In April I walked the Camino Mozarabe from Almeria to Merida (650 km) in 27 stages.
It was a sometimes tough but all in all very rewarding walk with all the beautiful landscapes of Andalusia and Extremadura, from the very dry east near Almeria through the mountains to Granada (plenty of views of the Sierra Nevada). Then the hills and olive groves after Granada and gradually descending to Cordoba. New hills after Cordoba and ending in the splendid dehesa areas between Cordoba and Merida.
Some notes on my trip. The accomodation was a mix of albergues and hostals. I met few other pilgrims. Nobody in the first two weeks. But I was mentally prepared for a lonely walk. After Campanario it suddenly became busyer. One evening there were eight other pilgrims in the hostal at Medellin, two stages before Merida.
Some notes about stages and accomodation.
In Almeria I stayed in Hotel Perla, 500 meter from the cathedral and already a bit on the way. It seems the Youth Hostel is cheaper but I was happy to have my own room after the long travel.
Stage 1: Almeria - Santa Fe. The first 23 km were easier than expected. Not much hills. One km before Santa Fe is the albergue. The key is in the village at the bar where you can get dinner, and also breakfast the next morning.
Stage 2: Santa Fe - Alboloduy. 19 km. Some steep climbs and descents in the first half. After the lunch stop in Alsodux it is almost flat through a pleasant valley to Alboloduy. A lot of orchards and market gardens, as in the next few days. The high class albergue is on a hill overlooking the pretty village.
Stage 3: Alboloduy - Abla. My GPS counted 30 km. After a few kms there is a steep climb out of the Nacimiento valley with scree and zigzags, technically probably the most difficult stretch of the CM. There is then some road walking with a new parallel footpath in the second part. The descent is much easier. Back in the valley the Camino follows the river again. At the end of the day you have no idea that you climbed hundreds of meters.
I missed somehow the bar in Nacimiento, but found one in Ocana. In Abla I stayed at Hostal Mirasierra. Not a great room but good for one night.
Stage 4: Abla - Hueneja. A bad day with foul wind against me and some drizzle and rain. Happily there was a bar in Finana. The stage was 21 km, most of them through ramblas (dry rivers). The side rambla to Hueneja is stony but in the last part there is a new route into the village with better walking. There are two bars to get warm and dry. For the key you must climb 1 km to the edge of the village to the Ermita (where you pass again the next day). The albergue is in an appartment near the school. It was very wet and cold, even with a small heater. Luckily the bar had put up a fire.
Stage 5 to Alquife (21 km) is beautiful, through orchards and over small hills, and with nice views on the Sierra Nevada. There is a new route between Dolar and Ferreira, over a little pass, but it was excellently signposted. In Alquife I slept at La Balsa, a hostal-albergue run by a Dutch couple. Marion came to the village to pick me up and her husband Bart brought me back the next morning. It was good to speak my own language after seeing nobody (except locals) for five days.
Stage 6 to Guadix is 25 km, with a long detour near the end along the troglodyte quarters. Again a splendid parcours. The albergue is run by Guil, a sculptress who has changed the top floor of her patio house in the city center into an albergue.
Stage 7. Guadix - LaPeza (24 km) was a very nice walk, especially the part near troglodyte village Marchal. In La Peza I slept in the albergue, run by the super friendly Jose who was there at 6.30 in the morning to prepare a basic breakfast..
Stage 8 La Peza - Quentar (for me 29,5 km but I searched a bit in the downhill near Quentar) was beautiful but tough. A lot of ups and downs. The amigos avoid road walking as much as possible so I struggled 3 kilometers though a river bed while there was a road 30 meters to the right. The final climb to 1400 meter, the highest point of the CM, went through a quarry. A long but unforgettable walk.
In Quentar I ended up in the bar, next to the hotel, and I had no more the energy to search for the albergue.
Stage 9 Quentar Granada (19,5 km). The great finale towards Granada with again great views to the Sierra. It was Sunday so there were a lot of locals walking and cycling. The last part is along the Rio Darro. The detour to Sacromonte Abbey was not signposted but well worth the effort. There you get the first big views of the Alhambra and Generalife. The rest of the CM between Almeria and Granada is excellently waymarked.
