Scheduled Stops

[Simon B]

I seem to remember somebody very helpfully posted their planned schedule for walking the VDLP which minimised the daily distance to no more that 25ish km or was I dreaming. I am going back to restart my Camino in February having only made it to Fuente de Cantos earlier this year. Not as young as I was and am finding it difficult to plan a reasonable schedule so any help in that direction would much appreciated. I intend starting again on 5 Feb from Fuente de Cantos.

SImon

 

[Kanga]

Have you tried this planner in Godesalco?

 

[Simon B]

Have you tried this planner in Godesalco?

I have but cannot get on with it! - will just use pen, paper and calculator. But thank you.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I have but cannot get on with it! - will just use pen, paper and calculator.

Old style, perfectly acceptable. But if you want help on the Forum, you might be more amenable to technology!!

 

[Simon B]

Old style, perfectly acceptable. But if you want help on the Forum, you might be more amenable to technology!!

Rather unnecessary comment I am thinking. I am very amenable to technology but not that particular item.

 

[Deleted member 73526]

Godesalco is certainly the best tool for doing what you want to do.

You could work out an itinerary with the information in printed guides or online documents - for example, Antonio Retamosa's list of albergues cites the distance from point to point but you need to pay attention to the comments in the document that indicate. accommodations, which are a few km off the path. (You will overestimate distances if you count those "off camino" kilometers for accommodations that you don't stay at). The guide has recently improved in that this information is more clearly displayed.

GUIA DE ALBERGUES

listado de albergues en la via de la plata

viadelaplataelcamino.blogspot.com

The other option is to search for "my VDLP stages" "my VDLP itinerary" "my VDLP plan" - I expect you'll turn up the thread that you were thinking of. But be aware that new albergues open and old ones close, so the plan that worked perfectly for someone in 2019 might need to be adjusted in 2020.]

 

[C clearly]

I am copying below a response I made on an old thread. I have made suggestions for a few of the awkward stages between Seville and Astorga. The VDLP is still quite do-able for people like me who prefer not to walk more than 25 km/day. The problem is that it is not always possible to select the exact number of km you want to walk. Sometimes you need to pick a shorter day than you really need, in order to manage the following day(s). Of course, if you want shorter days, you need more days!

It is helpful if you speak Spanish, enjoy a logistic challenge or two, and are somewhat flexible in your approach. It would be rather difficult to plan every day and accommodation weeks in advance. You need to check some places on the day before, in order to avoid getting stuck somewhere.

I haven't walked the Sanabres yet, but have planned out an itinerary with similar stages.

Day 1 -- Guillena (22 km)
Day 2 -- Castilblanco (17 km)
Day 3 -- Almaden (29 km)- Easy to shorten by taking taxi for first 16 km to park entrance.
Day 4 -- Real de la Jara (16 km)
Day 5 -- Monesterio (18 km)
Day 6 -- Fuente de Cantos (22 km)
Day 7 -- Zafra (25 km)
Day 8 -- Villafranca de los Barros (20 km)
Day 9 -- Torremejia (28 km)- You can go off camino to Almendralejo, making 2 shorter days.
Day 10 -- Merida (16 km)
Day 11 -- Aljucen (17 km)
Day 12 -- Alcuescar (21 km)
Day 13 -- Caceres (38 km)- You can stop after 27 km, in Valdesalor, 11 km before Caceres, or even Aldea del Cano.
Day 14 -- Casar de Caceres (11 km)
Day 15 -- Canaveral (33 km)- Now the albergue is open at Embalse de Alcantara, 21 km after Casar.
Day 16 -- Galisteo (28 km)- You can go via Riolobos and make 2 days.
Day 17 -- Carcaboso (11 km)
Day 18 -- Oliva de Plasencia (25 km)- Or arrange pickup at Ventaquemada for Oliva, or at Caparra for Hostal Asturias.
Day 19 -- Banos de Montemayor (36 km)- There are several ways to break this up including Hostal Asturias, Aldeanueva, Hervas.
Day 20 -- Fuenterroble (33km)- There are options to stop before here e.g. Valverde de Valedlacasa.
Day 21 -- San Pedro (28 km)
Day 22 -- Salamanca (24 km)
Day 23 -- Valdunciel (15 km)
Day 24 -- Villanueva del Campean (33 km)- You can break in half at El Cubo or stop 6 km later at Casa Saso.
Day 25 -- Zamora (18 km)
Day 26 -- Montamarta (19 km)
Day 27 -- Granja de Moreruela (22 km)

After Granja, I went north to Astorga because of time limitations, so I can't help with the stages on the Camino Sanabres.

