out here: http://pilgrim.peterrobins.co.uk/routes/list.html
But maybe there is one of many Spanish GRs. I guess @Castilian could be of more help here.

But I'm sure you would be able to find some sort of acommodation (CR/pension/hostal...) on that stretch. If you really decide to go this way keep in mind that we would be very happy to know all about it :)

Ultreia!
 
When I walked the Camino de Madrid, the only two other pilgrims I met on that route left me to join the Vdlp. :( They kept going a little north of Simancas and wove around on minor roads till they hit the Vdlp (which by then was the Sanabres).

If it were up to me, I wouldn't miss the chance to visit Zamora, which is an extremely beautiful small city, with no fewer than 24 romanesque churches, a renovated castle, a modernist neighborhood, a unique cathedral, and a lot of good ambiance. So I think your idea of hopping on a bus from Valladolid to Zamora is a good one. If you do want to walk that distance, you could have your last day before Zamora on the Camino de Levante from the town of Toro (beautiful church, yummy wine, what more do you need?). From Simancas on the Madrid to Toro is about 50 km on minor roads, and I'll bet there's a pension or two somewhere on that stretch.

Buen camino, Laurie
 
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Michael,
I walked the CdM this year and the Levante last year. Have you considered cutting across to the camino Levante for a few days? On the CdM in May I saw road signs to Medina del Campo but can’t remember where they were. Looking at a map I think they were between Villeguillo and Alcazaren. The CL-602 cuts across the camino about 10 km after Villeguillo and goes through Olmedo to Medina. This would be a longish day from Villeguillo – perhaps 35 km, but maybe you could stay in Olmedo. From Medina to Zamora is about 90 km. Medina, Toro and Zamora are all well worth a visit.

KinkyOne and I share a liking for Villeguillo. There’s nothing much to this small village, but good people live there. It’s a really nice, quiet stop – or raucous if you spend too long in the (only) bar.
 
Hahaha, that's true, nice you remember that.
Also last year you walked Levante and I did Madrid. This year we obviously changed route between us, Levante for me and Madrid for you ;)

Planning any new Camino?

Have a nice day!
 
I left the Camino de Madrid at Santa María la Real de Nieva and walked across, on or beside a very minor road, the 20km to Arévalo, which is on the Levante, following that on to Zamora. Alternatively, you could do the same from Simancas/Valladolid to Tordesillas, and follow the Camino del Sureste until it joins the Sanabrés/Plata at Santa Marta de Tera a day after Benavente.

On both you will enjoy the fabulous view down onto Segovia from the Puerto de la Fuenfría, one of the great sights of any camino.
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
I've been thinking about doing the same, cutting across from around Valladolid to Zamora, preferably following the Duero. The trouble is that there seems to be little in the way of lodging along that stretch.

You shouln't have problems to make that route. You can follow the Camino Natural del Duero (not a camino to Santiago but a GR; the GR-14 to be specific) from Puente Duero to Zamora. For info about the Camino Natural del Duero (tracks, stages...), you can take a look at www.magrama.gob.es/es/desarrollo-rural/temas/caminos-naturales/caminos-naturales/sector-noroeste/duero/default.aspx (you would be doing from the stage 15 to the stage 18 although on the stage 18 -Toro-Zamora-, instead of following the Camino Natural del Duero, you could follow the Camino de Levante).

There's plenty of accommodation in Tordesillas; including a pilgrim albergue (because Tordesillas is on the Camino del Sureste). In Castronuño, there's also a pilgrim albergue (because Castronuño is on the Camino de Levante) and there are several casas rurales although verify whether you can book just a room in (any of) those casas rurales or you have to book all the house (in which case it would be really expensive). It might be a pensión too in Castronuño but look online and double-check it beforehand. Toro has a good choice of accommodations too.
 
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You shouln't have problems to make that route. You can follow the Camino Natural del Duero (not a camino to Santiago but a GR; the GR-14 to be specific) from Puente Duero (or Simancas) to Zamora. For info about the Camino Natural del Duero (tracks, stages...), you can take a look at www.magrama.gob.es/es/desarrollo-rural/temas/caminos-naturales/caminos-naturales/sector-noroeste/duero/default.aspx (you would be doing from the stage 15 to the stage 18 although on the stage 18 -Toro-Zamora-, instead of following the Camino Natural del Duero, you could follow the Camino de Levante).

There's plenty of accommodation in Tordesillas; including a pilgrim albergue (because Tordesillas is on the Camino del Sureste). In Castronuño, there's also a pilgrim albergue (because Castronuño is on the Camino de Levante) and there are several casas rurales although verify whether you can book just a room in (any of) those casas rurales or you have to book all the house (in which case it would be really expensive). It might be a pensión too in Castronuño but look online and double-check it beforehand. Toro has a good choice of accommodations too.
In Toro one can stay for donativo in Clarisas monastery. I did and it was ... soothing!
Castronuño albergue is very nice, on the edge of the village, very clean and with restaurant very close by.
 
So just now I had a thought: would it be possible to travel the 100km or so downriver by boat? Has anyone done this before, does anyone know whether river travel is even possible here?

I forgot to answer this part of your post on my previous post so I'll make it now.

There aren't boats down the Duero from Puente Duero to Zamora and there isn't any sort of organized river transport (neither public nor private). I don't know too much about canoeing so I don't know requirements to make it by yourself (i.e.: if you would need some sort of permit/s) but the route would pass through a protected Natural Reserve (surely with regulations about activities within it) and a reservoir...
 
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Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I was going to take my time and look at all the options, but I've realised that my wife is already unhappy about me walking alone -- so I think I'll stick to the standard route and not go off-track.
 
Hi, @Rob the Slob ---are you still enjoying walking the Camino? Cheers, mate. just saw you come online.
 
There is another option, you could take the variant to La Santa Espina and the then take various farm tracks to Urena and then on to Villarfredes on the Sureste, I have seen wikiloc links for doing this and it mostly looks like farm tracks as well, it's probably 23km or just less from the Albergue in La Santa Espina to a Albergue on the Sureste which is 6km past Villarfredes.
I know this thread is dated but just been looking at this option very recently, so thought I would add it.
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.

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