some questions about VDLP

[George the Scot]

I'm doing my first Camino starting in mid-September. Was going to be accompanied by another guy but he has pulled out. So moderately nervous about the journey.
Plan now is to walk for 8 days alone and meet a friend in Salamanca to continue together.
Any advice about where to start the walk to arrive in Salamanca 8 days later? I'm flying to Madrid.
What is best guide-book and map? Any general advice? How much should I attempt to walk each day?
Fairly fit for long walks. Realise it's quite quiet compared to other walks.
Many thanks...

 

[alansykes]

Hi there,

I think you've made a good choice of first camino. I really really got the camino bug from doing the VdlP (alone and out of season) and would recommend it to anybody who relishes solitude, beautiful landscapes and wonderful architecture.

I have done Cáceres to Salamanca in 8 days, and I'm a not especially fit 54-year old, so it can be done (I did one stage of 40km, otherwise mostly low-mid 30s, and a couple of low 20s), but I'd recommend a bit longer if possible. Cáceres is one of the highlights of the VdlP, with its almost intact mediaeval centre, partly built by conquistadors with the spoils from the New World. It's a fascinating and beautiful place, and worth at least a day's exploring if you have time. It's also easy to get to from Madrid (train and bus, c4 hours by train). If that seems too much, Plasencia might be a better place to start, just off the camino (three hours from Madrid by train) and not far from the wonderful lonely Roman triumphal arco de Cáparra, which might make a nice starting point. You would then have 5-8 mostly fairly easy days of c20kms, with stops at Aldeanueva del Camino, time for a bath at Baños de Montemayor, (a Roman spa town) etc. I've always stayed in Morille after Fuenterroble, as there are a couple of villages before it (one of which, I think, has an albergue), rather than doing the long empty road to San Pedro de Rozados (both routes have yellow arrrows).

For my first camino, I used Alison Raju's now long out-of-date Cicerone guide, which is supposed to be going into a new edition soon, for the second I used an almost equally out-of-date Lepère editions French guide, which had better maps than the Cicerone (but wasn't much good). I think there's now a decent Spanish guide if that would do.

Hope you have a very buen camino, and enjoy the wonders of this route.

 

[liz70]

Download the app VDLP by Melanie Radiski McManus. She provides plenty of detail on each stage including accommodation. I used it in April when I walked from Seville to Merida. Well worth the very low price... Also check out the resources section on this forum. Also as suggested by member gracetheprilgrim Download Jirat's accommodation list from the resource section. I'm planning leaving mid sept from Merida. May meet you along the way depending on where you start.

 

[gracethepilgrim]

Hi George, you have already received such good info above from Alan and Liz. The VdlP is really well marked and you’ll have a ball. I’ve done it twice (and will probably do it again!) so feel free to PM me if you have any more doubts.
Keep it simple, keep an eye out for arrows and keep posting here. We’d love to hear how you’re getting on.
And by the way, I very much doubt you’ll be alone past the first few hours

 

[domigee]

Hi George, if you understand Spanish there's also a useful guide which can be dowloaded as a free App http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/los-caminos-de-santiago/via-de-la-plata/
For additional info. on albergues http://www.gronze.com/camino-de-santiago/caminos/guia-via-plata
The Amigos del Camino de Sevilla have a guide book which was helpful http://www.viaplata.org/guia-del-camino
They also have a list of albergues - I know because I have seen it! - but when I went there the young guy in charge told me it didn't exist...
As for general advice, I'd say travel as light as possible : if it is very hot you'll have to carry a lot of water. And bring a sun hat.
Buen camino!

 

[Harington]

I'm doing my first Camino starting in mid-September. Was going to be accompanied by another guy but he has pulled out. So moderately nervous about the journey.
Plan now is to walk for 8 days alone and meet a friend in Salamanca to continue together.
Any advice about where to start the walk to arrive in Salamanca 8 days later? I'm flying to Madrid.
What is best guide-book and map? Any general advice? How much should I attempt to walk each day?
Fairly fit for long walks. Realise it's quite quiet compared to other walks.
Many thanks...

Cáceres

 

[George the Scot]

Hi there,

I think you've made a good choice of first camino. I really really got the camino bug from doing the VdlP (alone and out of season) and would recommend it to anybody who relishes solitude, beautiful landscapes and wonderful architecture.

