Stage 5: Carboneras a Garrucha 26.29 km
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This stage brings you to the northern border of the area protected by the Parque Natural Cabo de Gata. It is a pure joy to walk! Undeveloped beaches, birds, ibex, flowers, shade… It is the last stage along the Mediterranean. From Garrucha, the camino turns inland toward Lorca.
Of special interest:
Just after leaving Carboneras, you will see the famous beach where the Jordanian village of Aqaba was reconstructed for the film Lawrence of Arabia, a beach now made infamous by the Algorrobico Hotel, standing in its unfinished state for 20 years after being condemned by the courts for building within the Parque Natural Cabo de Gata boundaries.
Look up when you enter the delightful watercourse leading to Sopalmo, and you may see wild ibex leaping gracefully from crag to crag, silhouetted against the varied hues of the volcanic rocks.
Where the stage can be broken:
Km 8.4 Sopalmo - if you are waking short stages, turn off at km 8.4, follow the A-5107 for 0.5 km NE, and you will come to the delightful family-run Venta El Molino.€50 dbl; Delicious menú del día €15; fantastic experience. Highly recommended.!
Km 16.5 Puerto Marina/H. Best Indalo Bus runs from here to Mojacar Pueblo - once an hour, 15 minute ride, 1.20 euros, need correct change
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Km 18. Mojacar Playa and Mojacar pueblo in the hills above the beach strip. Even if you are not walking short stages, we found Mojácar pueblo to be a very interesting place, much nicer than Mojácar Playa, and well-worth staying in. We stayed in a peaceful Airbnb, Casa Grande, close to everything on a quiet street with no traffic.
wikiloc.56208069 will lead you back to the camino.
End of stage accommodation: Hotels, rooms, and apartments in all price ranges in Garrucha. We stayed in Apartamento Andalucía which had a great view of the Friday market from its balcony. It’s on booking.com.
Food: grocery stores, restaurants, and bars in Mojacar and Garrucha. Venta El Molino, 0.5 km off the track after Sopalmo serves a huge menú del día lunch for €15.
Trail conditions: This is an easier stage than the previous ones. The hillside tracks are gentler, following watercourses. Anyone with claustrophobia needs to plan ahead for the 0.4 km
tunnel between Carboneras and Sopalmo. With my mild claustrophobia, I found it easier than expected. It’s about ten feet wide and ten feet high, with a generally smooth walking surface - just one pile of rocks shortly after entering. Although you can see light from the other end when you enter, you will need a flashlight! See photos:
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Number of people met on the track: No pilgrims, many day-walkers near the beaches, no one on the dirt trails.
OK for bikes? Okay on the dirt road parts, but the climb to and descent from Sopalmo is too steep and rocky for bikes. Around Garrucha, there are hundreds of club cyclists.
Signage: yellow arrows on rocks at some critical junctions, but the off-track signals from Wikiloc were essential for us
Shade: in the tunnel (!!!) and from bushes on the hillside to and from Sopalmo. Otherwise none.