Mozarabe, Almeria—Cordoba March 8-27, 2023.

[NPD]

Anyone interested to join? I’ve got the days planned out and currently considering a rest day in Granada. A friend may be coming but it would be great to have other company. It would be my 5th time hiking in Spain and I am still very excited. Anyone who is interested to join, I can share my guidebook and trip plan.

I was going to walk this in March 2020 but everything got grounded by the pandemic So here we go!!

 

[Bernice M]

Could you be more specific - gender, proposed daily distances, speed? I'll be starting around then, but I'm in the slow walker category. I prefer ~20kms per day and a rest day a week. Check out AJ Guillaume's thread from a couple of months ago. I'm using that as a template.

 

[Fred Bovenkamp]

Like you, I too had planned on walking the Camino Mozárabe in 2020 and will now be leaving for Spain on March 12, 2023 to begin the Mozárabe from Almería in mid to late March. I would love to see your guidebook and trip plan. Buen Camino!

 

[lindam]

I too have had my eye on walking the Mozarabe route from Almeria for some time after my plans were postponed in 2020. I have been considering starting in March 2023. I would be interested to know your trip plan. I also wonder if there are any special considerations when walking the Mozarabe route at that time of year (e.g., high waters due to spring run off, albergues not yet open for the season, potential seasonal closures of sections of the route, etc.).

 

[Rita Flower]

Could you be more specific - gender, proposed daily distances, speed? I'll be starting around then, but I'm in the slow walker category. I prefer ~20kms per day and a rest day a week. Check out AJ Guillaume's thread from a couple of months ago. I'm using that as a template.

Just finished VDLP a few weeks ago and feel very drawn to Mozarabe but definitely don’t want to walk the early more difficult sections alone. Also prefer 20 km per day. March 2023 feels too soon but I am very interested in following this thread.

 

[AJGuillaume]

We're planning on going back to the Mozárabe in 2023, but later, probably late April or early May.

 

[Rita Flower]

We're planning on going back to the Mozárabe in 2023, but later, probably late April or early May.

I thought it would be too hot by June.

 

[Pelerina]

I thought it would be too hot by June.

Hi Rita

We started on the Mozarabe (from Granada, not Almeria) on 1 May 2015. By late morning / early afternoon the days were pretty steamy, especially as there is little shade. I recall thinking I probably wouldn't want to go any later. And I'm used to the heat.

 

[Sirage]

I am planning on walking from Almeria about mid March if all the stars align. That seems to me to be a good time to start with typical weather patterns.

However I am strictly a solo walker for long walks, I adapt my plan to the circumstances and I have lots of time, but it would be great to see people along the way if we are nearby (ie a day or 2)

 

[AJGuillaume]

I thought it would be too hot by June.

I should add that we're not walking all the way to SdC. We're hoping to have finished walking in June.

 

[Rita Flower]

I am planning on walking from Almeria about mid March if all the stars align. That seems to me to be a good time to start with typical weather patterns.

However I am strictly a solo walker for long walks, I adapt my plan to the circumstances and I have lots of time, but it would be great to see people along the way if we are nearby (ie a day or 2)

Oh I am definitely a solo walker as well. I was just thinking that I wouldn’t mind a buddy for the Almeria to Granada section.

 

[Sirage]

Oh I am definitely a solo walker as well. I was just thinking that I wouldn’t mind a buddy for the Almeria to Granada section.

I am not sure about your thought - perhaps a bit of cognitive dissonance? I suspect my version of solo is more solo than your solo.

In the first part of my walk I will be easing into it. It will be a fairly long way, perhaps 80 days, and whilst I have an idea of stages I will be going with the flow. Perhaps my stages may become more predictable as I get a rhythm but ultimately I don't want the "burden !" of any sort of commitment or understanding at the beginning - what happens later in the walk may be another thing.

 

[Rita Flower]

I am not sure about your thought - perhaps a bit of cognitive dissonance? I suspect my version of solo is more solo than your solo.

In the first part of my walk I will be easing into it. It will be a fairly long way, perhaps 80 days, and whilst I have an idea of stages I will be going with the flow. Perhaps my stages may become more predictable as I get a rhythm but ultimately I don't want the "burden !" of any sort of commitment or understanding at the beginning - what happens later in the walk may be another thing.

Oh no worries.
I wasn’t t expecting you to be my buddy. Maybe I sounded needy. Or fearful. Maybe I was.
Be free.
If I get there - and at the moment it’s just a idea - and if we are there at the same time - we may cross paths.
And I now remember that if I really need an occasional buddy they will be there - which was exactly my experience this autumn on VDLP.
Many thanks for the conversation and helping me clarify things.
Buen Camino

 

[Pelerina]

Maybe I sounded needy. Or fearful. Maybe I was.

For what it's worth @Rita Flower - you didn't sound needy or fearful to me. I can understand it would be nice to have the occasional buddy on the Mozarabe, so why not put it out there!

In 2015, I think we saw 4 or 5 pilgrims between Granada and Melide - we often had the (excellent) albergues to ourselves. I was happy to be walking with my pilgrim 'amado'. And we found the local people 'along the Way' most kind and welcoming. They were always happy to see pilgrims.