In Granada I stayed at Recogidas Pension in the city center. I had booked it before via Bookings.
Stage 10 Granada - Piños Puente (21 km). Someone on this forum told me that there is a nicer but longer alternative Camino along the river. I was however tired after the mountains and decided to take the shorter walk through the suburbs. The Camino is better signposted than I expected. After Atarfe there is a new route because of the works on the high speed railway. First into an ugly industrial area and straight along a gravel road along the railway till the outskirts of Piños Puente.
I stayed at Hotel Montserrat, 100 meters to the left when you arrive in Pinõs Puente.
Stage 11 Pinõs Puente - Moclin (20 km). I opted for the variant through the olive groves and avoided a possible river crossing. The first 10 km are on a freshly asphalted road. The yellow arrows took me away from the route in my GPS. The signposted Camino went right on a gravel road, crossed the GR-3413 road and climbed to a half deserted village. After this there was a nice walk with some more climbs and downhills. I think the detour was 2 or 3 kilometers but it was worthwile.
After Olivares came the steep climb to Moclin. Difficult but you know that you are almost there. In Moclin locals told me that Hostal La Brisa is closed. There is now a hostal at the Centro de Interpretacion Comarcal at the end of the village. For 20 euros I got as pilgrim an amazing luxous room with breakfast the next morning.
Stage 12 to Alcala la Real was 23 km. A really beautiful stretch of the CM with wide mountain views. It is now impossible to get lost in the olive groves after the N-432 as there is now a yellow sign every 20 meters. A steep climb to Ermita Nueva was rewarded by an open bar with cafe con leche. The rest of the walk was easier. In Alcala I stayed at Hostal Rio del Oro.
Stage 13. Alcala la Real - Alcaudete 24 km. This stage was longer but easier than previous days as it went downhill for a long time. There was a slippery passage through a small tunnel followed by a steep climb and descent to Ventas del Carrizal. There is a bar on the Camino downhill in the center. Alcaudate is another typical Andalusian town with a large Arabic fort on the hill. I selpt in Hostal Hidalgo, right on the camino.
Stage 15 to Baeña (25,5 km) was again very beautiful, especially in a valley befgore the Rio Guadajoz bridge. The Laguna was almost dry. There were stunning views over the mountains. After crossing the old railway there was a descent to a brook. After the brook was the only place where I got lost between the olives. Thanks to Peter Robins and his GPS I was quickly back on the right track. There are no bars in this stage.
The last kilometers into Baeña were not so scenic, along a factory and over a bridge over the highway. In Baeña I slept in Hostalm Los Claveles.
Stage 15 to Castro del Rio was for me 21,5 km. The first part was up and down between the olives. The second part was on a quiet country road in the Guadajoz valley. Closer to Castro del Rio there is more traffic. Castro is a nice old town. The bar owner send me to Hospederia del Carmen, a former convent rebuilded to a hotel, With 30 euros including breakfast it was more expensive than other places. I think the same kind of room in the Netherlands will cost 160 euros or more. There is by the way also a hostel in Castro, I discovered later in a walk through the town.
Stage 16 brought me though Espejo to Santa Cruz (24 km). It had rained in the night before so on some roads I walked with big pancakes under my shoes. Espejo is worth the climb and the detour, and also a place for cafe con leche. The stage was flat so rather early I arrived in Santa Cruz. There are 2 or 3 hostals along the Carretera. I picked the friendly Casa José.
Stage 17 Santa Cruz- Cordoba (27 km). First a climb on a quiet road, then up and down along the grain fields. The path luckily had dried up a little. After you see the first houses of Cordoba there are still 11 boring kilometers to go. The entrance into the old city however is glorious over a Roman bridge to the Mosque-Cathedral. I had via Bookings a room at the nice Hostal Trinidad, close to the Mosque and right in the old centre.
