Apologies for the delayed update. (I had planned to do an update yesterday but the lure of a hot bath and a football match meant I didn't have time.)
Here are my notes/thoughts for the first few days on the VdlP:
Day 1 - Seville (1.1km)
Walk - Not much to say for obvious reasons except it's best to either follow the arrows/markings OR an app. (I was doing both and kept missing where I was meant to go!)
Tip - For any one looking to visit the Cathedral, they don't open for tourist visits until 10.45 meaning it's best to go the day before you start your walk. (I'm not sure whether there is an early morning service you could attend if you were looking to get your credential stamped before setting off.)
Accommodation - Triana Backpackers
Pros - clean, comfortable, friendly staff, lots of bathrooms, close to local restaurants and bars, well supplied kitchen.
Cons - not exclusive to pilgrims. I get the impression this place could be quite noisy on weekends/during busy periods.
Day 2 - Seville to Santiponce (7.8km)
Walk - When leaving the city, don't be concerned about the busy roads, it's well signposted and there are proper pedestrian crossings so no scrabbling through traffic.
The walk along the Guadalquivir was nice and soft under foot but not muddy even though it had been raining the day before.
When approaching the finca/farm just after the Guadalquivir, it will be very muddy and difficult to walk on if it has been raining.
Don't be alarmed by the gunshots when approaching the overhead motorway, this is the HQ for the Andalucian Olympic Shooting Federation.
The walk all the way to Santiponce is very well marked.
Tip - As
@Anniesantiago and
@Corned Beef mention, Itálica was amazing, and for me is not to be missed. If you can't stay in Santiponce at least visit the ruins to break up your first day's walk.
I also loved the Monesterio de San Isidro del Campo. It had some beautiful altarpieces and some fantastic artwork - also well worth a visit.
Accommodation - Itálica Hostel
Pros - new, clean, comfortable, warm welcome, well equipped kitchen (although only one ring hot plate), quiet (I had the 10 man dorm to myself and managed to get a good 8 and a half hours on uninterrupted sleep.)
Cons - not exclusive to pilgrims although I think this would be less of an issue than at Triana Backpackers.
Day 3 - Santiponce to Castilblanco de los Arroyos (31.2km)
Walk - Careful when leaving Santiponce as you have to cross some busy roads.
The walk to Guillena has some very gentle rolling hills on easy terrain and is a straight walk for most of the way. (Not sure whether this would be the case after heavy rain.)
Where the Camino is flooded on this stage, be aware that the "girder crossing" is slightly bouncy when you reach the middle! (That caught me off guard slightly.)
The terrain after leaving Guillena (past the industrial estate) is very difficult when wet. (Thick clay-like mud that sticks to your boots.)
The remainder of this walk is on a mix of terrains but the part just after the industrial estate mentioned above was the worst.
Tip - Remember to carry plenty of water. (If you are particularly eco conscious then a water bladder is a must as I have had to resort to buying bottled water on a couple of occasions.)
Accommodation - Albergue de peregrines de Castilblanco de los Arroyos
Pros - Donativo, warm welcome (included a temperature check), well equipped kitchen (including two ring hot plate), clothes washing facilities on roof terrace, plenty of washing lines for drying clothes.
Cons - The clothes washing facilities are limited - the tap does not run very well.
I'll do another post tomorrow with a couple of days of updates (I'm currently in Zafra) but here are my general thoughts so far:
For anyone who enjoys walking solo (this includes me), this is the ideal Camino. There are less pilgrims and it seems that quite a few of the ones walking are more interested in walking solo/sticking to their couples/groups. (I would say if you're somebody who likes to make a Camino Family, this might not be the one for you or it may be better to walk at a busier time.)
Due to it being quieter, I've found it so much easier to slip into "Pilgrim Mode" (where your mind empties) than on the Frances.
The scenery is lovely. Lots of rolling hills with a few steeper climbs but nothing as bad as on the Frances.
The flip side of that, is there are some really tough, long stages without places to stop. (This is not an "easy" Camino as I saw somebody describe it on the Forum!)
