George the Scot
New Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Camino de la Plata 2015
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CáceresI'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...
Thanks so much for taking the time to write so fully! Very helpful. Did you book accommodation ahead or is that not necessary...?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For my first camino, I used Alison Raju's now long out-of-date Cicerone guide, which is supposed to be going into a new edition soon, for the second I used an almost equally out-of-date Lepère editions French guide, which had better maps than the Cicerone (but wasn't much good).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.
many thanks! How many km did you find you did daily?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!
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).
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.many thanks! How many km did you find you did daily?
That's sad, I loved that location. I hope it will reopen.BEWARE, though, the stunning albergue Alcántar, by the lake, is now closed, Buen camino!!!
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.Hi Amancio, I'll be walking the VDLP in December. Do you know if the albergue will be open then? Cheers
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