Stage 18: Cordoba - Cerro Muriano (19 km). A nice start along old streets and churches. Then alas drizzle ending in pouring rain. With nice weather this must be one of the nicest stages. I was happy to visit the last bar in Cordoba. There was also a bar at the entrance of the suburban stretch after Cordoba. After the last steep climb it was not so far to Cerro Muriano. I stayed in the albergue of Gert Jan and Maria, a very friendly Dutch couple. They gave me a wam welcome and helped me to get everything dry.
Stage 19: Cerro Muriano - Villaharta (23 km). There were some heavy showers in the morning but they died out. I was stubborn and followed the yellow instead of the Carretera. The Camino was slippery as a result of the rain. After El Vacar (bar) the landscape and the camino improved. In Villaharte I got a room at Hostal Mirasierra.
Stage 20: Villaharta - Alcaracejos (38 km). This was for me the hardest and most difficult stage. A lot of hill climbing and two rivers that were high after the rains of the previous days. In the first one, (Rio Guadalbabo) the water was well above my knees. The second one (Rio Cuzna) was even wider. I despaired for a moment but the water stayed under my knees in this wide crossing. In between was the beautiful dehesa landscape of Las Pedroches. About 19.00 I arrived in Alcaracejos and found a room is Hostal Las 3 Jotas.
Stage 21 to Hinojosa del Duque (23 km) was a kind of rest day after the Sierra Morena. I saw a lof of cows, sheeps and horses in a gentle and flat walk. In friendly Hinojosa Islept in Pension Ruda.
Stage 22 was 32 kilometers to Monterrubbio de la Serena. Alas some drizzle in the first part over quiet country lanes. Because everything was wet I decided to skip the Rio Zujar crossing. This meant 4 more kms road walking, in total 12 kilometer, not the nicest part of the Camino. InMonterrubbio I found a nice room at Hostal Vaticano.
Stage 23 was a short one, 19 kilometers to Castueara, mostly along a quiet road with only a few cars and a flock of sheep. Castuera has since two years a very good and clean albergue. The local police brought me to the door. It was an excellent place to recover after the long days before.
Stage 24 to Campanario was in the end 24 km as the albergue is two kilometers out of town. Again I enjoyed the nice walk over little lanes and gravel roads. Next to the albergue, in the former station building, is a restaurant so no need to go back to town. Here I met René and Elaine, a French couple walking part of the CM.
Stage 25 to Medellin was 38 kilometer. There were many towns on the way and it was not hilly (except the steep climb into Magacela, rewarded with cafe con leche). The Peter Robins tracks differ on some places from the real existing Camino. We went to the top of the village in Magacela, not around. And after Don Benito I was diverted from the busy Carretera to some quiet back lanes. In Hostal Rio (near the bridge over the Guadania) were the French, two Italians, two Spanish and a Dutch couple that left Almeria a week before me but took the time to get to Santiago.
Stage 26 to San Pedro de Merida turned out to be 23 km, much shorter than expected. The French couple and I were up early. We wanted to take the route via Yelbes and Torrefresnada. After the coffee stop in Yelbes the yellows again went in another direction. After 4 kilometers there were no more yellows. The locals (plenty of them in the fields) directed us to the West. At the end we were not in Torrefesnada but close to a river crossing. According to some guide books you can only cross in July and August but now in April despite the rains the water stayed well below the knees.
It was 6 kms shorter and much less walking near the Motorway. In San Pedro I found a room in Hostal Juan Porro. To Merida in one go I found too long.
Stage 27 to Merida was 17 km. The first part close to the Motorway, then a last stretch along olives and grain. At 11.30 I was drinking coffee near the Roman bridge. The last part into the old streets of Merida was very nice. It was a great satisfaction to finish my 650 km long Camino Mozarabe.
I had Bookinged Hostal Acueducto Los Milagros, a nice hotel but a bit out of the center and away from the bus station.
There ended my Camino. If I come back? Maybe. As atheist I have not a spiritual interest in going on to Santiago, but walking in Southern Spain is fascinating. Maybe I return one day to the Via de la Plata.
