Seeking Resources for Camino de Levante

[Former member 112842]

Hi all, I am new to the forum but just wanted to check and see if anyone here might have some current resources, i.e. guidebook, app, accommodation list for the Camino de Levante. I will be walking it in April of 2024. I have discovered the Associacon Amigos del Camino de Santiago Comunidad Valencia website which looks like a good starting point, but I am wondering if there is anything else out there. Wise Pilgrims has some information on their website, but I cannot seem to find an app. Also, Buen Camino has information on their app. Anything else out there?

 

[Kiwi-family]

I had booked to walk this in 2020 (but you know what happened). I had printed out the instructions for each etapa (I can send you the document if you like) and was satisfied that it would be sufficient - however, they are not yet tested! (at least, not by me - I'm sure others have used them, and I presume successfully)
I now also have OrganicMaps and every route you're likely to want - including the Zamorana that might entice you on after the Levante!

 

[Former member 112842]

If you are able to attach the document here, that would be great! If these are the ones from the Association's website though, I already have access. But if these are from another source I would love to take a look. Thank you!

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, @JLH83, welcome to the forum! Lucky you, the Levante is wonderful. I walked in 2013, and at that time used the Association’s printed guidebook. It was absolutely all I needed. I didn’t even have a GPS then, nor did the other two people I wound up walking with. I now routinely use GPS on the untraveled routes and would download tracks from wikiloc if I ever am lucky enough to go back. I use wikiloc, but there are plenty of places to get tracks.

The Association has discontinued its printed guide and now has it all online, in both English and Spanish. It sounds like you have seen it. I can’t imagine that you need anything else to enjoy the camino, though you may want to google around for confirmation on accommodation info. I would also encourage you to make it to the association before you start to walk — their hours are listed on their website. @JLWV is our forum “contact” at the association and pops on the forum to post important notices when there are closures, new places opening, etc.

So many wonderful places on this route — small towns with castles, gorgeous plazas, some Quixote sites, a few great days of mountain walking, the wonderful cities of Ávila and Toledo (plus of course the starting point!).

One last thing — the very first thread in this subforum is a “planning thread” done while we were in covid confinement. It has a TON of information, but it is not the kind of thing that everyone likes. Take a look.

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Former member 112842]

@peregrina2000, thank you so much for your input! I will definitely check out wikiloc for the tracks. You are giving me confidence that I have adequate information, and maybe not having an overabundance is a good thing, allowing for more surprises along the way! I finished VDLP last month and am very much looking forward to another long trek!!

 

[pitztop]

Hi @JLH83. I walked the Camino de Levante in 2022. My main resources were - the Associacon Amigos del Camino de Santiago Comunidad Valencia website, which you mentioned, and the OUTDOOR Camino de Levante guidebook (which is in German). Both provide GPS track files, which I uploaded into a GPS tracking app (GuruMaps Pro) on my iPhone. This was extremely helpful. I also occasionally used the Buen Camino app for tracking. All three provide accommodation information. There are very few pilgrim albergues from Valencia to Zamora. I used Booking.com quite often to find and book accommodation.

 

[peregrina2000]

There are very few pilgrim albergues from Valencia to Zamora. I used Booking.com quite often to find and book accommodation.

That surprised me, because when I walked in 2014 I estimated that about half of the stages from Valencia to Zamora had albergues. And I knew that more have opened since then.

So I did a quick check on the Amigos guide. I soon decided it was quicker to note the towns that didn’t have albergues than the towns that did.

Here are the places with no albergues: Albacete, Las Pedroneras, Villa de Don Fadrique (although my companions slept in the polideportivo here, while I opted for the very reasonable Casa Rural), Tembleque, Mora, San Martín de Valdeiglesias, Toro.

That means that 20 out of 27 stages in the Amigos guide have albergues or acogida, and there are a fair number listed for mid-stages too, like Almonacid, Hernancancho, Castronuno, etc.

Maybe your experience, @pitztop, was affected by covid closures, but the Amigos guide is up to date and I think people can rely on a lot of albergue offerings along this route.

 

[backpack45]

Interesting thread--what kind of distances between accommodations (of whatever kind!) are there? Considering some options for a different Camino route--have already completed the Frances, Norte, Primitivo, some of Mozarabe. Also Porto. And three of the four major routes from France -- LePuy, Arles, Vezelay.

 

[HeidiL]

We are doing the Levante piece by piece (often very short pieces due to the rest of our lives) and started walking quite some time ago. The first 13 stages here have taken us 3 (separate) weeks, we're going on towards Toledo over Easter.
Going shorter stages is quite easy on the Levante, I tend to make spreadsheets with all the places we could sleep in advance.

