Ruta del Argar from Almería

[C clearly]

Here is an article (in Spanish) about the Ruta del Argar, which is a second route from Almería. The article is over a year old, but I just came across it today. Since we don't have a lot of information on the forum about this route, I thought it would be good to post the link. Scroll down the page to see a schematic of the route.

 

[amancio]

Very interesting, particularly considering it offers a completely different route to the Mozarabe, the coast between La Fabriquilla and Garrucha is BEAUTIFUL, indeed!

 

[peregrina2000]

Not that it matters who is doing it, but I know that there has been a lot of confusion on the forum about the two different pilgrim groups in Almería. The group that maintains and promotes the Argar is NOT the same group that takes care of pilgrims and albergues on the Mozárabe from Almería.

See this thread.

So, if you are going to walk from Almería to Granada and beyond, you want to be in touch with the Asociación Jacobea de Almeria-Granada Camino Mozárabe. Their website provides contact info and an updated monthly guide online. Anyone who walks from Almería should be in touch with this group for so many reasons — because one of the members has a donativo albergue in her home in Almería, because they are the most welcoming amigos group I have ever met, and because they are in charge of all the public albergues between Almería and Granada and will give you info on how to enter.

The Argar is promoted by the Asociación de Amigos del Camino en Almería ’Almería Jacobea.‘ They also have a website with contact info. If you want more information on the Ruta de Argar, they are the ones to write to. Looks like it’s another route to go on the list for early spring walks.

Based on the map, you could walk the Argar till it merges with the Levante in Mora (a day out of Toledo), continue on the Levante till it merges with the Vdlp in Zamora, and then continue on the Sanabrés to Santiago or go from Zamora to Astorga and merge with the Francés.

SO MANY CHOICES!!!!!!! I hopes that anyone who walks the Argar will let us know all about it here on the forum. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[islandwalker]

Very interesting, particularly considering it offers a completely different route to the Mozarabe, the coast between La Fabriquilla and Garrucha is BEAUTIFUL, indeed!

Thanks for the links, @C clearly and @peregrina2000, and for the on-the-spot affirmation of the route, @amancio! The route looks very interesting indeed, and we are hoping to walk it this spring. It coincides in part with several other routes including the TransAndalus and the Senda Pirata. Here's some background on its name: "Around 1550 BC the people of the Argar culture built a fortified settlement at Antas. The settlement was discovered towards the end of the 19th century and became the archetypical site from which the Argar culture was named."

 

[islandwalker]

Here are the links for the gpx tracks for the Camino Ruta del Argar - 9 stages from Almeria to Lorca: lorca-santiago.lorca.es/

• Ruta del Argar desde Almería : Etapa 1 de Almería a Cabo de Gata 25.52 km many intermediate overnight stops possible wikiloc.59928106
• Ruta del Argar desde Almería : Etapa 2 desde Cabo de Gata a San José 20.32 km (15.3 if starting from Las Salinas) wikiloc.59929092
• Ruta del Argar desde Almería : Etapa 3 desde San José a las Negras 21.91km Overnight stops possible in Los Escullos (km 9.2), La Isleta (km 13), and Rodalquilar (km 16.5) wikiloc.59928311
• Ruta del Argar desde Almería : Etapa 4 desde las Negras a Carboneras 20.8 km Overnight stop possible in Agua Amarga, km 12.1 wikiloc.59928348
• Ruta del Argar desde Almería : Etapa 5 desde Carboneras a Garrucha 26.29 km (many intermediate hotels) wikiloc.62236443
• Ruta del Argar desde Almería : Etapa 6 desde Garrucha a Cuevas del Almanzora 20.58 km overnight stop possible in Vera, km 9.1 wikiloc.62236493
• Ruta del Argar desde Almería : Etapa 7 desde Cuevas del Almanzora a Huercal Overa 20.51 km no place to stay mid-stage wikiloc.62328668
• Ruta del Argar desde Almería : Etapa 8 desde Huercal Overa a Almendricos 20.25 km no place to stay mid-stage wikiloc.62328544
• Ruta del Argar desde Almería : Etapa 9 desde Almendricos a Lorca 26.98 km overnight possible in Las Norias, km 11.6 or Estacion de Puerto Lumbreras, km 15.3 wikiloc.62328389

 

[peregrina2000]

The route looks very interesting indeed, and we are hoping to walk it this spring.

Do you know anything about accommodation and/or albergues? Are you planning to be in touch with the Argar amigos?

Edited to add: I see there are at least two amigos groups — the one I linked to in my post (located in or near Almería) and the one you linked to in your post (located in Lorca).

 

[islandwalker]

The bad news is that albergues are few and far between. They are listed on this page. Look for the green button link above the map, or the tab below the map. In addition to the Albergues tab, there is another tab for Poblaciones that shows a hotel symbol for intermediate villages with hotels. I'm working on an accommodations list and will post it when it is done. I've noted in the tracks list (in post #5 above) the names of the villages where there are intermediate hotels or casas rurales. I also plan to be in touch with the Argar amigos.

The good news is that the entire camino between Almeria and Lorca is located in the driest, sunniest part of Spain, so the weather is good right through the winter. Also, several stages go through the Parque Natural Cabo de Gata-Nijar, so, as Amancio says above, the scenery is both stunning and protected. A listing of accommodations within the park is here.

 

[islandwalker]

An interesting side-note for people who are short on time is that the camino passes directly by the perimeter of the Almeria airport. You could step off the plane with your carry-on pack and be on the camino in two minutes! The orange line on the attached screen shot shows where the Ruta del Argar passes the airport. (Of course, you would then miss the wonderful sights of Almeria...)