But my sense is that these days there are a few more people walking this path. @AJGuillaume and @OzAnnie among them - you probably followed their posts recently? And would have read that the local Association is extremely helpful - a particular lady was mentioned whose name I don't recall but she went out of her way to be of assistance.

Exciting to be planning another camino.

 

[AJGuillaume]

And would have read that the local Association is extremely helpful - a particular lady was mentioned whose name I don't recall but she went out of her way to be of assitance. And we found the local people 'along the Way' most kind and welcoming. They were always happy to see pilgrims.

Between Almería and Granada, as @Pelerina wrote, you'll have a wonderful support.
We interrupted our Camino this year as a result of a death in my darling's family, and instead of just resuming next year from where we stopped, we decided to start again from Almería to relive that experience.
We were in touch with Nely most often. In Guadix, Paco helped us. @OzAnnie was in touch with other members of the Asociación Jacobea de Almería-Granada.

 

[Rita Flower]

Between Almería and Granada, as @Pelerina wrote, you'll have a wonderful support.
We interrupted our Camino this year as a result of a death in my darling's family, and instead of just resuming next year from where we stopped, we decided to start again from Almería to relive that experience.
We were in touch with Nely most often. In Guadix, Paco helped us. @OzAnnie was in touch with other members of the Asociación Jacobea de Almería-Granada.

Thank you. I walked with a group of wonderful Spaniards this year on VDLP- some live in Almeria and Granada. It would be great to see them again.

 

[Rita Flower]

Between Almería and Granada, as @Pelerina wrote, you'll have a wonderful support.
We interrupted our Camino this year as a result of a death in my darling's family, and instead of just resuming next year from where we stopped, we decided to start again from Almería to relive that experience.
We were in touch with Nely most often. In Guadix, Paco helped us. @OzAnnie was in touch with other members of the Asociación Jacobea de Almería-Granada.

Thanks for the support. Almeria to Mérida feels more and more doable

 

[peregrina2000]

Thanks for the support. Almeria to Mérida feels more and more doable

I will jump into the Mozárabe chorus with a resounding yes to solo female walking. But only you know if you really enjoy walking really alone, because I think on the Mozárabe you are likely to be really alone. The difference in numbers on the Vdlp and the Mozárabe is substantial and I wouldn’t start the Mozárabe thinking that you’ll run into people off and on.

Several years ago, I started a thread in the fall looking for forum members interested in the Mozárabe. In April, about 14 of us met up in Almería. I wound up with two others, some wound up walking alone, and there was one larger “group” of 5 or so that formed. You might try a thread planting the Mozárabe seed and see what kind of responses you get. Our idea was not to have any sort of group walk, but just knowing there were people out there was a nice feeling. I think we made a lot of work for the amigos though, because they are so devoted to us pilgrims that they wound up ferrying inflatable mattresses from one albergue to another when they calculated that the night’s arrival would outstrip the beds available.

So, long story short, the Mozárabe has amazing support, tremendous albergues, great scenery, but very few pilgrims. My pals left me in Granada and from there I was totally alone and never saw another pilgrim till Mérida.

If you loved the Vdlp, and if you didn’t find yourself hungering for companionship on those alone days, I think you would also love the Mozárabe. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[jungleboy]

Maybe it’s time for me to chime in too as Wendy and I are also looking at walking the Mozárabe this spring, starting from Almería a few days after Easter (April 13 or thereabouts). Hope to run into @AJGuillaume and his darling if they restart a bit later and a bit further in, and anyone else who may be walking around that time!

 

[Rita Flower]

I will jump into the Mozárabe chorus with a resounding yes to solo female walking. But only you know if you really enjoy walking really alone, because I think on the Mozárabe you are likely to be really alone. The difference in numbers on the Vdlp and the Mozárabe is substantial and I wouldn’t start the Mozárabe thinking that you’ll run into people off and on.

Several years ago, I started a thread in the fall looking for forum members interested in the Mozárabe. In April, about 14 of us met up in Almería. I wound up with two others, some wound up walking alone, and there was one larger “group” of 5 or so that formed. You might try a thread planting the Mozárabe seed and see what kind of responses you get. Our idea was not to have any sort of group walk, but just knowing there were people out there was a nice feeling. I think we made a lot of work for the amigos though, because they are so devoted to us pilgrims that they wound up ferrying inflatable mattresses from one albergue to another when they calculated that the night’s arrival would outstrip the beds available.

So, long story short, the Mozárabe has amazing support, tremendous albergues, great scenery, but very few pilgrims. My pals left me in Granada and from there I was totally alone and never saw another pilgrim till Mérida.

If you loved the Vdlp, and if you didn’t find yourself hungering for companionship on those alone days, I think you would also love the Mozárabe. Buen camino, Laurie

Many thanks Laurie
This gives me confidence and food for thought.

 

[joncu]

Anyone interested to join? I’ve got the days planned out and currently considering a rest day in Granada. A friend may be coming but it would be great to have other company. It would be my 5th time hiking in Spain and I am still very excited. Anyone who is interested to join, I can share my guidebook and trip plan.

I was going to walk this in March 2020 but everything got grounded by the pandemic So here we go!!

I am also going in march