 

[peregrina2000]

Interesting thread--what kind of distances between accommodations (of whatever kind!) are there?

The online guide described above gives exhaustive info about distances and accommodations on their “official” 42 stages from Valencia to Santiago. It also has complete information on places to stay in between. The guide is in English and Spanish. Accommodation is not a problem on this camino, imho.

 

[Kiwi-family]

If you are able to attach the document here, that would be great! If these are the ones from the Association's website though, I already have access. But if these are from another source I would love to take a look. Thank you!

It's just the Associacion's info minus the photos, so nothing you don't already have access to. My document with accommodations will now be out of date.

 

[Former member 112842]

Hi @JLH83. I walked the Camino de Levante in 2022. My main resources were - the Associacon Amigos del Camino de Santiago Comunidad Valencia website, which you mentioned, and the OUTDOOR Camino de Levante guidebook (which is in German). Both provide GPS track files, which I uploaded into a GPS tracking app (GuruMaps Pro) on my iPhone. This was extremely helpful. I also occasionally used the Buen Camino app for tracking. All three provide accommodation information. There are very few pilgrim albergues from Valencia to Zamora. I used Booking.com quite often to find and book accommodation.

@pitztop, thanks for your response. I am a frequent user of Booking.com, and it seems that I will be making good use of it this time. I also looked at the GPS tracks files from the Associacon Amigos del Camino de Santiago Comunidad Valencia website, but a few would not download. I have written to them to see if they can be fixed but have not heard back. I think I can fill in the gaps from other sources, but even if I don't have them, I think I will be fine. I am very much looking forward to this trek!

 

[peregrina2000]

I am a frequent user of Booking.com, and it seems that I will be making good use of it this time.

Not to belabor the point I made a few posts earlier in this thread, but I think it's important to get out the word that the Camino de Levante from Valencia to Zamora (according to my count) has albergues in 20 of the 27 stages recommended in the Association's online guide/ Their guide also lists a number of "mid stages" where there are also albergues. This is a very high number of albergues for an untraveled route, IMHO.

 

[Former member 112842]

Not to belabor the point I made a few posts earlier in this thread, but I think it's important to get out the word that the Camino de Levante from Valencia to Zamora (according to my count) has albergues in 20 of the 27 stages recommended in the Association's online guide/ Their guide also lists a number of "mid stages" where there are also albergues. This is a very high number of albergues for an untraveled route, IMHO.

Sounds great! It is nice to know that getting accommodations will not be of great concern along this route. Can't wait to get started.

 

[JWB]

Interesting and useful information! Currently planning to walk the Levante in Spring 2024 (start Valencia). Startdate unknown at the moment.

 

[HeidiL]

We're doing another piece of the Levante at Easter - from El Toboso to Toledo with our son, and (hopefully) on to Ávila afterwards.

 

[EMILE M]

Tentatively planning to start in Valencia on the Camino de Levante in mid-April 2024. Depending on how this trek goes, (and how I'll feel) I might bifurcate to Astorga instead of continuing to the Via Sanabres after Zamora, which I previously visited during my Via de La Plata trek a few years ago. I spent one night in Astorga during my first Camino (Frances) in October 2011. In my previous (five) Caminos I basically didn't take any breaks as I had a return flight booked, so the pressure to speed things up was omnipresent. I plan to take the time to do some limited sightseeing on my way this time. I'll be booking one-way ticket from San Diego California to Madrid, then I will book my return flight back to California when I am "trekked out"!!

 

[Former member 112842]

Tentatively planning to start in Valencia on the Camino de Levante in mid-April 2024. Depending on how this trek goes, (and how I'll feel) I might bifurcate to Astorga instead of continuing to the Via Sanabres after Zamora, which I previously visited during my Via de La Plata trek a few years ago. I spent one night in Astorga during my first Camino (Frances) in October 2011. In my previous (five) Caminos I basically didn't take any breaks as I had a return flight booked, so the pressure to speed things up was omnipresent. I plan to take the time to do some limited sightseeing on my way this time. I'll be booking one-way ticket from San Diego California to Madrid, then I will book my return flight back to California when I am "trekked out"!!

I will also be starting from Valencia (April 12). Like you, I have walked the Camino Sanabres previously, so will head north and connect with the Frances at Astorga. Perhaps I will see you along the way!

 

[EMILE M]

I will also be starting from Valencia (April 12). Like you, I have walked the Camino Sanabres previously, so will head north and connect with the Frances at Astorga. Perhaps I will see you along the way!

I'll be in Valencia (from California) on April 17, so I'll probably start trekking on April 18th or 19th, depending on how jet lagged I am! You never know, we might bump into each other along the way! BUEN CAMINO!