 

[Rita Flower]

Here are the links for the gpx tracks for the Camino Ruta del Argar - 9 stages from Almeria to Lorca: lorca-santiago.lorca.es/

• Ruta del Argar desde Almería : Etapa 1 de Almería a Cabo de Gata 25.52 km many intermediate overnight stops possible wikiloc.59928106
• Ruta del Argar desde Almería : Etapa 2 desde Cabo de Gata a San José 20.32 km (15.3 if starting from Las Salinas) wikiloc.59929092
• Ruta del Argar desde Almería : Etapa 3 desde San José a las Negras 21.91km Overnight stops possible in Los Escullos (km 9.2), La Isleta (km 13), and Rodalquilar (km 16.5) wikiloc.59928311
• Ruta del Argar desde Almería : Etapa 4 desde las Negras a Carboneras 20.8 km Overnight stop possible in Agua Amarga, km 11.8 wikiloc.59928348
• Ruta del Argar desde Almería : Etapa 5 desde Carboneras a Garrucha 26.29 km (many intermediate hotels) wikiloc.62236443
• Ruta del Argar desde Almería : Etapa 6 desde Garrucha a Cuevas del Almanzora 20.58 km overnight stop possible in Vera, km 9.1 wikiloc.62236493
• Ruta del Argar desde Almería : Etapa 7 desde Cuevas del Almanzora a Huercal Overa 20.51 km no place to stay mid-stage wikiloc.62328668
• Ruta del Argar desde Almería : Etapa 8 desde Huercal Overa a Almendricos 20.25 km no place to stay mid-stage wikiloc.62328544
• Ruta del Argar desde Almería : Etapa 9 desde Almendricos a Lorca 26.98 km overnight possible in Las Norias, km 11.6 or Estacion de Puerto Lumbreras, km 15.3 wikiloc.62328389

How interesting and exciting. Looks like some rather steep climbs though.

 

[george.g]

Is this "new route" a solution looking for a problem?
Looking at a map it seems this route goes to the south east untill San Jose at least, then north east to Garrucha, Santiago is to the north west, so for at least 5 etapas you are walking away from Santiago, so I guess the question is this route really is a "camino" or simply a walk in Spain.
Regards
George

 

[islandwalker]

it seems as this route goes to the south east untill Garrucha at least, Santiago is to the north west, so for at least 5 etapas you are walking away from Santiago, so I guess the question is this route really is a "camino"

Hi George - good question! From its beginning in Almeria, the route heads southeast for the first stage, and then zig-zags north for the eight stages after Cabo de Gata. As for it being a camino, I'm just going by what the Lorca and Almeria Associations have posted. I'm guessing the route was originally used as a way to link up with the camino route that starts in Lorca. It would be interesting to learn more about the history of it. There is some information in these two documents from the Associacion Jacobea:
https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=!AOwyOKUq01PHRx0&cid=9D3357B2D42FF4B2&id=9D3357B2D42FF4B2!1416&parId=9D3357B2D42FF4B2!1414&o=OneUp

Microsoft OneDrive

onedrive.live.com

 

[Rita Flower]

Is this "new route" a solution looking for a problem?
Looking at a map it seems this route goes to the south east untill San Jose at least, then north east to Garrucha, Santiago is to the north west, so for at least 5 etapas you are walking away from Santiago, so I guess the question is this route really is a "camino" or simply a walk in Spain.
Regards
George

Hi @george.g
Are you the same George I met on VDLP this year?
I had the same thought. Then again who is to say that pilgrims of old took the shortest route. Maybe someone wanted to pick up a buddy in Garrucha. I have a similar question when people say that a route is ‘off the Camino’. My thinking on VDLP this year was that whatever path you choose, be it straight or zig zag, is valid. You just might not find pilgrim specific accomodation ‘off Camino’ but you are still a pilgrim travelling to Santiago - unless you are a tourist of course.

 

[alansykes]

Álvaro Lazaga followed the Argar in reverse from Lorca to Almería this summer/autumn, as part of his 2120km (50th) camino, between Benidorm and Muxía. He seems to have found some polideportivo etc accommodation. This is a link to his day south from Lorca on the Argar - his day from San José round the Cabo de Gata, later on, sounds a belter.

 

[george.g]

Hi Rita.
Yes we had a chat over dinner at the albergue in Zamora, we had also exchanged a few posts re the Mozárabe.
On consideration perhaps I should not have made a comment on what is a Camino and what’s not, it leads into the who’s a pilgrim and who’s not (forwarding backpacks, taxi assists and buses etc) and I’m not interested in that sort of discussion, preferring to discuss routes, accommodation and equipment etc.
Hope your Camino went well, mine did, even in the miserable weather along parts of the Sanabrese.
Regards
George

 

[Rita Flower]

Hi Rita.
Yes we had a chat over dinner at the albergue in Zamora, we had also exchanged a few posts re the Mozárabe.
On consideration perhaps I should not have made a comment on what is a Camino and what’s not, it leads into the who’s a pilgrim and who’s not (forwarding backpacks, taxi assists and buses etc) and I’m not interested in that sort of discussion, preferring to discuss routes, accommodation and equipment etc.
Hope your Camino went well, mine did, even in the miserable weather along parts of the Sanabrese.
Regards
George

All good. You were just sharing reflections.
My Camino was great - fun, challenging, boring, interesting, wonderful …
Somehow It managed not to rain too much on me on Sanabres- and when it did it wasn’t too cold so I was a ‘happy camper’.
Wishing you a peaceful and happy holiday period.
Warm regards
Rita