I have done Cáceres to Salamanca in 8 days, and I'm a not especially fit 54-year old, so it can be done (I did one stage of 40km, otherwise mostly low-mid 30s, and a couple of low 20s), but I'd recommend a bit longer if possible. Cáceres is one of the highlights of the VdlP, with its almost intact mediaeval centre, partly built by conquistadors with the spoils from the New World. It's a fascinating and beautiful place, and worth at least a day's exploring if you have time. It's also easy to get to from Madrid (train and bus, c4 hours by train). If that seems too much, Plasencia might be a better place to start, just off the camino (three hours from Madrid by train) and not far from the wonderful lonely Roman triumphal arco de Cáparra, which might make a nice starting point. You would then have 5-8 mostly fairly easy days of c20kms, with stops at Aldeanueva del Camino, time for a bath at Baños de Montemayor, (a Roman spa town) etc. I've always stayed in Morille after Fuenterroble, as there are a couple of villages before it (one of which, I think, has an albergue), rather than doing the long empty road to San Pedro de Rozados (both routes have yellow arrrows).

For my first camino, I used Alison Raju's now long out-of-date Cicerone guide, which is supposed to be going into a new edition soon, for the second I used an almost equally out-of-date Lepère editions French guide, which had better maps than the Cicerone (but wasn't much good). I think there's now a decent Spanish guide if that would do.

Hope you have a very buen camino, and enjoy the wonders of this route.

Thanks so much for taking the time to write so fully! Very helpful. Did you book accommodation ahead or is that not necessary...?
Best wishes,
George

 

[gracethepilgrim]

No need to book ahead - allow yourself the freedom and flexibility to decide as you go.

 

[AZgirl]

Hi,
I walked in 2014, and used the very out dated raju, guide. I had the new one on preorder, but they cancelled but who knows when it going to be released. It was actually OK for the most part as a description of the route, (for the most part- there was some rerouting for construction etc) but not so great as to accommodations. I highly recommended the mini guide in the resources section of this forum, also I downloaded Gerald Kelly's e book.

But the way was very well marked, whatever you choose well be fine!

 

[George the Scot]

Hi,
I walked in 2014, and used the very out dated raju, guide. I had the new one on preorder, but they cancelled but who knows when it going to be released. It was actually OK for the most part as a description of the route, (for the most part- there was some rerouting for construction etc) but not so great as to accommodations. I highly recommended the mini guide in the resources section of this forum, also I downloaded Gerald Kelly's e book.

But the way was very well marked, whatever you choose well be fine!

many thanks! How many km did you find you did daily?

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, George, Like the others, I think you have chosen a great first Camino. If you do a search on the forum, you'll find some reports of extreme high temps in September, so be careful! But by starting in Caceres, which is a good suggestion for an 8 day walk to Salamanca, you'll probably miss the hottest parts.

I posted my stages years ago when I walked the Vdlp, they're here in case they are of any help. Some of the days were very short, for purposes of visiting off-Camino churches, or just to see a bit more of a place, so you could easily shorten the days by a few. https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/my-stages-on-the-vdlp.8961/

IMO, domigee's suggestion of the eroski guide is a great one, but it is in Spanish. And they have ap that you can put on your phone, which is free. I just used it for parts of my camino this summer and it was very helpful.

Though there are so many Caminos to walk, this is one that keeps calling me back, I've been twice and hope to go again someday, it was just lovely in April and May. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[amancio]

Hi there,

I've always stayed in Morille after Fuenterroble, as there are a couple of villages before it (one of which, I think, has an albergue), rather than doing the long empty road to San Pedro de Rozados (both routes have yellow arrrows).

indeed, Fuenterroble and Morille (better than San Pedro de Rozados) are most recommendable places. I just love Morille, it has something special, and the albergue in Fuenterroble is just... great!

BEWARE, though, the stunning albergue Alcántar, by the lake, is now closed, you want to ask in Cáceres what the name of a hostel is, where you should be able to find affordable accommodation around that area. The stretch between Cáceres and Casar is not particularly exciting (indeed, you will be walking on a busy road with lots of traffic, noise and hot tarmac). You might want to consider taking a bus/taxi and starting in Casar the first day.

This shorter stage has another advantage; you shorten the Cáceres-Alcántar stage, which can be a bit long, and which has 5 or 6 km on hot tarmac at the end of it, so you might want to be fresher when you come to the last stretch.