I have this as a spreadsheet if anyone wants it.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

At the site:

Click on English
Click on Via de La Plata
Click on Fuente de Cantos on left column
Click on Santiago de Compostela on the right column
Click on Submit
Click on the square for each stopping point
Choose an output such as Excel

Sample attached for all but one stage under 25 km.

 

[trecile]

And don't forget Gronze.com. Especially helpful for information on location of albergues in relation to the Camino.

Vía de la Plata | Camino de Santiago | Gronze.com

La Vía de la Plata (o Camino de la Plata) es el más importante Camino de Santiago desde el sur peninsular. Hoy en día se considera Sevilla como la ciudad de inicio, y el itinerario tiene su origen en distintas calzadas romanas que en el medievo aprovecharon los peregrinos. Se caracteriza por las...

www.gronze.com

 

[Via2010]

Hi, here is another planning-tool, which I found extremely useful. RutasASantiago - Planning-Tool VdP

The planning-tool "Configurado de etapas" is offered for different Caminos. On the left side you click at your first starting-point (day one, e. g. Fuente de Cantos), on the right side on your final Destination (e. g. Granja de Moreruela if you want to switch to the Sanabrés). Then you click "seguir la configuracion" and you are directed to a second page, where you can mark all your individual stages by clicking on the villages in which you want to stay overnight. Whenever you do this the total daily kilometres will appear in blue. So you can check different options. When you found a solution that is satisfactory for you, you click the button "descarga tu planificación…" and you can print it out as PDF. The nice Thing is, that it also lists possible stops at bars/cafeterias and places with alternative accomodation during your calculated stages.

This together with the "Guia de albergues" contains everything absolutely necessary for your planning.

I walked Seville-Zamora this June and also planned the next stages on the Sanabres, where I want to continue next year. Thus can give you some additional hints (in bold print) to Cclearly´s suggestions:

Day 1 -- Guillena (22 km)
Day 2 -- Castilblanco de los Arroyos (17 km)
Day 3 -- Almaden (29 km)- Easy to shorten by taking taxi for first 16 km to park entrance.
Day 4 -- Real de la Jara (15 km) or another 7 km to "Hotel Leo" (referred to as "hotel/restaurante") or additional 3 km to "Camping Tentudia" where they rent out bungalows to pilgrims for 12 Euros per bed/night.
Day 5 -- Monesterio (18 km)
Day 6 -- Fuente de Cantos (22 km)
If you walk to Camping Tentudia on day 4, it is 27 km to Fuente de Cantos on day 5.
Day 6/7 -- Zafra (25 km)
Day 8 -- Villafranca de los Barros (20 km)
Day 9 -- Torremejia (28 km)- You can go off camino to Almendralejo, making 2 shorter days.
Day 10 -- Merida (16 km)
Day 11 -- Aljucen (17 km)
I walked Torremejía-El Carescallejo (29 km) instead, adding another 3 km the next day.
The section Torremejía-Mérida is not so nice, I think of skipping it by bus next time.
Day 12 -- Alcuescar (21 km)
Day 13 -- Caceres (38 km)- You can stop after 27 km, in Valdesalor, 11 km before Caceres, or even Aldea del Cano (after 16 km).
I stopped at Valdesalor and the next day I continued to Casar de Cáceres, having a longer break at Cáceres and doing some sight-seeing there.
Day 14 -- Casar de Caceres (11 km) mostly boring road-walking, also possible to go by bus.
Day 15 -- Canaveral (33 km)- Now the albergue is open at Embalse de Alcantara, 21 km after Casar.
Phone the albergue at the Embalse in Advance, because it is sometimes closed. If you hear it is closed you may try your luck at the hostel "Pesca Evasion". If that is closed too, you can take a shortcut of approximately 2 km to Canaveral if you do not follow the yellow arrows but the marks of a "sendero local".
Day 16 -- Galisteo (38 km)- You can go via Riolobos and make 2 days.
You can also go to Grimaldo (the turn-off is clearly marked) after 20 km and then to Galisteo or Carcaboso (not difficult, but boring road-walking - this certainly does not deserve a separate day!)
Day 17 -- Carcaboso (11 km)
Day 18 -- Oliva de Plasencia (25 km)- Or arrange pickup at Ventaquemada for Oliva, or at Caparra for Hostal Asturias.
Carcaboso - Caparra is 20 km. If you walk to Hostal Asturias this adds another 10 km. The next morning you can return to the original way (2,5 km to the turn-off) or follow an alternative Route to Aldeanueva, which is marked with blue arrows. As Aldeanueva del Camino to Banos the Montemayor is entirely on the shoulder of the busy N 631, it is also worth exploring, if you can switch to the "Via Verde" via Hervas to Puerto de Bejár (the old Railway-line Plasencia-Bejár now dedicated to cyclists and walkers).
In 2008 I stayed at Olvia de Plasencia, this time at Hostal Asturias. In my opinion Hostal Asturias is the better Option, because the distance to OdP from the turn-off at Ventaquemada is the same as from Ventaquemada to Caparra.
Day 19 -- Banos de Montemayor (36 km)- There are several ways to break this up including Hostal Asturias, Aldeanueva, Hervas.
Day 20 -- Fuenterroble (33km) - 30 km from Puerto de Bejár. There are options to stop before here e.g. Valverde de Valedlacasa.
Day 21 -- San Pedro (28 km)
Day 22 -- Salamanca (24 km)
Day 23 -- Calzada deValdunciel (15 km) and another 8 km to Casa Saso or 20 km to El Cubo, then 13 km to Villanueva de Campeán, from there 19 km to Zamora.
Day 24 -- Villanueva del Campean (33 km)- You can break in half at El Cubo (36 km from Salamanca) or stop 6 km later at Casa Saso. The Camino between Salamanca and El Cubo is not nice at all. It is possible to go to Calzada de Valdunciel or El Cubo by bus.
Day 25 -- Zamora (19 km)
Day 26 -- Montamarta (19 km) new albergue at Fontanillas del Castro (33 km from Zamora); two albergues at Riego del Camino (another 4 km), thus enabling you to skip
Day 27 -- Granja de Moreruela (22 km)
and walk on to Tabara immediately (then 37 km or 33 km, but mostly flat and easy walking)

BC
Alexandra

 

[hel&scott]

The problem with a lot of this is that the albergues and other accomodation can be shut at various times leaving you with little option but to walk on. As long as you have water and some food you can always dosh down for a rest (or even the night). You just have to prepared that it's not like the CF with small towns every 10km. But having made a start you will already know this. Frequency of towns does increase on the Sanabres section which makes it a little easier to do short days.

 

[Albertagirl]

I seem to remember somebody very helpfully posted their planned schedule for walking the VDLP which minimised the daily distance to no more that 25ish km or was I dreaming. I am going back to restart my Camino in February having only made it to Fuente de Cantos earlier this year. Not as young as I was and am finding it difficult to plan a reasonable schedule so any help in that direction would much appreciated. I intend starting again on 5 Feb from Fuente de Cantos.

SImon

Hello Simon,
You may be thinking of my post of a 50 day camino, based on my preferred distance of 20 km a day. The PDF may be found at peregrina2000"s classic thread: My stages on the VdlP, post number 102. Enjoy your planning and Buen Camino.
I am now walking the Camino de Madrid.

 

[Simon B]

Old style, perfectly acceptable. But if you want help on the Forum, you might be more amenable to technology!!

Just to say I have persevered with your suggestion and now have a very workable schedule.