It was a sometimes tough but all in all very rewarding walk with all the beautiful landscapes of Andalusia and Extremadura, from the very dry east near Almeria through the mountains to Granada (plenty of views of the Sierra Nevada). Then the hills and olive groves after Granada and gradually descending to Cordoba. New hills after Cordoba and ending in the splendid dehesa areas between Cordoba and Merida.
Some notes on my trip. The accomodation was a mix of albergues and hostals. I met few other pilgrims. Nobody in the first two weeks. But I was mentally prepared for a lonely walk. After Campanario it suddenly became busyer. One evening there were eight other pilgrims in the hostal at Medellin, two stages before Merida.
Some notes about stages and accomodation.
In Almeria I stayed in Hotel Perla, 500 meter from the cathedral and already a bit on the way. It seems the Youth Hostel is cheaper but I was happy to have my own room after the long travel.
Stage 1: Almeria - Santa Fe. The first 23 km were easier than expected. Not much hills. One km before Santa Fe is the albergue. The key is in the village at the bar where you can get dinner, and also breakfast the next morning.
Stage 2: Santa Fe - Alboloduy. 19 km. Some steep climbs and descents in the first half. After the lunch stop in Alsodux it is almost flat through a pleasant valley to Alboloduy. A lot of orchards and market gardens, as in the next few days. The high class albergue is on a hill overlooking the pretty village.
Stage 3: Alboloduy - Abla. My GPS counted 30 km. After a few kms there is a steep climb out of the Nacimiento valley with scree and zigzags, technically probably the most difficult stretch of the CM. There is then some road walking with a new parallel footpath in the second part. The descent is much easier. Back in the valley the Camino follows the river again. At the end of the day you have no idea that you climbed hundreds of meters.
I missed somehow the bar in Nacimiento, but found one in Ocana. In Abla I stayed at Hostal Mirasierra. Not a great room but good for one night.
Stage 4: Abla - Hueneja. A bad day with foul wind against me and some drizzle and rain. Happily there was a bar in Finana. The stage was 21 km, most of them through ramblas (dry rivers). The side rambla to Hueneja is stony but in the last part there is a new route into the village with better walking. There are two bars to get warm and dry. For the key you must climb 1 km to the edge of the village to the Ermita (where you pass again the next day). The albergue is in an appartment near the school. It was very wet and cold, even with a small heater. Luckily the bar had put up a fire.
Stage 5 to Alquife (21 km) is beautiful, through orchards and over small hills, and with nice views on the Sierra Nevada. There is a new route between Dolar and Ferreira, over a little pass, but it was excellently signposted. In Alquife I slept at La Balsa, a hostal-albergue run by a Dutch couple. Marion came to the village to pick me up and her husband Bart brought me back the next morning. It was good to speak my own language after seeing nobody (except locals) for five days.
Stage 6 to Guadix is 25 km, with a long detour near the end along the troglodyte quarters. Again a splendid parcours. The albergue is run by Guil, a sculptress who has changed the top floor of her patio house in the city center into an albergue.
Stage 7. Guadix - LaPeza (24 km) was a very nice walk, especially the part near troglodyte village Marchal. In La Peza I slept in the albergue, run by the super friendly Jose who was there at 6.30 in the morning to prepare a basic breakfast..
Stage 8 La Peza - Quentar (for me 29,5 km but I searched a bit in the downhill near Quentar) was beautiful but tough. A lot of ups and downs. The amigos avoid road walking as much as possible so I struggled 3 kilometers though a river bed while there was a road 30 meters to the right. The final climb to 1400 meter, the highest point of the CM, went through a quarry. A long but unforgettable walk.
In Quentar I ended up in the bar, next to the hotel, and I had no more the energy to search for the albergue.
Stage 9 Quentar Granada (19,5 km). The great finale towards Granada with again great views to the Sierra. It was Sunday so there were a lot of locals walking and cycling. The last part is along the Rio Darro. The detour to Sacromonte Abbey was not signposted but well worth the effort. There you get the first big views of the Alhambra and Generalife. The rest of the CM between Almeria and Granada is excellently waymarked.