Buen camino!!!

 

[Magwood]

I walked the VdlP this year and arrived in Salamanca eight days after leaving Valdesalor, which is just before Cácares. You are welcome to check out my stages and read about the albergues I stayed in on my blog http://www.magwood.me/camino-mozarabe/
Buen camino!

 

[KinkyOne]

Eroski site was already mentioned. There is another good one: www.gronze.com
You can also find useful info on Mundicamino.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I agree with a few folks above. I have walked as far as Caceres and it's not to be missed. You could train or bus there, spend the night, then taxi out to begin walking at Casar.
I'd plan a day in Caceres, however.
It's wonderful.

 

[AZgirl]

many thanks! How many km did you find you did daily?

I like days about 30-35 k, so that is about what I did. Many days could be less, but if I remember there were some that needed to be that long.

BEWARE, though, the stunning albergue Alcántar, by the lake, is now closed, Buen camino!!!

That's sad, I loved that location. I hope it will reopen.

 

[LauraK]

George: I walked from Salamanca to Santiago in March. It was last minute so I had very little time to prepare and, having walked three other times on the Camino Frances, I just needed a good guide. I downloaded the Melanie McManus app, ordered Gerald Kelly's book and printed off a two page copy of the stages and albergues from the Gronze.com website. I also read some threads on the forum website. The combination was really helpful. Here is my summary of the sources:
1. Gerald Kelly Book (also can be downloaded): simple maps which provides a good visual of the towns ahead. Good info on the basics including albergue and distances. In English so easy to read and follow. I found some villages were not included if they didn't have an albergue. Really glad I had the paper guide when my phone dropped into a toilet and I lost access to the App!
2. Melanie McManus App: downloaded on my iPhone. I liked that Melanie had walked the VdlP within the year and had some very detailed info for each stage between towns. Her detail and recommendations helped me work around some of the detours from the new AVE train construction, let me know I didn't have to take a couple of detours that would have added several km to a stage, and helped me navigate thru sections that were not well marked. I found it to be more personalized and descriptive of terrain, towns and the difficulty of stages. Like having an experienced friend along telling you their thoughts and experiences.
3. Gronze.com: Really helpful in planning my trip. The web site allows you to put in a starting point then choose your proposed daily stages and then you can print off a chart showing elevation and what services are in each town. I knew that I wanted to do around 25 km. per day so tentatively planned out all of my stages. By being able to see the elevation changes I planned to end stages before steep climbs so I could do them in the mornings when I was fresh. In the end, I did follow most of my plan but increased km during the last stages to over 30km (got in shape). Arrived in Santiago 3 days earlier than planned. The two page print out was helpful in "looking ahead" and planning while I walked.
4. I also got some great tips from this forum especially for reviews of albergues (good and bad) and restaurants. I found perigrina2000/Laurie's recommendations were great! Avoided a couple of dirty albergues and ate at some good restaurants I would have missed.
I hope this information is helpful. All just my humble opinions. I loved the VdlP!

 

[CaminoJono]

Hi Amancio, I'll be walking the VDLP in December. Do you know if the albergue will be open then? Cheers

 

[Donna Sch]

The private albergue at Alcantar was open June-July. My friend and I were expecting it to be closed. We tried ringing them while on the Camino because that day was a long hot one but no one answered. So we had resigned ourselves to having to walk several more kilometres ie a 40 km day. Needless to say we were delighted to see it was open. The hill trail along the Embalse is lovely but on a hot day it goes on a bit especially as it is a bit of a stretch getting there in the first place. I tell you, if anyone opens a bar about halfway, they would make a mint!

 

[Ann O]

Hi Amancio, I'll be walking the VDLP in December. Do you know if the albergue will be open then? Cheers

Hi CaminoJono, I've recently done my first Camino, Santiago to Finisterre and want to do some of VDLP during my next vacation, which is Dec, starting Christmas week. I was thinking of starting in Seville, I see you started from Seville this Jan and would appreciate any advise / recommendations. What was the weather like and were there many albergues open then. Still just in the early research stages. I only have about 8-10 days for travel and want to get the most out of it. I'll be travelling alone and would be interested in knowing as much as possible to be prepared as I realize there will be less fellow pilgrims on the way in comparason to Aug in Finisterre.