In Granada I stayed at Recogidas Pension in the city center. I had booked it before via Bookings.
Stage 10 Granada - Piños Puente (21 km). Someone on this forum told me that there is a nicer but longer alternative Camino along the river. I was however tired after the mountains and decided to take the shorter walk through the suburbs. The Camino is better signposted than I expected. After Atarfe there is a new route because of the works on the high speed railway. First into an ugly industrial area and straight along a gravel road along the railway till the outskirts of Piños Puente.
I stayed at Hotel Montserrat, 100 meters to the left when you arrive in Pinõs Puente.
Stage 11 Pinõs Puente - Moclin (20 km). I opted for the variant through the olive groves and avoided a possible river crossing. The first 10 km are on a freshly asphalted road. The yellow arrows took me away from the route in my GPS. The signposted Camino went right on a gravel road, crossed the GR-3413 road and climbed to a half deserted village. After this there was a nice walk with some more climbs and downhills. I think the detour was 2 or 3 kilometers but it was worthwile.
After Olivares came the steep climb to Moclin. Difficult but you know that you are almost there. In Moclin locals told me that Hostal La Brisa is closed. There is now a hostal at the Centro de Interpretacion Comarcal at the end of the village. For 20 euros I got as pilgrim an amazing luxous room with breakfast the next morning.
Stage 12 to Alcala la Real was 23 km. A really beautiful stretch of the CM with wide mountain views. It is now impossible to get lost in the olive groves after the N-432 as there is now a yellow sign every 20 meters. A steep climb to Ermita Nueva was rewarded by an open bar with cafe con leche. The rest of the walk was easier. In Alcala I stayed at Hostal Rio del Oro.
Stage 13. Alcala la Real - Alcaudete 24 km. This stage was longer but easier than previous days as it went downhill for a long time. There was a slippery passage through a small tunnel followed by a steep climb and descent to Ventas del Carrizal. There is a bar on the Camino downhill in the center. Alcaudate is another typical Andalusian town with a large Arabic fort on the hill. I selpt in Hostal Hidalgo, right on the camino.
Stage 15 to Baeña (25,5 km) was again very beautiful, especially in a valley befgore the Rio Guadajoz bridge. The Laguna was almost dry. There were stunning views over the mountains. After crossing the old railway there was a descent to a brook. After the brook was the only place where I got lost between the olives. Thanks to Peter Robins and his GPS I was quickly back on the right track. There are no bars in this stage.
The last kilometers into Baeña were not so scenic, along a factory and over a bridge over the highway. In Baeña I slept in Hostalm Los Claveles.
Stage 15 to Castro del Rio was for me 21,5 km. The first part was up and down between the olives. The second part was on a quiet country road in the Guadajoz valley. Closer to Castro del Rio there is more traffic. Castro is a nice old town. The bar owner send me to Hospederia del Carmen, a former convent rebuilded to a hotel, With 30 euros including breakfast it was more expensive than other places. I think the same kind of room in the Netherlands will cost 160 euros or more. There is by the way also a hostel in Castro, I discovered later in a walk through the town.
Stage 16 brought me though Espejo to Santa Cruz (24 km). It had rained in the night before so on some roads I walked with big pancakes under my shoes. Espejo is worth the climb and the detour, and also a place for cafe con leche. The stage was flat so rather early I arrived in Santa Cruz. There are 2 or 3 hostals along the Carretera. I picked the friendly Casa José.
Stage 17 Santa Cruz- Cordoba (27 km). First a climb on a quiet road, then up and down along the grain fields. The path luckily had dried up a little. After you see the first houses of Cordoba there are still 11 boring kilometers to go. The entrance into the old city however is glorious over a Roman bridge to the Mosque-Cathedral. I had via Bookings a room at the nice Hostal Trinidad, close to the Mosque and right in the old centre.
Stage 18: Cordoba - Cerro Muriano (19 km). A nice start along old streets and churches. Then alas drizzle ending in pouring rain. With nice weather this must be one of the nicest stages. I was happy to visit the last bar in Cordoba. There was also a bar at the entrance of the suburban stretch after Cordoba. After the last steep climb it was not so far to Cerro Muriano. I stayed in the albergue of Gert Jan and Maria, a very friendly Dutch couple. They gave me a wam welcome and helped me to get everything dry.
Stage 19: Cerro Muriano - Villaharta (23 km). There were some heavy showers in the morning but they died out. I was stubborn and followed the yellow instead of the Carretera. The Camino was slippery as a result of the rain. After El Vacar (bar) the landscape and the camino improved. In Villaharte I got a room at Hostal Mirasierra.
Stage 20: Villaharta - Alcaracejos (38 km). This was for me the hardest and most difficult stage. A lot of hill climbing and two rivers that were high after the rains of the previous days. In the first one, (Rio Guadalbabo) the water was well above my knees. The second one (Rio Cuzna) was even wider. I despaired for a moment but the water stayed under my knees in this wide crossing. In between was the beautiful dehesa landscape of Las Pedroches. About 19.00 I arrived in Alcaracejos and found a room is Hostal Las 3 Jotas.
Stage 21 to Hinojosa del Duque (23 km) was a kind of rest day after the Sierra Morena. I saw a lof of cows, sheeps and horses in a gentle and flat walk. In friendly Hinojosa Islept in Pension Ruda.
Stage 22 was 32 kilometers to Monterrubbio de la Serena. Alas some drizzle in the first part over quiet country lanes. Because everything was wet I decided to skip the Rio Zujar crossing. This meant 4 more kms road walking, in total 12 kilometer, not the nicest part of the Camino. InMonterrubbio I found a nice room at Hostal Vaticano.
Stage 23 was a short one, 19 kilometers to Castueara, mostly along a quiet road with only a few cars and a flock of sheep. Castuera has since two years a very good and clean albergue. The local police brought me to the door. It was an excellent place to recover after the long days before.
Stage 24 to Campanario was in the end 24 km as the albergue is two kilometers out of town. Again I enjoyed the nice walk over little lanes and gravel roads. Next to the albergue, in the former station building, is a restaurant so no need to go back to town. Here I met René and Elaine, a French couple walking part of the CM.
Stage 25 to Medellin was 38 kilometer. There were many towns on the way and it was not hilly (except the steep climb into Magacela, rewarded with cafe con leche). The Peter Robins tracks differ on some places from the real existing Camino. We went to the top of the village in Magacela, not around. And after Don Benito I was diverted from the busy Carretera to some quiet back lanes. In Hostal Rio (near the bridge over the Guadania) were the French, two Italians, two Spanish and a Dutch couple that left Almeria a week before me but took the time to get to Santiago.
Stage 26 to San Pedro de Merida turned out to be 23 km, much shorter than expected. The French couple and I were up early. We wanted to take the route via Yelbes and Torrefresnada. After the coffee stop in Yelbes the yellows again went in another direction. After 4 kilometers there were no more yellows. The locals (plenty of them in the fields) directed us to the West. At the end we were not in Torrefesnada but close to a river crossing. According to some guide books you can only cross in July and August but now in April despite the rains the water stayed well below the knees.
It was 6 kms shorter and much less walking near the Motorway. In San Pedro I found a room in Hostal Juan Porro. To Merida in one go I found too long.
Stage 27 to Merida was 17 km. The first part close to the Motorway, then a last stretch along olives and grain. At 11.30 I was drinking coffee near the Roman bridge. The last part into the old streets of Merida was very nice. It was a great satisfaction to finish my 650 km long Camino Mozarabe.
I had Bookinged Hostal Acueducto Los Milagros, a nice hotel but a bit out of the center and away from the bus station.
There ended my Camino. If I come back? Maybe. As atheist I have not a spiritual interest in going on to Santiago, but walking in Southern Spain is fascinating. Maybe I return one day to the Via de la Plata.
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